[1] Barat Shakinskaya was born into a bey family in Shusha, Russian Empire (now Azerbaijan).

Her mother Aghja (née Hajiyeva) was the niece of Azerbaijani writer and dramatist Abdurrahim bey Hagverdiyev.

After the Eleventh Red Army annexed Azerbaijan in 1920, her father fled to Iran as a political immigrant, while her mother and the children relocated to Ganja and maintained contact with Habib Shakinski until 1928, when the Soviet-Iranian border closed and they were compelled to cease contact with him.

Barat Shakinskaya became the first Azerbaijani actress to play male roles.

[4] In 1935, Barat Shakinskaya began to participate in radio programs on the initiative of Mustafa Mardanov, People's Artist of Azerbaijan.