Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

A nationwide academy-wide event titled “The Blood Memory of Heroism and Victory,” dedicated to January 20 – National Mourning Day, was held at the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS).

At the event, organized by the ANAS Free Trade Union, the National Anthem was first played, followed by a one-minute moment of silence in memory of National Leader Heydar Aliyev and the martyrs.

Opening the event with introductory remarks, President of ANAS, Academician Isa Habibbeyli, emphasized that January 20 is a heroic chronicle of the Azerbaijani people. The academician noted that the deployment of troops into Baku and the killing of innocent civilians were a clear manifestation of the internal moral collapse and helplessness of the disintegrating Soviet regime.

Recalling that the statement delivered by National Leader Heydar Aliyev in Moscow during those difficult days was the most decisive political step in conveying the truths about Azerbaijan to the world, Academician Isa Habibbeyli said that it was precisely this courageous statement that defined the main course of the national liberation movement in the country and paved the way to independence.

In his speech, the academician stated that the Alley of Martyrs is, for the Azerbaijani people, an eternal monument and a source of pride symbolizing the struggle for independence and freedom. He emphasized that, from a historical and philosophical perspective, the January 20 tragedy is a truth that demonstrated to the entire world the unbreakable will and national identity of the Azerbaijani people.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli noted that the blood shed by the martyrs was not in vain, that under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev a historic Victory was achieved, Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity was fully restored, and thus the supreme goals of the martyrs were realized. He added that the growing international authority and economic and political strength of modern Azerbaijan, including within the Turkic world, are the main guarantees of the irreversibility of the country’s independence.

Speaking next, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Academician Govhar Bakhshaliyeva, described the unity of intellectuals and ordinary citizens who emerged from among the people during the January 20 tragedy for the sake of common interests as the highest example of sacrifice in the national liberation movement. She noted that this unshakable unity and the people’s voice of justice played a decisive role in shaping the modern model of statehood and created a solid foundation for the reconstruction of society. Concluding her remarks, she said that National Mourning Day represents a historical stage that tested the will of the people, and that this sacrifice forms the unshakable foundations of independent Azerbaijan.

In his speech, Chairman of the ANAS Free Trade Union, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor Sanan Hasanov, characterized the January 20 events as the peak of the people’s heroism and unyielding determination to fight, as well as a symbol of national identity. He stated that the bloody crackdown against innocent people demonstrated the internal fear of the totalitarian Soviet regime and how helpless it was in the face of the freedom movement. S. Hasanov particularly emphasized that the 60,000-strong Soviet army deployed into Baku failed to break the will of the people and, on the contrary, became a turning point on the road to national unity and independence. He noted that this atrocity became an indelible history and a blood memory immortalized in the poetry and scholarly works of poets, writers, and scientists. The scholar stressed that it was thanks to the political courage, unshakable will, and boundless devotion to his people demonstrated by National Leader Heydar Aliyev that the true nature of this tragedy and the criminal actions of the Soviet leadership were conveyed to the international community.

Later, Head of the ANAS Civil Defense Headquarters Nizami Valiyev, Ashur Bashirov, father of First Karabakh War martyr Adgozal Bashirov, Head of the Karabakh War Heroes Fund and sister of martyr Colonel Babek Samidli, who was awarded the “Zafar” Order, Roksana Safarzadeh, and Chair of the Trade Union Organization of the ANAS Institute of Philosophy and Sociology Asya Ahmadova delivered speeches, emphasizing that January 20 is the day of the revival of Azerbaijan’s statehood consciousness. They stated that this historic event is not merely a date on the calendar, but a source of moral strength passed down from generation to generation and an unshakable example of patriotism. The speakers highlighted that this selfless struggle formed the moral foundation of the great Victory achieved in the 44-day Patriotic War and that every inch of the country’s land is protected as a legacy entrusted by the martyrs. It was noted in conclusion that the memory of the martyrs, which has become a symbol of national unity, will live forever both in the supreme policy of the state and in the hearts of the people.

As part of the event, a video dedicated to January 20 was screened.

In closing, Academician Isa Habibbeyli stated that the memory of the martyrs is sacred for every Azerbaijani and that the people will always keep their heroism alive in their collective memory.

Translation by Gulhane Aghayeva, Department of Public Relations, Press, and Information, Presidium of ANAS.

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