An event dedicated to the 102nd anniversary of the birth of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev was held at Azerbaijan University. The event started from the Alley of Honor and continued in the University academic building.

In the Alley of Honor, flowers were laid in front of the grave of the National Leader, and his memory was commemorated with respect and honor. A wreath of flowers was also laid on the grave of the prominent ophthalmologist-scientist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva, and her memory was commemorated with respect.

The National Anthem was played at the event organized in the academic building of the University, and the memory of the National Leader was commemorated with a minute of silence. After that, Doctor of History, Prof., chairman of the Science and Education Committee of the Milli Mejlis, Anar Isgandarov, made a speech dedicated to the National Leader's unparalleled services to the state and people of Azerbaijan, and the work he did for the progress of independent Azerbaijan.

In his report, Anar Isgandarov provided information about the 5 periods of the activities of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev and briefly highlighted how each period was characterized. The MP noted that the first period covers the years 1944-1969, when Heydar Aliyev worked in the intelligence agencies. Over these years, Heydar Aliyev has protected hundreds of Azerbaijani intellectuals from repression and persecution by the Soviet state. He was appointed to lead Azerbaijan in 1969-1972. Azerbaijan has turned from an agrarian country into an industrial-agrarian country. Not a single inch of land was given to Armenia during this period. He placed great importance on education and made a significant contribution to the nation’s educational development by sending thousands of Azerbaijani youth every year to the most prestigious universities of the Soviet Union. He overcame resistance from Moscow and succeeded in having the Azerbaijani language recognized as the state language in the 1978 Constitution. Demonstrating remarkable foresight, he also initiated the establishment of the Nakhchivan Military Lyceum in Baku. The graduates of this institution would later play a heroic role in liberating Azerbaijani lands from occupation during the Karabakh War. Heydar Aliyev, who held the high-ranking post of Politburo member in Moscow and served as the First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR from 1982 to 1987, was the only turkic muslim ever to govern the Soviet state at such a level. After his removal from this position, Azerbaijan was left without strong leadership, which paved the way for the implementation of a treacherous Armenian plan aimed at seizing Karabakh.

Anar Isgandarov emphasized that the heart of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev always beat in unison with Azerbaijan: both during his leadership in Nakhchivan and throughout the second period of his leadership of the country. The independent Azerbaijani state, of which he was the founder and chief architect, under the command of Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, transformed the Azerbaijani people into an “iron fist” during the 44-day Patriotic War, bringing an end to 30 years of Armenian occupation. Following the victory in Karabakh, as a result of a one-day local anti-terrorist operation carried out by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in September 2023, Azerbaijan fully restored both its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

In his speech, Anar Isgandarov also recalled the words of the National Leader: “I believe that, with your support and assistance, Ilham Aliyev will be able to complete those historic missions, plans, and tasks that I could not finish. I believe in him just as I believe in myself and place my hopes in his future”. The MP stressed that it was under the focused leadership and determined policy of the President, who declared the wise and forward-looking domestic and foreign policy of Heydar Aliyev as his own political course, that the Azerbaijani people and army achieved a just resolution to the so-called problem. Today, Azerbaijan is known throughout the world as a victorious nation, and the Azerbaijani people are recognized as a victorious people.

Public Relations Department