The remembrance event "The way to the restoration of our independence – 20 January" dedicated to the "National Mourning Day" was jointly held with the Knowledge Foundation under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan at Azerbaijan University.

Initially, there was a glance of the photo and painting stand "January 20 through the eyes of students", the martyrs who died heroically for the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan were commemorated with a minute of silence and the national anthem was performed.

At the event that it was noted the goal of the committers of the 20 January tragedy was to suppress the national liberation movement and maintain the communist regime in Azerbaijan. Those who were martyred on the night from 19 to 20 January in 1990, wrote a bright page in our history leading to the restoration of our independence.

Opening the event, the Head of the staff of the Knowledge Foundation under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Professor Isakhan Valiyev spoke about the roots of the historical tragedy, the causes and consequences of it. The head of the apparatus, emphasizing the role of national consciousness in the formation of the 20 January events, said the tragedy was given a full political and legal assessment at the state level following the national leader Heydar Aliyev's return to power in 1993. Isakhan Valiyev underlined President Ilham Aliyev's special attention and care to the perpetuation of the memory of our martyrs as well.

Head of the Department of Social Sciences, Professor Gabil Aliyev noted that inadequate power was used against the masses of people, flowing into the streets and squares of Baku expressing their strong protest against the wrong policy of the former USSR. Events that take place should not be considered only as a tragedy, it is also a revival movement against the Soviet regime, a turning point in our history.

The witnesses of the night, Head of the Department of Finance and Economics Nariman Boyukkishi shared his memories and conveyed the incidents in front of the Salyan casern.

The event ended with the closing speech of the rector of Azerbaijan University Saadat Aliyeva. The rector said that, despite the years passed, the Azerbaijani people visit the Alley of Martyrs with pride every year: "The spirit of our martyrs is sacred and dear to each of us. It is our citizenship debt to keep their name alive. I bow to the soul of all martyrs."

Public Relations Department
19.01.2018