On the night of January 19-20, 1990, at the direction of the leaders of the former empire, special military formations and armored vehicles of the Soviet army were introduced into the cities of Baku and Sumgayit, including many regions of Azerbaijan, where civilians were massacred with special cruelty and unprecedented atrocities. Since that bloody night, which went down in history as the “January 20 Tragedy”, 34 years have passed today. Our people do not forget that terrible night, and on the next anniversary of the tragedy, as every year, they honor the memory of the martyrs of January 20.

The staff of Azerbaijan University also visited the Martyrs' Lane. They paid tribute to the memory of the Sons of the Motherland, who died for the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and laid carnations on the graves of martyrs.

The National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan was played at the memorial event held in the academic building of the University, and the memory of the martyrs was commemorated with a minute of silence.

The event provided information about the socio-political situation of that period, the causes and consequences of the January 20 Tragedy, its place and its role in history. It was noted that the January 20 Tragedy went down in the modern history of the Azerbaijani people as one of the saddest days and further strengthened their determination to fight for independence. The terrorist act against the civilian population, who stood up as a sign of protest against the support of Armenia's territorial claims against Azerbaijan by the former Union leadership and the treacherous policy of the then leadership of Azerbaijan, has been immortalized in history. All the goals that our martyrs fought for have become true today with full restoration of Azerbaijan's independence in 1991, its territorial integrity in 2020 and sovereignty in all its territories in 2023. Our nation is now experiencing the most glorious period of its history, the most joyful days, and always remembers its martyrs with great gratitude.

It was brought to attention that the first political assessment of the January 20 Tragedy was given by national leader Heydar Aliyev. The day after the tragedy, he risked his life and that of his family and went to Azerbaijan's Representative Office in Moscow. Expressing protest against the murder of innocent people and strongly condemning the bloody action carried out in Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev demanded punishment of the organizers in front of representatives of the international press.

At the commemorative event, information was also given about the steps taken to perpetuate the tragedy in our national memory. It was reminded that every year January 20 is recognized as a Day of Mourning and it is commemorated as the Day of Nationwide Sorrow and our people honor the sacrifice of their brave children.

Public Relations Department