Azerbaijan’s Victory Day: The moment light conquered darkness in Karabakh New realities in the South Caucasus

Can darkness ever truly overpower light? Perhaps for a time, it can hold its ground against what is bright, clear, and true. But ultimately, it only serves to demonstrate once again that light will inevitably disarm darkness—exposing ignorance, deception, and even half-truths.

Four years ago, the South Caucasus showcased this truth. The valiant Azerbaijani army, led by Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev, decisively defeated the occupiers, who fled the battlefield in disgrace. The so-called “impenetrable Ohanyan lines” were swept away in an instant. Even relentless nighttime shelling of peaceful Azerbaijani cities, resulting in innocent casualties, failed to drag light down to the level of darkness. The nobility of Azerbaijani soldiers, who fought solely on the battlefield and respected both written and unwritten rules of warfare, became a hallmark of the Patriotic War, elevating this discipline to a central element of the Azerbaijani army’s remarkable achievements.

It was the Light that led to unique military operations, the courses of which are now studied at many international institutions, such as the renowned liberation of Shusha from the grip of the occupiers. One individual, speaking honestly, recounts, "I was at the Hadrut heights and saw everything with my own eyes. It is incomprehensible to me how Azerbaijanis managed to take these heights. But I am not a military expert. Perhaps these Azerbaijanis were just exceptionally well-prepared for such mountainous operations. When they took Shusha, our artillery was very effective against them. Yet, they still broke through. Hundreds, thousands of new soldiers took the place of those who were killed, and they did not stop."

Who made this remarkable admission? The answer may surprise many: it was none other than Hayk Balayan, the son of Zori Balayan, a notorious ideologist of Azerbaijani hatred. Hayk, a doctor and surgeon, was on Azerbaijani territory during the Second Karabakh War as part of the Armenian occupying forces. He spoke out in an interview with Moskovsky Komsomolets in November 2020.

Darkness and light. Light and darkness... Are they truly equivalent? Who invented this dichotomy? Perhaps figures like Zori Balayan played a role in creating the darkness. In September 1990, Balayan himself made a revealing statement in an interview with the Russian Kommersant regarding his view of Azerbaijani Karabakh: “150,000 Armenians, a Christian island surrounded by seven million Muslims. For me, Karabakh is Armenia.” This is how the puzzle of darkness was formed. This is how both Russian and global public opinion was shaped. Darkness upon darkness, which ultimately led to the 30-year occupation of Azerbaijani lands.

But can the Light ever be defeated? As we observe, darkness can only momentarily obscure the bright rays of life. However, even in a relatively short period of history, such darkness can inflict irreparable harm—through events like the Khojaly genocide, the destruction of Azerbaijan’s historical monuments, and the abuse of women and children. In those moments, darkness fails to recognize that the Light is quietly strengthening, taking on new forms, and slowly penetrating every shadowed corner—even into the consciousness of the enemy forces. This became especially clear when the Azerbaijani tricolor was gradually, step by step, but resolutely raised over each of the cities previously occupied by foreign forces.

The culmination of this journey came on November 8, 2020. As President Ilham Aliyev stated in his address to the Azerbaijani people: “Shusha, which was under occupation for 28 and a half years, has been liberated! Shusha is free now! We have returned to Shusha! We have won this historic victory on the battlefield. 8 November 2020 will forever remain in the history of Azerbaijan. This history will live forever. This is the day of our glorious victory! We have won this victory on the battlefield, not at the negotiating table.”

November 8, 2020, marked the moment when Light triumphed over darkness. Yet, just a year earlier, on November 8, 2019, the same Zori Balayan published an article on the portal of the so-called “Russian-Artsakh Friendship Society,” titled “Aristotle's Formula or You Can’t Escape Historical Truth.” Even invoking Aristotle's formula, could Balayan—the author of the racist and xenophobic work Hearth—truly believe that darkness could be deemed “historically true,” especially given the provocative phrase in his article: “What do Azerbaijani politicians hope to achieve by injecting the poison of hatred toward their neighbors into the souls of modern Azerbaijanis?”

Darkness—what a profound darkness of consciousness gripped this ideologist of fascist ideas, who spoke of the “poison of hatred” in reference to the Azerbaijani people, whose lands were occupied by Balayan’s compatriots, all under the cover of his own ideological rhetoric. Perhaps, November 8, 2020, served as a sobering moment for Zori Balayan. Perhaps...

Let us remember the famous words of Martin Luther King: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.” November 8, 2020, proved this without question. For everyone. And for all time. The Light drove out the darkness. This truth should be understood by all those who stand as enemies of Azerbaijan, especially those still refusing to accept the new realities in the South Caucasus through various means. We will remind them that lies, as we know, have short legs. Therefore, darkness is powerless before the Light!

Happy Victory Day! Happy Feast of the Brightest Light of Victory!