Five years after the great triumph Azerbaijan celebrates Victory Day

Today, on November 8, Azerbaijan marks the fifth anniversary of the Great Victory. On November 8, 2020, the President of Azerbaijan and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Ilham Aliyev, addressed the Azerbaijani people at the Alley of Martyrs, announcing the liberation of the city of Shusha from Armenian occupation.

“It is with great pride that I declare that the city of Shusha has been liberated from occupation! Shusha is ours! Karabakh is ours! I heartily congratulate all the people of Azerbaijan on this occasion. I heartily congratulate all the people of Shusha!” said President Aliyev.

The head of state also noted that from September 27 to November 8, more than 200 cities, towns, and villages were liberated from occupation.

“These days, I have repeatedly appealed to the people of Azerbaijan and showed my fist to the enemy. I said that this is not such a fist. This is an iron fist. We will crush the head of the enemy with this iron fist! At the same time, this fist is a symbol of our unity. Today, the people of Azerbaijan are as united as this fist! It will always be the case! This unity will last forever! This unity will allow us to fulfill all our responsibilities in the future. For all these years - for 17 years - I have felt the support of the Azerbaijani people. I have seen your trust, your kind attitude to me. It gives me strength. This is invaluable support for my policy. I have always assured the people of Azerbaijan that I will serve my homeland and my people with dignity and loyalty. I am glad that I have kept my word. As always, I have kept my word.

Giving this good news to the people of Azerbaijan on this historic day is perhaps one of the happiest days of my life,” said President Aliyev.

Five years—by the standards of history, a short period. Yet for the Azerbaijani people, these years have been a time of reflection, affirmation, and confident progress since that epochal date: November 8, 2020, when Shusha, the heart of Karabakh, was liberated. On that very day, one of the brightest and most majestic victories in our nation’s history was recorded. Azerbaijani servicemen freed the city of Shusha from Armenian occupiers.

Our brave soldiers and officers, overcoming rugged mountainous terrain, sheer cliffs, dense forests, deep ravines, and difficult, impassable trails, expelled the enemy from Shusha, long considered the jewel of Karabakh. That day forever divided our history into “before” and “after.”

The victory, won through courage, determination, and unity, did more than restore the country’s territorial integrity. It returned to the people a sense of historical justice that had been undermined by decades of occupation. In the autumn of 2020, Azerbaijan demonstrated to the world that strength lies not only in weapons but also in faith, spirit, and justice.

The past five years have been a time of creation and renewal. In the liberated lands, cities and villages are being restored, new settlements are being built, life is returning, the Azerbaijani language is once again heard, infrastructure is developing, and people are coming back. In other words, the Victory on the battlefield has gained a second life—in the form of the revival of Karabakh.

Today, November 8, is a day of national pride—a day when every citizen of Azerbaijan feels the responsibility to preserve and strengthen what has been achieved. Victory is not the end of the journey, but the beginning of a new era: an era of creation, peace, and confidence in our own strength.

And so, as Azerbaijan marks the fifth anniversary of the Great Victory, it reaffirms the main lesson of 2020: when a nation is united, it is invincible.

Happy Victory Day, Azerbaijan!