Flag on free land Honouring the tricolour

The famous "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher once said a phrase of tremendous significance: "A man may climb Everest for himself, but at the summit he plants his country's flag." And indeed, the national flag, as a symbol of the state, embodies the soul of the people, their memory, and their history.

On November 9, 1918, the government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) approved a new state flag, designed by the prominent Azerbaijani scholar and philosopher Alibey Huseynzade.

Less than a month later, the new flag was hoisted over the parliament building on the day of its inauguration. In his speech, the parliament speaker, Mammad Amin Rasulzade, declared the tricolour banner a symbol of independent Azerbaijan, emphasising that the raised flag—representing Turkic freedom (blue), Islamic culture (green), and modernity (red)—would always fly above us.

With the fall of the ADR in April 1920, the Soviet-Bolshevik authorities eliminated all symbols of Azerbaijani independence.

But 70 years had passed, and November 1990 arrived. The Soviet Union still existed, but on the 17th day of November that year, the first session of the XII convocation of the Supreme Soviet (SS) of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, chaired by Heydar Aliyev, changed the name “Nakhchivan ASSR” to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (NAR). The Supreme Soviet of the autonomy was renamed the Supreme Majlis of the NAR. Following this, the National Leader announced the text of the resolution on adopting the three-colored flag of the ADR as the state flag of the NAR. The Supreme Majlis of the NAR appealed to the highest legislative body of the Republic of Azerbaijan to consider the issue of the state symbols of the country and “in accordance with national-historical traditions, adopt new state symbols — flag, emblem, and anthem.” Summarising the historical events that had taken place, Heydar Aliyev congratulated the deputies on the adoption of these significant decisions. In this light, the unique link clearly manifests itself: Soul – Heart – Memory – Modernity.

On February 5, 1991, the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan, having considered the petition of the Supreme Majlis of the NAR, adopted a resolution recognising the tricolor flag as the State Flag of the country.

By the decree signed by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, on November 17, 2009, November 9 is annually celebrated in the country as State Flag Day. As emphasised in the document, this flag, “inherited from the memory of the ADR, demonstrates our commitment to the ideology of freedom, national-spiritual values, and universal human ideals.”

The following year, at the ceremonial opening of the State Flag Square, Ilham Aliyev said: “Our flag is a source of our pride. Our flag is our flesh and our heart.” The head of state assured that after the restoration of the country’s territorial integrity, this symbol, dear to all of us, “will be raised on the lands that are still under occupation today. Our flag will fly in Karabakh, Khankendi, Shusha.”

In 2013, the President of the country noted that “the historical factors, the norms of international law, political factors, and our economic and military power will have their say in the settlement, a fair settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Karabakh conflict, and Azerbaijan will restore its territorial integrity.”

On November 8, 2020, in his historic address to the Azerbaijani people at the Alley of Martyrs, Ilham Aliyev announced that “today, the Azerbaijani flag is flying in Shusha.”

On December 10 of the same year, at the parade held on Azadlig Square dedicated to the Great Victory in the Second Karabakh War, Ilham Aliyev’s promise from two years earlier was fulfilled, when everyone saw the flag raised in the city of Shusha, proclaiming the “Victory Banner.” “In one of the parades, I said that the flag raised in Lalatapa in 2016 would be brought to the parade. I said that the day would come when the Azerbaijani flag raised in the liberated lands would be brought to Azadlig Square, and this day has arrived. We, the people of Azerbaijan, are witnessing this historic day. From now on, we will only move forward.

In October 2023, President Ilham Aliyev raised the State Flag of Azerbaijan in Aghdara, Asgaran, Khojavand, Khojaly, and Khankendi. During the ceremonial event in Khankendi, he stated that the raised flag “will fly here forever, and we will live here forever. Karabakh is ours, Karabakh is Azerbaijan!”

As early as 1997, Heydar Aliyev emphasised that a special reverence for our flag, symbolising the country’s state independence, and its sanctity should be instilled in every child and adolescent — “alongside love for the Homeland, the people, and the state,” and also as “a cherished possession of every family.” Undoubtedly, today this vision has become a historical reality.

Happy holiday!