Path of courage The heroic journey of Gultekin Asgarova in the Karabakh War

In the history of the Karabakh War, a special place belongs to the women who demonstrated resilience, courage, and unwavering devotion to their homeland. They fought alongside men, saved lives, provided assistance on the front lines and in the rear, becoming true heroines of their time. Their feats are not only pages of military history but also a living testimony to the strength of spirit of Azerbaijani women.

One such heroine was Gultekin Asgarova— a woman whose fate became a symbol of bravery, selflessness, and love for her country. The first and only female doctor to be awarded the high title of National Hero of Azerbaijan, she held both a scalpel and a rifle in her hands — saving lives while defending her homeland. Gultekin was born on November 20, 1960, in Baku. She graduated with honours from Secondary School No. 200 in the Narimanov district and later enrolled in the Azerbaijan Medical Institute, graduating in 1989.

She began her professional career at Ambulance Station No. 8, where she showed care and attention to every patient. Later, starting from 1991, Gultekin Asgarova worked at the Republican Clinical Urological Hospital, continuing to serve both medicine — and her country — during one of the most difficult periods in its history.

Honest and devoted to her calling, Gultekin Asgarova always remained true to the oath of a doctor, giving her all to help those in need. She deeply loved her people and her country, seeing her service to others as her greatest mission. During the tragic events of the night of January 19–20, 1990, Gultekin took part in rescuing the wounded, showing courage and selflessness during one of the darkest hours in Azerbaijan’s history.

On April 4, 1992, Gultekin Asgarova voluntarily went to the front, driven solely by her conscience and love for the Motherland. She took an active part in the battles for Tartar, heroically evacuating the wounded from the battlefield and providing them with first aid under heavy fire. Gultekin stood among the defenders of the Lachin, Gubadly, and Aghdam districts, making an invaluable contribution to the defence of these territories. She left Shusha just a day before its occupation — alongside the last remaining battalions, staying on the front lines until the very end.

On June 20, 1992, fierce battles erupted near the village of Nakhchivanli, at the foot of the Aranzamin heights, rising over 1,500 metres. The area was filled with the wounded — groans, blood, pain — and in the midst of this horror stood the fearless woman doctor, unwavering. Risking her own life, Gultekin saved others — she provided first aid, dragged wounded soldiers from the battlefield, and in moments of danger, even opened fire on the enemy.

But the enemy noticed her. An Armenian militant, clearly seeing the distinctive emblem of a military medic on her, still pulled the trigger. A bullet ended her life on June 20, 1992. Gultekin became a shehid — a martyr — forever remembered as a symbol of courage, self-sacrifice, and love for the Motherland. She found eternal rest on the Alley of Martyrs in Baku, among those who gave everything for the future of their land.

On November 20, 1993, by decree of the President of Azerbaijan, Gultekin Asgarova was posthumously awarded the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan for her defence of the republic’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, her efforts to save wounded soldiers, and the personal bravery and heroism she displayed.

Today, Baku Secondary School No. 200, where she once studied, proudly bears her name. A bust in her honour has been erected in the square near the Ganjlik metro station.

Gultekin Asgarova lives on in the nation’s memory as a symbol of fearlessness, honour, and devotion to the Motherland. Today, the lands for which our soldiers fought have been liberated, and the Azerbaijani flag flies proudly above them. The memory of Gultekin will forever live in the hearts of the people as an embodiment of spiritual strength and boundless self-sacrifice. Her heroic deed is etched in the history of our country as a true example of valour.

By Vahid Shukurov