President Aliyev honors fallen heroes on 35th anniversary of January 20 tragedy PHOTO

President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, visited the Alley of Martyrs to honour the cherished memory of the martyrs of January 20, 1990.

The head of state laid a wreath at the "Eternal Flame" monument, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media. The National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan was performed.

Note that, today marks the 35th anniversary of the Bloody January Tragedy, a pivotal event in Azerbaijan's history. On the night of January 19-20, 1990, the Soviet Union's military forces, under orders from General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, brutally cracked down on civilians in Baku and several regions of Azerbaijan. 

This massacre resulted in 147 deaths, with 744 others injured, including women, children, and medical personnel. The violence was part of the USSR’s larger strategy to suppress Azerbaijan’s growing national liberation movement, which was driven by the desire to protect the country's territorial integrity amid the escalation of the fabricated Karabakh conflict.

The crackdown led to mass arrests, destruction of property, and widespread fear. The Soviet leadership’s response was a direct attempt to crush Azerbaijan’s calls for sovereignty and independence. However, despite the brutal suppression, the spirit of the Azerbaijani people remained unbroken.

The events of January 20 were not officially acknowledged at the time, but under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijan later declared the events a military aggression and a crime by the totalitarian regime.

This struggle culminated in Azerbaijan's victory in the 2020 Patriotic War, restoring the country’s territorial integrity and ensuring the peace of the January 20 martyrs' souls.

By Aghakazim Guliyev