Memorial event dedicated to the 36th anniversary of the National Mourning Day January 20 was held
20.01.2026 /
The Institute of Mathematics of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan held a memorial event dedicated to the 36th anniversary of the National Mourning Day January 20.
A minute of silence was observed to honor the memory of the victims of the tragedy.
Opening the event, the Acting Director of the Institute of Mathematics Elkhan Sabziev, DSc in Engineering, spoke about the historical roots and causes of the events of January 20, one of the most brutal crimes against humanity. He noted that the Soviet regime, in an attempt to suppress the determination and desire of the Azerbaijani people for freedom, as well as to undermine their unity, sent troops to Baku and surrounding districts on the night of January 19-20, 1990, without any prior warning, committing a massacre of the peaceful population, which resulted in the brutal killing of our compatriots.
Speaking about the consequences of the Black January tragedy, E. Sabziev emphasized that it was the National Leader Heydar Aliyev who made the first sharp statement regarding the crime committed against our people. Despite pressure from the Soviet regime, the Great Leader took steps to convey the people's desire for freedom and their truth to the world. A day after the tragedy, on January 21, he arrived at the permanent mission of Azerbaijan in Moscow, where he held a press conference, thereby giving the first political assessment of the tragedy.
- Sabziev stated that today the head of state Ilham Aliyev honorably continues the political course of the National Leader. He noted that the 44-day Patriotic War, under the leadership of the victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief, has been written in world history in golden letters as the most significant victory of recent years. He emphasized that the historic victory in the Patriotic War, which culminated in the full restoration of our sovereignty, is the proof that the blood of all the martyrs who fell for the Motherland, including the victims of the January 20 tragedy, was not shed in vain.
Concluding his speech, E. Sabziev emphasized that the date of January 20 is remembered not only with bitterness and pain, but also as a day of honor. Paying tribute to the victims of the tragedy, he expressed his confidence that their blessed memory will live forever in our hearts.
Then a video dedicated to the January 20 tragedy, prepared by the institute’s staff, was shown.
Then, Professor Knyaz Mammadov spoke in detail about the historical and political causes of the January 20 tragedy and sharing his personal memories. He noted that as far back as the 1980s, steps were taken toward granting independence to Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijanis were deported from the territories of Karabakh and Irevan, and the Sumgayit events were perpetrated.
He noted that on January 19, 1990, in gross violation of Article 71 of the USSR Constitution, a Decree was signed on the introduction of a state of emergency in Baku. However, the plan prepared for the massacre of the peaceful population of Baku was carried out in secrecy. Residents of Baku, unaware of the declaration of the state of emergency, were subjected to a brutal slaughter; cruelty unprecedented in human history was displayed. During the events of Black January, peaceful people who raised their righteous voice against injustice and tyranny were ruthlessly killed.
Speaking about the consequences of the January 20 events, K. Mammadov noted with regret that the then-leadership of Azerbaijan showed indecisiveness and was unable to take the correct steps. He particularly emphasized that the sharpest statement regarding the genocide committed against the Azerbaijani people was made by the National Leader Heydar Aliyev. It was only after Heydar Aliyev’s return to political power, at a special session of the Milli Majlis on March 29, 1994, that the January 20 events were first discussed at the state level and evaluated as a criminal act directed against the Azerbaijani people.
Describing the political period following the tragedy, which was accompanied by complex processes, K. Mammadov emphasized that this tragedy, committed by the unjust Soviet leadership, failed to break the will and aspiration for independence of the powerful Azerbaijani people. He noted that our people, who always steadfastly withstood the ongoing political processes and did not give up the struggle for freedom, brought their righteous voice to the world’s attention under the leadership of the Great Leader and took their rightful place among the leading nations as an independent state.
Noting that January 20 is not only one of the terrible tragedies to befall the Azerbaijani people but also a symbol of the struggle for freedom and a chronicle of heroism, K. Mammadov paid tribute to the victims of the tragedy with deep respect.
Then, software engineer Soltan Mammadov spoke about the course of the historical events of January 20 and shared his memories.
The memory of the martyrs who gave their lives for the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan will live in our hearts forever!
