National Salvation Day 2023: National Salvation Day is observed on June 15 to commemorate Heydar Aliyev’s 1993 return to Baku, Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan’s post-independence period was marked by chaos, with multiple parties vying for power and the country on the verge of civil conflict. During these difficult times, the Azerbaijani populace demanded that Aliyev move from Nakhchivan to Baku. With Aliyev in charge of the new nation, the civil war was quickly averted, and he was quickly elected president of Azerbaijan.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL SALVATION DAY
Heydar Alirza oglu Aliyev was born in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan, on May 10, 1923. In 1950, he matriculated from the U.S.S.R. State Security Committee’s (K.G.B.’s) Senior Staff Training School in Leningrad, which is now St. Petersburg, and was then appointed Department Head at the State Security Committee of Azerbaijan S.S.R. He rose rapidly through the levels of the KGB, becoming Deputy Chairman of the Azerbaijani KGB in 1964, Chairman in 1967, and eventually Major General.
Aliyev led an anti-corruption campaign as the head of the Azerbaijani KGB, after which he became the undisputed leader of the country. At its Plenary Session in 1969, he was elected First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party. Under his leadership, economic, social, and cultural development increased in Soviet Azerbaijan. Aliyev became one of the most successful republican leaders, elevating the profile of the disadvantaged republic and promoting Azerbaijanis to senior positions on a consistent basis.
Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev removed him from his position as First Deputy Premier in 1987 due to health concerns. Later, Aliyev reinvented himself as a moderate nationalist and in October 1990 was elected Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR. Aliyev returned to Nakhchivan in response to pressure and criticism from organisations affiliated with his rival, the leader of Soviet Azerbaijan, Ayaz Mutallibov. In 1993, however, a government crisis and the possibility of civil conflict prompted the Azerbaijani people to demand Aliyev’s return to power. Heydar Aliyev was elected chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Azerbaijan on June 15, 1993, a date that became known as the Day of National Salvation. Towards the end of the year, he was elected president.
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Five Azerbaijani facts that will blow your mind
“The Land of Fire”
Azerbaijan is often referred to as “The Land of Fire” because it is home to many of the world’s earliest hearths.
It’s innovative
Azerbaijan was the first Muslim country to grant women universal suffrage in 1918 and remains one of the most gender-equal Muslim countries in the world.
It has numerous volcanoes.
Azerbaijan has approximately 350 mud volcanoes, the greatest number of any country in the world.
It is rich in hydrocarbons.
In the year 1901, Azerbaijan supplied more than fifty percent of the world’s oil supply.
The Heydar Aliyev Centre is a marvel of architecture.
This 2014 winner of the Design of the Year award from the London Design Museum is renowned for its unique curves and number of exhibitions and institutions.
NATIONAL SALVATION DAY DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | June 15 | Thursday |
| 2024 | June 15 | Saturday |
| 2025 | June 15 | Sunday |
| 2026 | June 15 | Monday |
| 2027 | June 15 | Tuesday |
