June 15 – National Salvation Day holds a special place in our history as a significant turning point in the destiny of the Azerbaijani people. This day is of great importance in terms of preserving our country’s traditions of statehood and strengthening our independence.
During the difficult and challenging days of 1993, Azerbaijan faced a deep political crisis. The return of National Leader Heydar Aliyev to political power, at the insistence of the people, laid the foundation for restoring stability in the country, strengthening state governance, and ensuring civil harmony.
June 15 is not only the anniversary of a historic event but also a symbol of the people taking their destiny into their own hands, a symbol of the triumph of national unity and the ideals of statehood. From this day onward, Azerbaijan entered a new stage of development, progress, and stability.
After Azerbaijan restored its independence in 1991, it embarked on the path of development in various sectors. However, the efficient exploitation of the country’s greatest natural resource, oil, and its export to foreign markets required serious attention. At that time, Azerbaijan’s economy was still in a difficult situation after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and it was impossible to overcome this situation without foreign investments.
Thanks to the political foresight and diplomatic skills of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev, on September 20, 1994, a contract was signed in Baku, the capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan, involving eight countries and 13 of the most prominent oil companies for the joint development of the rich Azeri, Chirag, and Gunashli oil fields in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea. He described this document, called the “Contract of the Century,” as “a historical agreement that strengthens Azerbaijan’s independence and is aimed at the future.”
The “Contract of the Century” not only brought wealth and development to Azerbaijan but also secured long-term stability and a strategic position, defining the role the country would play in global energy politics in the 21st century.
At the end of the First Karabakh War, on March 27, 1993, Armenian forces launched an attack on Kalbajar, a strategically important region located between Armenia and Karabakh. After committing numerous war crimes, the Armenians fully occupied the region in April 1993. Due to the harsh winter conditions, the limited number of Azerbaijani forces defending Kalbajar, the injuries sustained by soldiers, and a shortage of military equipment, the defense operations were unsuccessful. The Armenians attacked from four directions, including the already captured Lachin corridor, and established control over the area. On March 29, Armenian armed groups cut off the supply routes for the defenders of Kelbajar and captured several key heights, including the highest peak, the strategic Murovdag Mountain.
On the night of April 1 to 2, thousands of civilians were forced to leave their homes and cross mountain passes despite harsh weather conditions. The Armenians’ cruelty in Kalbajar resulted in numerous war crimes, including the forced displacement of the civilian population, killings, and kidnappings. By April 3, Armenian forces had fully established control over Kalbajar city and the entire region.
The capture of Kalbajar caused a strong international reaction. On April 30, 1993, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 822, demanding the immediate withdrawal of Armenian forces from the occupied territories. However, the occupation of Kalbajar continued until November 2020, when Azerbaijan regained control of the area as a result of the Second Karabakh War.
The Kalbajar battle became one of the key episodes of the First Karabakh War and influenced the further course of the conflict. This tragic chapter in history has become a symbol of the heavy trials faced by Azerbaijan, leaving a deep mark on the memories of thousands of people.
Mahmud Efendiyev, famously known as “Shtug Mahmud,” was born in 1875 in the village of Shtug, in what is now Dagestan’s Gurah region. His pseudonym, “Shtug,” was derived from the name of his birthplace. Mahmud’s father, Haji Gasim, was a well-known cleric and scholar who had made several pilgrimages to Mecca. His mother, who studied at the Isli Ali Madrasa, was also well-educated and had made several translations from Arabic. She was known as a “scientist’s pillar” in her own right. The strong support of Haji Gasim and Isli, who encouraged their children in both religious and secular sciences, played a significant role in shaping Mahmud’s future.
Mahmud, who became well-known for his knowledge and abilities, served as a judge in the Southern Court of Southern Dagestan. In 1924, when the Sharia courts were replaced by People’s Courts, Mahmud briefly served as the chairman of the district court.
In 1918, Mahmud went to Guba with the renowned Lezgi leader Haji Efendi and participated in battles in Bloody Valley against the Armenian Dashnaks. He commanded a group of 200 fighters, and some of the combatants remembered him as “Lezgi Mahmud.”
In his memoirs about the events of that year, he says: “When Amazasp attacked Quba, a man on a bay horse came to our village. He gathered the people and introduced himself as Alibey, requesting that everyone capable of holding a weapon prepare for battle. The Armenians coming to Quba to massacre the Muslims must be stopped. Afterward, he went to other villages.”
Following this call, Hacıbaba Babayev joined a group of over 200 armed men from Hil village, led by Məhəmməd Hacıyev and Gülməhəmməd Mürşüdov, to fight against the Armenian Dashnaks. Together with Kuzunlu Möübəli Efendi, Colonel Hatəm Ağa of Cağar, and Alibey Zizikski, as well as Abdurrahim Efendi’s forces from Dagestan, they crushed the Armenian Dashnak military forces in fierce battles near the village of Digah, in the area known as “Bloody Valley.”
Interrogation Protocol, October 9, 1918. Baku City.
The following individual, interrogated as a witness by the Extraordinary Commission of Inquiry under the Government of Azerbaijan in accordance with Article 443 of the Criminal Procedure Code, provided the following statement:
Colonel Vladimir Konstantinovich Olongren:
“I am 54 years old and reside in Baku, in the house of the Ashurbeyov brothers at the intersection of Kamenistaya and Gogol Streets, No. 205-32.
On Monday, March 19 of this year, around 5 o’clock in the morning, 20-25 armed Armenian soldiers, led by two Armenians in officer’s uniforms, entered the house of the Ashurbeyovs. This group began searching all the apartments in the house, starting from the third floor. When they entered Ali Bey Ashurbeyov’s apartment and found a box containing Berdan-type rifle cartridges, the Armenians, leaving nothing untouched, began to destroy the entire apartment. They broke furniture, mirrors, chandeliers, clocks, and other items, looting valuables in the process. One of the officers, of medium height, put on Ali Bey’s fur coat and, with the help of a few soldiers, managed to don his uniform overcoat before leaving. I can identify this officer if I see him, as well as his tall and extremely thin companion. Of all Ali Bey Ashurbeyov’s household items, only his carpets could be saved. The Armenians returned to this house many times in groups, and each time I had to prevent them from entering the apartments. The tall officer who participated in the looting of Ali Bey’s apartment gave me a document stating that he had searched the entire house and found no Muslims. I had to show this document to the Armenian gangs that came to the house, and they would leave without entering the apartments.”
It was read and signed: Colonel Olongren.
Members of the Extraordinary Investigation Commission: Juror Mammad Khan Tekinski, Assistant Prosecutor A. Kluge (signatures)
Source: AR PII SSA, f. 277, p. 2, work 13, v. 14. Solmaz Rustamova-Tohidi – Baku. March 1918. Azerbaijan Massacres in the Documents, p. 250.
Mir Yagub Mehdiyev, an active participant in the Azerbaijani national independence movement, was born in 1891 in the Khirdalan settlement of Baku. After graduating from the Alexandropol Commercial School in 1909, he continued his education at the Faculty of Economics at the Petersburg Polytechnic Institute.
Mehdiyev was deeply involved in the social and political life of the country, serving as the deputy chairman of the Peasants’ Union and the Baku Council of Muslim Public Organizations. He later became one of the organizers of the Union Party and was elected a member of its Central Committee at the party’s first and second congresses. In addition to representing the Union Party, Mehdiyev was elected as a member of the Transcaucasian Seym. At the Seym’s meeting on March 25, 1918, he spoke for the first time on behalf of the Muslim faction, requesting the declaration of independence for the South Caucasus.
Following the fall of the Transcaucasian Federation on May 26, 1918, Mehdiyev became a member of the National Council of Azerbaijan. According to the “Law on the Establishment of the Azerbaijan Parliament-Mabusan,” issued by the National Council on November 19, 1918, he was appointed as a member of the Azerbaijani Parliament without the need for elections and served as a member of the “Ittihad” faction. Mehdiyev was also part of the Azerbaijani delegation that participated in the Paris Peace Conference (1919-1920). He played a significant role in securing the de facto recognition of Azerbaijan’s independence on January 11, 1920. During his time as a member of the Seym, Mehdiyev was the first to voice the slogan, “We must separate from Russia and become independent,” following the events of March 1918.
Mehdiyev passed away on November 7, 1949, in Istanbul, Türkiye. He was buried in the Feriköy Cemetery.
Abdulali Shirali bey oghlu Amirjanov, who played a crucial role in saving thousands of Azerbaijanis during the March 1918 genocide against Turkish-Muslims in Baku and preventing further massacres, was born in 1870. He completed his education at the Sheki city school from 1876 to 1883 and graduated from the Aleksandrovsk Teachers’ Institute in 1888.
In the early 20th century, Amirjanov worked as a teacher and accountant in government offices and various companies, actively participating in cultural and educational societies. Following the February Revolution in 1917, he became a member of the Temporary Executive Committee of Baku Muslim Public Organizations. In 1918, he served as the Minister of Finance in the second cabinet of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and later as the State Controller. On November 19, 1918, he was elected to the Parliament of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic under the “Law on the establishment of the Azerbaijan Majlis-Mabusani” by the Azerbaijan National Council.
After the occupation of April 1920, Amirjanov emigrated and joined the Azerbaijan National Center. He passed away in 1948.
Mirza Bala Mahammadzade’s story “Counter-revolutionaries” is the first fiction work dedicated to the March 1918 genocide. In this narrative, the writer portrays the tragedy experienced by an Azerbaijani intellectual, Huseyn, who, despite losing relatives and loved ones in the events, still referred to the victims as “counter-revolutionaries” due to his ideological indoctrination by Russia. Huseyn struggled to see and express the truth, failing to fully appreciate the essence of the problem. Through Huseyn’s exaggerated Bolshevik and Armenian Dashnak mindset, Mahammadzade created a vivid character that remains relevant today.
The story includes a poignant description: “The Shamakhi incident did not trouble Huseyn as much as the events in Crimea and Turkestan. According to the information he received from reliable sources, those killed in these Turkish fires were ‘counter-revolutionaries.’ But now, Baku was experiencing tumultuous days. The city was ablaze. The bombardment from steamships, accompanied by the sounds of machine guns, cannons, rifles, and bullets, and the cries of the people, the groans of children, women, and girls, painted a clear picture of horror. The dead, the burning, the running, the screaming, the destruction, the cutting—all mixed together… Women, girls, and the elderly ran barefoot from house to house, corner to corner. What was the reason for this? These were Turkic Muslims, those who yearned for freedom and autonomy. Tired of centuries of slavery, suffering, and humiliation, they desired a more humane existence. For this, they were punished. They were deemed counter-revolutionaries because they refused to submit to Velikorus imperialism. I wonder, does Huseyn see them?”
The headquarters of the Caucasian Islamic Army, which came to Azerbaijan’s aid, was situated in Ganja. Muhammad Hadi, present in Ganja at that time, warmly welcomed their assistance to Azerbaijan and composed the poem “To the Heroic Turkish Soldiers” in 1918.
Bold we stand with hearts unafraid,
Sons of soldiers, forever brave.
A Turkish son flees not from strife,
Zealous souls, knights in life.
Turkish nation, Turkish land,
Through the dark, we take our stand.
Grateful for the light we’ve won,
Turk’s newfound strength, by God’s sun.
Mammad Said Ordubadi, who was a live witness of Armenian brutality at the beginning of the last century, wrote a book called “Bloody Years” based on historical facts and deep observations. In this work, the writer wrote on the basis of the statements of 245 people who witnessed the Armenian-Muslim massacres in the Caucasus in 1905-1906, as well as the tragedies, unimaginable tortures and lootings committed by Armenians against people in the territories of Azerbaijan. In his work “Bloody Years”, which reflects the Armenian treachery and horror of the inhuman atrocities of Armenians in their ancestral home of Azerbaijanis, Ordubadi characterized how cunning, evil-doing, bloodthirsty, Turkish blood-thirsty villains our nefarious neighbors are with the disasters and troubles they caused.
In 1908, Ordubadi, who wrote on the basis of facts and eyewitnesses’ accounts of the Armenian Dashnak genocide carried out by relying on them at a time when tsarist censorship still ruled, completed this work. Unfortunately, the fate of this book, which was written on the basis of facts and evidence, was bad. In 1914, Mammad Said Ordubadi was arrested in Julfa and exiled to the city of Sarits (Volgograd) in Russia.
Yusif bey Yusifbeyli, elected as a representative to the Constituent Assembly of Russia but unable to travel to Petrograd due to the October Revolution of 1917, actively participated in the establishment of the Transcaucasian Sejm. Serving as the Minister of Education in the government of the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic proclaimed on April 22, 1918, he undertook the most complex and responsible tasks in national policy. After the formation of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918, in the first cabinet of the government organized by Fatali Khan Khoyski, Yusifbeyli held the position of Minister of Finance and Public Education, and subsequently in the 2nd and 3rd cabinets of Khoyski – the position of Minister of Public Education and Religious Convictions.
Among the important events during Yusifbeyli’s tenure were the establishment of Baku State University, sending about 100 Azerbaijani young people to various universities in Europe, preparation and enactment of a land reform bill, opening courses to combat illiteracy, and more. Additionally, one of the government’s final decisions was a resolution on January 30, 1920, to develop projects for military orders, a national anthem, a state emblem, and a seal.
The most significant event in the history of the Azerbaijani people was the de facto recognition of Azerbaijan’s independence by the great powers on January 11, 1920. On January 14, Nasib bey Yusifbeyli brought this news to the Azerbaijani people.
The government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic could not fully realize its plans. Nasib bey Yusifbeyli, who left the city to avoid persecution after the occupation of Baku by the 11th Red Army, was tragically killed on the road on May 31, 1920.