The project was implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and organized by the Public Union “Silent Communication – Support for the Development of Sign Language.”
At the end of the training, certificates were presented to the participants.
During the excursion, the complex’s guide, Orkhan Huseynov, provided participants with detailed information about the historical context of the 1918 genocide, its causes, the consequences of the tragedy, and how historical memory is reflected in the architecture of the memorial complex.
In addition, a video clip about the genocide events was broadcast throughout the day on monitors at the Guba ASAN Service Center.
The roundtable was attended by Subhan Talibli, a specialist at the Guba Genocide Memorial Complex, Doctor of Philosophy in History and Associate Professor; Tural Valizade, a teacher at Baku Military College and Baku Girls University and a doctoral student at Baku State University; Hasan Safari, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies of ANAS and Doctor of Philosophy in History; Rasim Mirzayev, Head of Department at the Veterans Organization of War, Labor and Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan; Vagif Mammadov, Chairman of the Yasamal District Council of Veterans of Labor, War, Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies; as well as teachers and students of Baku Girls University and Baku State College of Communications and Transport.
First, the guests viewed an art exhibition in the foyer of the Center dedicated to the March 31 genocide.
The official part of the event began with the performance of the National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan and a one-minute silence in memory of the victims of the March 31 genocide.
Nigar Huseynova, Chief Custodian of the Center’s collections, delivered the opening speech, emphasizing the historical significance of the decree signed by National Leader Heydar Aliyev on March 26, 1998. She noted that it was this decree that declared March 31 at the state level as the “Day of the Genocide of Azerbaijanis” and, for the first time, gave a legal and political assessment to the tragedy.
Speakers Subhan Talibli, Hasan Safari, Rasim Mirzayev, and Tural Valizade provided detailed information about the mass killings committed between March 30 and April 3, 1918, in Baku, Shamakhi, Guba, Khachmaz, Lankaran, Zangezur, and Karabakh. Their speeches substantiated, with archival documents and historical evidence, the crimes committed against the civilian population by the Baku Soviet and Dashnak Armenian armed groups.
At the end of the event, a documentary film titled “March 31 – the Day of the Genocide of Azerbaijanis” was screened.
The event was attended by the Head of the Guba District Executive Authority, Ilgar Mahmudov; Members of Parliament Alibala Maharramzade and Mushfig Mammadli; Head of the Cultural Heritage Protection Department of the State Service, Sabuhı Bashirov; leaders and staff of several district organizations of the New Azerbaijan Party (YAP); representatives of law enforcement agencies; local executive authorities; heads of institutions and organizations; media representatives; as well as thousands of citizens.
First, the participants visited the monument of National Leader Heydar Aliyev and laid flowers in front of it. They then visited the memorial monument located within the Complex and afterwards toured the Genocide Museum, where they became acquainted with historical facts and the organized exhibition.
Following the visit, participants took part in a tree-planting campaign near the Memorial Complex dedicated to the memory of the genocide victims.
The commemorative event, which continued throughout the day, was attended by thousands of people.
It should be noted that in 2007, during excavation works carried out for construction purposes in the city of Guba, a mass grave was discovered by chance. This grave became clear evidence of the genocide committed against the Muslim population of Guba in May 1918 by Armenian armed groups acting under the Bolshevik banner. In order to convey these truths to the international community, preserve the national memory of future generations, and commemorate the victims of genocide, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev issued a decree on December 30, 2009, on the establishment of the Genocide Memorial Complex in Guba. The Complex was built in 2012–2013 with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation on the left bank of the Gudyalchay River, on the site of a former stadium, and was officially opened on September 18, 2013.
Afterwards, the officials toured the Genocide Museum, where they familiarized themselves with historical facts and the organized exhibition.
Before the event, participants visited the monument where the victims of 1918 are buried, honored their memory with respect, and laid flowers at the site. Afterwards, they visited the Genocide Museum and became closely acquainted with materials reflecting the traces of the tragedy.
The official part of the event then began.
In her speech, the Deputy Director of the Genocide Memorial Complex, Mehriban Aliyeva, spoke about the results of archaeological research conducted at the Guba mass burial site, the historical significance of the discovered mass graves, and the efforts made to present these facts to the international academic community. She also noted that research carried out in this direction makes an important contribution to presenting the history objectively.
Later, a representative of the Guba regional “ASAN Service” center of the “ASAN Volunteers” Organization and a representative of the Youth Development and Career Center delivered speeches emphasizing the importance of engaging young people in research on history and heritage. They noted that such events contribute to the development of their research skills and increase their social activity.
Prior to the event, the university’s director and staff visited the monument where the victims of the 1918 events are buried, honored their memory with respect, and laid flowers at the site. Afterwards, participants visited the Genocide Museum and familiarized themselves with exhibits reflecting the tragic events of that period. The event then continued with its official part. The participants first observed a one-minute silence in memory of the victims of the 1918 genocide. Speaking at the event, the Deputy Director of the Genocide Memorial Complex, Mehriban Aliyeva, addressed the historical essence of the genocide policy carried out against the Azerbaijani people in 1918, emphasizing that these events represent not only a national tragedy but also a tragedy of universal significance. Subsequently, Tanzila Yusifova, Director of the Shamakhi branch of ASPU, noted that such commemorative ceremonies play an important role in educating students and young people in the spirit of patriotism. She also emphasized that studying the tragedies faced by the Azerbaijani people and conveying them to the international community is the duty of every intellectual. At the end of the event, a map-booklet reflecting the locations where the Shamakhi massacres took place was presented to the participants by the Genocide Memorial Complex.
