The head of the State Service participated in the session of UNESCO

Azad Jafarli, head of the State Service for the Protection, Development, and Restoration of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, led a delegation to Paris to attend the 17th session of the Committee on the Protection of Cultural Property During Armed Conflict. The adoption of the report on the Secretariat’s activities, the adoption of amendments to the monitoring and control mechanisms for the implementation of the Second Protocol of the Hague Convention of 1954, the protection of cultural resources in Ukraine, and other issues are on the agenda for the committee’s next session.
During the discussions, the head of the State Service delivered a speech in which he emphasized that the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan has conducted monitoring for the purpose of an initial inventory and protection of the historical and cultural monuments destroyed by the occupying state in the territories liberated from occupation, and that measures have been taken to restore them. He emphasized that the main impediment to the ongoing monitoring process is mining in territories liberated from occupation by the Republic of Armenia.
At the same time, the Civil Service official stated that he is willing to share Azerbaijan’s post-conflict measures and experience with other countries regarding the protection of historical and cultural monuments. He emphasized that the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan is especially concerned about the protection of cultural resources during armed conflicts. The active interest of our country in updating the Committee’s monitoring and control mechanisms, as well as the organization of an international conference on the importance of implementing UNESCO conventions in the field of cultural resource protection in Baku on December 6–9 this year, are examples of the importance Azerbaijan attaches to this topic.
The session was also attended by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Azerbaijan to UNESCO. At the end of the session, a conclusion was reached based on the decisions made on the agenda items, and information about the next session and consultations to be held over the next year was provided.

Dövlət Xidmətinin rəisi Romada ICCROM-un baş direktoru ilə görüşüb

Mədəniyyət Nazirliyi yanında Mədəni İrsin Qorunması, İnkişafı və Bərpası üzrə Dövlət Xidmətinin rəisi Azad Cəfərlinin rəhbərlik etdiyi nümayəndə heyəti İtaliya və Fransaya səfər edib.

Dekabrın 12-də başlayan səfərin məqsədi Romada yerləşən Mədəni Mülkiyyətin Mühafizəsi və Bərpasının Öyrənilməsi üzrə Beynəlxalq Mərkəz (ICCROM) arasında əlaqələrin müxtəlif istiqamətləri üzrə fikir mübadiləsinin aparılması, gələcək əməkdaşlıq perspektivlərinin müzakirə edilməsi, həmçinin UNESCO-nun baş qərargahında (Paris) keçiriləcək Silahlı münaqişə zamanı mədəni sərvətlərin qorunması üzrə Komitənin 17-ci sessiyasında iştirak etməkdir.

Səfər çərçivəsində dekabrın 14-də Azad Cəfərli Roma şəhərində lCCROM-un baş qərargahında təşkilatın baş direktoru Vebber Ndoro ilə görüşüb. Görüşdə Azərbaycan Respublikasının İtaliyadakı Səfirliyinin ikinci katibi Rüstəm Bayramov, Dövlət Xidmətinin baş mütəxəssisi Nəzrin Məmmədova, proqram meneceri Eugene Jo, layihə rəhbəri Rohit Jigyasu, təşkilatın koordinatoru Anna Zeichner iştirak ediblər.

Dövlət Xidmətinin rəisi lCCROM və ölkəmiz arasındakı əməkdaşlığın inkişafı istiqamətində Azərbaycanda həyata keçirilən tədbirlərdən danışıb. İşğaldan azad olunmuş ərazilərdə tarix-mədəniyyət abidələrinin monitorinqi, inventarlaşdırılması, bərpa-quruculuq işləri və infrastruktur layihələrinin icrası haqqında məlumat verib. Post-münaqişə dövründə “Böyük qayıdış” tədbirləri çərçivəsində işğal zamanı dağıdılmış abidələrin qorunması və mühafizəsinə həssaslıqla yanaşıldığını diqqətə çatdırıb.

lCCROM ilə birgə mərkəz Azərbaycan olmaqla abidələrin bərpası və qorunması prosesinin idarə edilməsi, texniki, metodoloji bilik və bacarıqların artırılması üzrə Türkdilli dövlətlərin mütəxəssislərinin iştirakı ilə çoxşaxəli və uzunmüddətli təlimlərin təşkil olunmasının mümkünlüyünü diqqətə çatdırıb.

lCCROM-un baş direktoru Vebber Ndoro isə öz növbəsində ölkəmizdə səfərdə olarkən işğaldan azad olunmuş ərazilərdə, xüsusilə də Şuşa şəhərindəki dağıntıları təəssüflə seyr etdiyini qeyd edib. Baş direktor təlimlərlə bağlı Azərbaycan tərəfinin təkliflərini yüksək dəyərləndirdiyini bildirərək, belə təlimlərin təşkil olunması ilə nümunəvi fəaliyyət və təcrübənin əsasının qoyulacağına inamını ifadə edib. Bununla əlaqədar memorandumun imzalanması və uzunmüddətli əməkdaşlıq proqramının icra edilməsi fikrini dəstəklədiyini vurğulayıb.

Həm işğaldan azad olunmuş ərazilərdə, həm də bütövülükdə ölkə hüdudları daxilində yenidənqurma, inkişaf prosesi çərçivəsində proqramın Azərbaycan tərəfinin şərhlərinə, izahlarına, ehtiyaclarına uyğun olaraq, həmçinin mərkəzi Azərbaycan olmaqla və Türkdilli dövlətlərin iştirakı ilə həyata keçirilməsinin uğurlu nəticələr verəcəyinə ümidvar olduğunu bildirib.

Hər iki tərəfin dəstəklədiyi bu proqramın əlaqələndirilməsi məqsədilə görüşdə əlaqələndiricilər müəyyən edilib, layihələrin hazırlanaraq mübadilə edilməsi və bu addımların yol xəritəsinə uyğun olaraq yerinə yetirilməsi razılığına gəlinib.

Nümayəndə heyətinin səfəri davam edir.

After the Second World War, in 1948, with the adoption by the UN General Assembly of the convention on “the prevention and punishment of the crimes of genocide”, December 9 is celebrated as the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Genocide. The purpose of the convention is not only to perpetuate the memory of the victims of the genocide, but also to draw the attention of the world community to the issues of punishing the perpetrators of this grave crime.

Over the past 200 years, the Azerbaijani people have also suffered from many tragedies and genocides. One of such terrible events was the attempt of the Armenians, who took advantage of the situation in Russia during the First World War, under the banner of Bolshevism to achieve their desires. Since the beginning of 1918, the forces of the Dashnaks-Bolsheviks with particular cruelty killed thousands of residents of the Muslim population of Baku, Shamakhi, Guba, Karabakh, Zangezur, Nakhchivan, Lankaran and other territories of Azerbaijan only for their national and religious affiliation.
But the Armenian vandalism on Azerbaijani lands did not end there. The Khojaly genocide, committed by the armed forces of Armenia on the night of February 25-26, 1992, during the 1st Karabakh war, entered the history of Azerbaijan as one of the most tragic pages of our history.
For the purpose of political and legal assessment of the acts of genocide, by the decree of Heydar Aliyev dated March 26, 1998, March 31 was declared the Day of the Genocide of Azerbaijanis.
The Guba Genocide Memorial Complex, which has been functioning since 2013, has the goal of bringing to the attention of the world community the criminal acts committed by Armenian nationalists in 1918 throughout Azerbaijan, preserving the national memory of future generations of our people and perpetuating
 
 
 
 
 

The "Istiqlal" museum

The “Istiqlal” museum was established during the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic as the first state museum promoting the history and culture of Azerbaijan, as well as the national artistic heritage. The museum was founded on December 7, 1919, at the initiative of the outstanding art historian-scientist Mammad Aghaoglu and Husein bay Mirzajamalov. The Istiqlal museum, which has more than seven exhibits, ceased operations on April 28, 1920, after the establishment of Soviet authority in Azerbaijan.
After our independence, the Independence Museum became the spiritual successor to the first museum, which reopened on January 9, 1991. The purpose of the museum restoration is to consistently reflect the stages of the struggle of the Azerbaijani people for independence. The museum has more than 20 000 exhibits, rare documents, photographs, numismatic collections, works of art and other items.

The conference "Traces of Armenian Vandalism in Azerbaijan: International Law and Religion" was co-organized by the "Genocide Memorial Complex," the Guba Region Department of the State Committee for Work with Religious Institutions, the Guba District Executive Authority (RIH), and the Northern Regional Center of the Commissioner for Human Rights.

Ramin Khudayev, the head of the State Committee on Work with Religious Institutions in the Guba region; Anar Mammadov, Deputy Director of the Social-Political and Humanitarian Affairs Department of the Office of the Head of the District Executive Power; Bahruz Efendiyev, the head of the Commissioner for Human Rights’ Northern Regional Center; Dr. Rakhshanda Bayramova, the director of the Genocide Memorial Complex, and clergymen, heads of religious communities, intellectuals, and employees of the organizing institutions took part in the conference.
During the speeches, it was stated that the victims of the Armenians’ vandalism policy against our country were not only our compatriots, but also our historical and religious monuments and sanctuaries that date back thousands of years.
Finally, the conference participants’ questions were answered, and discussions were held.

Lachin district has received the status of an administrative territorial unit since 1930, it consists of 1 city, 1 settlement, and 125 villages.

During the 44-day Patriotic War, under the leadership of Supreme Commander Ilham Aliyev, the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan won a glorious victory over Armenia and liberated our lands that had been under occupation for nearly 30 years. According to the tripartite declaration signed by the Republic of Azerbaijan with Armenia, along with Aghdam and Kalbajar regions, on December 1, 2020, the enslavement of the enemy was ended in Lachin region, one of the beautiful corners of our country.
Lachin region was occupied by Armenian armed forces on May 18, 1992. Most of the enemy forces entered the region through the Lachin corridor and implemented the policy of ethnic cleansing, displacing the population from their homes. 217 cultural centers were destroyed by Armenian vandals, including the Aghaoğlan temple of the 6th century Albanian architecture, the Malik Ajdar tomb of the 14th century, the mosque in the village of Garagishlaq, the ancient cemeteries in the village of Zabukh, etc. destroyed and destroyed.

Aghdam district, created in 1930, is located in the center of Karabakh, which is the ancient and fascinating land of Azerbaijan, in the northeastern foothills of the Karabakh mountain range, in the west of the Kura-Araz plain.

On July 23, 1993, among the areas occupied by Armenian gangs, which is considered a major area in terms of population, the Aghdam district was seized. As a result of the occupation of the Aghdam district 38 collective farms, 12 industrial facilities, 74 schools, 271 houses of culture, the world’s only museum of bread, 67 institutions and 99 clubs fell into enemy hands. During the fighting for Aghdam, more than 6000 people were killed, thousands were wounded, the population was expelled from their homes and settled as internally displaced persons in 875 settlements in 59 regions of Azerbaijan. As a result of this occupation, 13 billion 135 million dollars worth of damage was caused to the Aghdam region.
On September 27, 2020, having prevented diversions by Armenian armed formations on the front, the Azerbaijani army liberated several districts, hundreds of villages and settlements, as well as strategic heights from the enemy by counterattack. The liberation of towns, villages and settlements from occupation was the result of the raising of our tricolor flag and ended with the victory of the Azerbaijani army in the 44-day patriotic war. The invading Armenian armed formations could not withstand the irresistible blow of our army and retreated with significant losses. In addition, thousands of enemy manpower and military equipment were destroyed. The military and political leadership of Armenia, realizing that it was futile to resist the Azerbaijani army, was forced to sign a document of surrender.
On November 10, 2020, shelling and all military activities in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone ceased completely. According to the second paragraph of the statement, the Aghdam district was returned to Azerbaijan until November 20, 2020. Thus the city of Aghdam was liberated from usurpers who had been under occupation for 27 years, on the same day, units of the Azerbaijani Army entered the area and raised our flag there.

Today in history: November 17 is National Revival Day in Azerbaijan.

As a result of the Soviet empire’s anti-Azerbaijan policy, more than 200,000 Azerbaijanis living in Armenia were expelled from their ancestral lands beginning in 1988, and riots erupted in Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Protest rallies in Baku continued for 18 days in November and December in response. On November 17, 1988, the people’s national liberation movement reached its apex in Baku’s Freedom Square. On that day, the Azerbaijani tricolor flag was raised once more, and the question of leaving the Soviet Union was raised. The people’s movement that began in Baku’s Azadlig Square quickly spread throughout the USSR, culminating in the Soviet Union’s demise in December 1991.