Both during the Soviet era and in the period of independence, his life’s main goal was to protect the Azerbaijani people from threats, to strengthen the principles of statehood on a healthy basis, to preserve the integrity of the homeland and the national-spiritual values of our people. His personality and struggle set an inspiring example for future generations. Speaking at a ceremony dedicated to Heydar Aliyev’s 95th anniversary, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, stated: “Regardless of the socio-political regime of the society, Heydar Aliyev always felt the support of the Azerbaijani people, which confidently led Azerbaijan forward. His leadership qualities, wisdom, well-thought-out policies, and bold steps saved our people from great calamities during the most decisive moments for Azerbaijan and its people, both during the Soviet era and in the period of independence. The people believed in him, loved him, and were always his support.” We can say with full responsibility that the life path of Heydar Aliyev, his majestic image imprinted in the memory of every patriot, his fidelity to his principles, and his selfless struggle are the spiritual heritage of the Azerbaijani people.
If we look through the prism of different times at the role of historical figures who, thanks to their outstanding political foresight and determination, fulfilled a leadership mission in pivotal and decisive moments for society, various opinions sometimes arise. Great personalities and their role in history have always been subjects of disputes and discussions. If we consider the rich political legacy of the great leader Heydar Aliyev in this context, the decisiveness of his policy, which did not fit the conjuncture of the era in which he acted and was calculated on a confident future for his people, was never disputed. During his multifaceted and dynamic activity, the great personality was always open to forward-looking discussions about the future and pluralism of opinions, and the rich political legacy he left, regardless of the aspect of consideration and the methodology of research, always retained its relevance. Heydar Aliyev’s legacy is a political school not only for the Azerbaijani people but also for all peoples and leaders fighting for the establishment of justice in the world, the protection of the principles of international law. Therefore, to grasp the essence of the majestic image of the great leader more deeply, it is possible if we consider him not only from a national point of view but also in a global context.
The process of national development, the foundation of which was laid by Heydar Aliyev during his leadership of Azerbaijan starting from July 1969, is the fruit of his relentless activity and perseverance. Characterizing the 1970s and 1980s as a period of “turbulent development,” the great leader very accurately reflected the essence of this stage. If it were not for the years of Heydar Aliyev’s rule during that period when the foundation of the economic and moral foundations of an independent Azerbaijan was strengthened, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to speak of today’s mighty Azerbaijan. Simply when we consider the undeniable facts already etched in historical memory, our understanding of the force of will and foresight with which the foundation of independent Azerbaijan was laid is again clarified.
Before the great leader Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijan was known among the former Soviet republics as an agrarian-oriented, weak agricultural republic, lagging behind in all parameters of socio-economic development. Heydar Aliyev, who had worked for many years in responsible positions, deeply understood the reasons for the situation that had arisen and saw the need for a new conceptual approach and a well-founded development strategy to achieve a radical turnaround in the shortest possible time. Having outlined the upcoming tasks and main goals in the first days of his leadership of the republic, Heydar Aliyev boldly voiced the problems and openly declared the paths to rapid and sustainable development, bringing novelty to the monotonous life and system of governance not only in Azerbaijan but also in such a large state as the USSR, which was sliding into stagnation. In a short time, Azerbaijan turned into a construction-creative arena; for the first time in the republic, the foundations of objects of all-Union significance were laid, the creation of a modern socio-economic infrastructure began, and a sharp fight against negative phenomena threatening society was started. In the 1970s and 1980s, the volume of production in industry and sectors determining scientific and technological progress, including machine-building and metalworking, the oil and petrochemical industry, grew rapidly, while electronic, radio, and other new industries were created.
Among the priorities to which the great leader attached serious importance, keeping them in the center of attention, were not only the sustainable development of the republic but also the preservation of the national-spiritual values of the people under the conditions of the administrative-command system of the Soviet Union. The thought expressed by Heydar Aliyev much later, “The existence of Azerbaijan is our greatest historical asset, the greatest achievement of all Azerbaijanis,” became the main principle, the red line running through all periods of his activity.
He achieved an elevated status for the Azerbaijani language – the main source of our spiritual values and an important factor uniting our people, showed great attention and care for the development of our culture and art.
Thus, having achieved the republic’s exit, lagging behind the pace of development at that time and considered a national periphery, to advanced positions, Heydar Aliyev demonstrated his leadership qualities and exceptional organizational talent. That is why our great leader was nominated for such high positions as a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the first deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR. The thoughts expressed at the joint meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Russia with veterans and railway workers on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Baikal-Amur Mainline held on April 22, 2024, accurately characterize Heydar Aliyev’s activities, who managed important spheres of the social-economic life of a huge country. Sharing his memories as a person directly associated with BAM, Gennady Fadeyev, who twice headed the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, said: “When we talk about Heydar Aliyevich, people have such an impression: this is a man who loved people. He was interested not in kilometers, not in tons, but in the destinies, the conditions in which the BAM workers worked during a particular period. He was an amazing leader.”
Yes, the sincere faith and trust of millions of people are the guarantee of the eternity of Heydar Aliyev’s politics. After Winston Churchill left the post of Prime Minister of Great Britain, he was asked what he considered mistaken during his tenure. He replied: “When I was working, I did not think about what people would think later, I did what I thought was right and useful for the British people under the circumstances.” As a progressive personality and leader, Heydar Aliyev also built his intense struggle only on the embodiment of the desires and dreams of his people.
Heydar Aliyev was never indifferent to the fate of his people. Even risking his life, he was at the forefront of Azerbaijan’s just struggle, with great foresight directing it in the right direction. Despite the fact that after the bloody January 1990 his life was under threat, he called the massacre perpetrated by the Soviet army in Baku a crime and resolutely demanded punishment for those involved. Again risking his life and knowing that his associates were being persecuted and killed, Heydar Aliyev returned to Baku, was close to his people, who were experiencing the bitterest days of their history, and did not leave them alone.
The image of Heydar Aliyev, who created his decisiveness, to which not every leader is capable at turning points in history, and strong character, which withstood the test of time, reflects principles, steadfastness, loyalty to the values of statehood. Forced to return to his native Nakhchivan as a result of pressure from ill-wishers in Baku, marginalized circles who did not reckon with the political will of the people, the great leader took important steps in the name of Azerbaijan’s independence in the enemy-surrounded autonomous republic. The decisions adopted at the first session of the Supreme Council of Nakhchivan of the 12th convocation, which began work on November 17, 1990, under the chairmanship of Heydar Aliyev, “On the renaming of the Nakhchivan ASSR,” “On the Supreme Body of State Power of the Nakhchivan AR,” “On the State Symbols of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic,” and other important decisions became historical documents that played a significant role in the process of restoring Azerbaijan’s state independence.
In 1993, Azerbaijan once again experienced a turning point in its history: the NFA-Musavat tandem, seeing a political chance in the country’s defeats in the undeclared war, dragged it into a civil war, the nascent statehood became a plaything in the hands of rampaging forces, separatist tendencies arose in some regions. People put to the test by daily bread lost hope for the future, worried about the tomorrow of their children, their Homeland, and looked for ways out of the deepening crisis. And the people turned to Heydar Aliyev again. When the great leader returned to Baku from Nakhchivan, the country was already on the verge of civil confrontation, and the people responsible for managing the state fled, saving their lives.
The activities of Heydar Aliyev during that period are truly an example of political craftsmanship, deep intelligence, wisdom, selflessness, and patriotism. The great leader saved the country, faced with external threats, military aggression, internal confrontations, and a socio-economic catastrophe, from actual destruction, his numerous threats to our statehood, rebellions, and assassination attempts could not make him deviate from his path, and the insidious plans of internal and external forces wishing to strangle our independence in the cradle suffered a fiasco. Thanks to the efforts of its brilliant leader, the great son, Azerbaijan, having honorably withstood the test of history, moved forward on the path of progress, developed, took a worthy place on the map of the world, and made its independence eternal and irreversible.
From world history, it is known that, along with personal qualities, important factors in the success of leaders are the connection with the people and the level of priority of national interests in their activities. Leaders are not limited to only presenting theoretical solutions to the problems that concern the people, but also directly lead their elimination. The role of a leader in history is measured by the scale and importance of the deeds he accomplished for his people. From this perspective, Heydar Aliyev, during his leadership of independent Azerbaijan as a National Leader, implemented the interests of our people with his far-sighted policy and played an exceptional role in their fate.
Heydar Aliyev reorganized the activities of state institutions and the system of state management in Azerbaijan. After preventing attempts at a state coup in 1994-1995 and ensuring socio-political stability, the great leader directed all forces and energy, on the one hand, to establishing international connections of our country through active diplomacy, solving the problem of territorial integrity, and on the other, to issues of socio-economic development.
In 1994, the “Contract of the Century” was signed with major oil companies representing leading countries of the world, providing for joint development of oil and gas fields in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea. Thus, the foundation of Azerbaijan’s oil strategy was laid and its geo-economic position in the world was strengthened. This gigantic project, which played an important role in the socio-economic development of Azerbaijan, entered history as a triumph of persistent and principled activity by Heydar Aliyev. As a result of the purposeful policy of the National Leader, the foundation of our country’s energy security was laid, Azerbaijan began to participate directly and actively in the implementation of projects related to international transport corridors.
Heydar Aliyev brought such values as flexibility, purposefulness, and pragmatism to Azerbaijan’s foreign policy. The foundation of foreign policy was based on principles such as developing bilateral and multilateral ties, maintaining a balance in relations with power centers, mutually beneficial cooperation, respect for the norms of international law and, based on them, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs. Thanks to the foreign policy of the National Leader, based on national interests, Azerbaijan gained numerous friends on the international arena, reliable partners, and increased its authority. Important steps were taken to strengthen cooperation with the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, and other international structures. The main place in the policy of Heydar Aliyev was occupied by the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. The great leader skillfully defended the principled position of Azerbaijan, conveyed the truth about the conflict to the whole world from the rostrums of international organizations, and conducted a consistent and purposeful policy in order to achieve a fair position of the international community.
The ideology of Azerbaijaniism, authored by the great leader, provided unity for our people, the development of state consciousness and patriotism in society. Drawing strength from his philosophical worldview, rich cultural heritage, it turned into a system of perfected values, covering the main directions of building an independent state. Even in the years 1969-1982 – the first period of leadership of Azerbaijan by Heydar Aliyev, he believed that one of the most important conditions for the national identity of the people was directly related to the factor of elevating in the national memory the place of personalities who played an important role in its cultural development. The great leader said: “It is necessary to increase in society respect for our intelligentsia, figures of culture, science. Because a people is always known thanks to its intelligentsia, its cultural heritage, its science. Undoubtedly, a great role in the history of the people is also played by commanders and politicians. However, a people is always known for its culture, science, and this is proven by our past history.” That is why he considered it important to erect monuments to figures of culture, literature, and science in Baku and other cities, to create historical-local lore museums, houses-museums of famous representatives of culture and art, and other cultural centers throughout the republic, and to widely hold their anniversaries. And he achieved this.
The speech of Heydar Aliyev at the VII Congress of Azerbaijani Writers held on June 12, 1981, is a vivid example of courage, determination, principledness in the realities of that period, as well as deep attachment to his people, their cultural heritage, patriotism. Speaking at this event, Heydar Aliyev shared his thoughts on the revival of Azerbaijani national culture, the selfless service of the intelligentsia to the interests of the people. “Every artist is a son of his people and bears responsibility before its history. It is not possible to successfully move forward without relying on previous experience, just as it is not possible to create a new culture without having mastered and processed all the riches created by the talent and labor of preceding generations,” he said. The steps taken by Heydar Aliyev in preserving culture, spiritual values of our people, during that period played a major role in deepening and developing national self-awareness.
Already in the period of independence, Heydar Aliyev developed his theoretical-ideological views, systematized them, and, having put forward the idea of Azerbaijaniism, defined its main principles. Speaking about the historical-political significance of Azerbaijaniism, Heydar Aliyev noted: “The idea of Azerbaijaniism unites all of us, makes us solidary. After Azerbaijan gained state independence, Azerbaijaniism, as the leading idea, became the main idea for Azerbaijanis living both in Azerbaijan and around the world. We must unite around this idea.” The ideology of Azerbaijaniism played a major role in building an independent state, national development, mobilizing our people to fight for a single idea, as well as in creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust between representatives of different peoples, ethnic groups, and religions living in our country, the organizational establishment of Azerbaijanis living in foreign countries, and ensuring their solidarity. Over time, the ideology of Azerbaijaniism, authored by the great leader, became even more content-filled and developed. Just as today, it will retain its relevance in the future and will mobilize our people for new victories and achievements.
President Ilham Aliyev, giving a political assessment of the process of building an independent state under the leadership of National Leader Heydar Aliyev in 1993-2003 and the role of the results achieved in the subsequent fate of Azerbaijan said: “In ten years in Azerbaijan, very big steps have been taken in the matter of state building, which today determine our successful policy.”
On May 10, 2023, during his speech on a trip to the city of Shusha, Mr. President noted: “The merits of the great leader before the Azerbaijani people are invaluable, and we – his followers, go his way. In 2003, on the eve of the presidential elections, addressing the people, I said that if I am trusted, then I will remain faithful to the policy of Heydar Aliyev. The Azerbaijani people believed me, and I stand and will stand by my word.”
Today, the independent and mighty Azerbaijani state, in which we live with pride and which we are proud of, is the triumph and pinnacle of the political legacy of Heydar Aliyev and the policy of President Ilham Aliyev, who consistently enriches and develops this legacy. Continuing on a healthy basis, based on national interests, this policy, responding to the challenges of modernity, will be the basis for the successes we will achieve in the upcoming stage.
Today, Azerbaijan occupies one of the leading places in terms of economic power, qualitative and quantitative indicators of the national economy not only in the post-Soviet space but also in a broader geography. In the reports of international financial organizations, Azerbaijan is listed as a country with the highest economic growth; a country where reforms are carried out and investments are made. As one of the confirming facts, it can be mentioned that in 2023, Baku took 3rd place in the TOP100 cities of the world with the largest direct foreign investment, published by the FDI Intelligence group of the Financial Times. In our country, macroeconomic stability is maintained, national income per capita and strategic currency reserves increase every year, the share of the non-oil sector in economic growth significantly increases, the volume of investment in the economy expands, and the scale of the use of renewable energy sources expands. As a result of the implementation of state programs for socio-economic development of the regions, a modern infrastructure has been formed in cities and districts, entrepreneurship has developed, and the level of employment and well-being of the population have increased.
At the initiative and with the direct participation of Azerbaijan, gigantic energy and transport projects have been implemented. This process continues. A special place among the goals of strategic development is the consistent provision of the transition from an economy based on natural resources to a “knowledge economy.” The use of digital technologies and innovations in various spheres of life of society is expanding. The ties of our country with international technological, innovative, and economic centers are deepening, telecommunications, transit, and transport services are developing.
The foreign policy of President Ilham Aliyev has strengthened the positions of Azerbaijan in the world, ensured the implementation of national strategic goals, our country has become a power center, a space for international dialogue and cooperation in the region. Azerbaijan not only actively joins international initiatives to solve problems troubling humanity, but also, as a member of the United Nations Security Council, the chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement, has been recognized as the author of global initiatives supported by the world community. Our country plays an important role in ensuring regional and international security, strengthening the atmosphere of cooperation. Azerbaijan’s great successes in foreign policy, its initiative and active participation in the implementation of gigantic energy and transport projects, and the holding of numerous international events have significantly increased the geopolitical and geo-economic authority of the country in the world.
A targeted policy is being pursued to preserve national-spiritual values, traditions of tolerance, and to educate the younger generation in the spirit of patriotism, special attention is paid to preventing the negative impact of the globalization process occurring in the world on our society and issues of preserving national identity.
At the heart of our historical Victory in the Patriotic War, which began on September 27, 2020, as a result of a military provocation by Armenia against Azerbaijan, are the close cohesion of our people around President Ilham Aliyev, the sustainable development of our country, great successes achieved in foreign policy and army building. As a result of a one-day local anti-terrorist operation conducted by Azerbaijan in the Karabakh region in September 2023, the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our country were fully restored, and Armenia’s occupation policy against our people was once and for all put an end to. On October 15, 2023, President Ilham Aliyev raised the flag of Azerbaijan in the central square of the city of Khankendi, which was a grand historic event in the life of our people.
At present, large-scale restoration and creative work are being carried out in the liberated territories, people are returning to their native places. The scale of the work carried out by the Azerbaijani state on its own without any outside help is truly impressive. President Ilham Aliyev personally controls the restoration and reconstruction of the liberated territories, the instructions and valuable recommendations of the head of state create a reliable basis for the full and responsible implementation of the work. From 2020 to 2023, Mr. President participated in almost 400 events in the liberated territories, including laying the foundation for 120 projects, including 8 cities, 32 villages and settlements, and participated in the opening of 71 construction facilities of various purposes. From July 19, 2022, to the present, 1,727 families of former internally displaced persons (6,754 people) have returned to the cities of Lachin and Fizuli, the villages of Agaly Zangilan district, Talysh Agdere district, and Zabukh Lachin district.
Along with the construction of settlements, extensive construction and restoration work is being carried out in the region. Relevant activities related to the restoration and reconstruction of social facilities such as secondary schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and cultural and tourism institutions are being carried out. Among the infrastructure projects are international airports that have been commissioned in the cities of Fizuli and Zangilan. The construction of an airport in the Lachin district continues. Roads, tunnels, bridges, railways, main gas lines are being laid; hydroelectric power stations and substations, water reservoirs are being built.
To date, 118,503 hectares of land, including 18,143 hectares of populated areas, have been cleared of mines and unexploded ordnance in the liberated territories.
Particularly significant are the works and projects implemented by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in the liberated territories and throughout the country. This year, the Foundation, led by Mehriban Aliyeva, the First Vice President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, celebrates its 20th anniversary. It can be confidently said that the public in our country highly appreciates the programs and projects of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in the fields of science, education, culture, healthcare, sports, and ecology, its support for solving social problems, providing assistance to people in need of special care, and implementing projects aimed at informing the world community about Azerbaijani realities, preserving and promoting our culture and national-spiritual values.
The study and promotion of Heydar Aliyev’s legacy, pointing the progressive path to the current and future generations and being a model of worthy service to the people and the state, have always been particularly relevant. The Heydar Aliyev Foundation consistently keeps the ideas of the national leader in the public consciousness and takes consistent measures in this direction. Esteemed Mehriban Aliyeva, considering the liberation of our territories from occupation in the 44-day Patriotic War as a triumph of Heydar Aliyev’s ideas, said: “Although Heydar Aliyev is not with us today, his ideas live on, his aspirations are being realized. Most importantly, his sacred dream has been realized – under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, our lands, which had been under occupation for about 30 years, were liberated.”
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony after the brilliant victory in the presidential elections held on February 7, 2024, Ilham Aliyev said: “Now a new era begins. We enter it with a clear conscience, with our heads held high. I have no doubt that this period will have great achievements, as the history of recent years shows that all the tasks we set for ourselves have been accomplished. Of course, the entire Azerbaijan has entered this era. The people, having demonstrated unity and solidarity, including in these elections, will achieve great successes.”
The achievement at the eighth meeting of the State Commission on the delimitation of the state border between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia and the Commission on delimitation of the state border and border security between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan on April 19, 2024, the agreements on the return of our historical lands related to the Gazakh region, being a historic event in significance, is also a factor indicating the victorious march of our country at a new stage of development it has entered. This victory, as the embodiment of the purposeful activity and diplomatic skill of President Ilham Aliyev, is simultaneously a triumph and a logical result of the policy conducted by the head of state for many years. The President of Azerbaijan once again showed external circles, which have almost turned external intervention into their daily work, that issues concerning our region, including the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, can be resolved between the two countries without intermediaries. This once again confirms that the Azerbaijani state, occupying a worthy place in the world order, has turned into a serious geopolitical actor, exerting a dynamic influence on the processes of peace, security, and integration in the region.
The Azerbaijani state is conducting a consistent policy in preventing climate change, which has become a serious global problem; it has joined the international initiative to increase the volume of renewable energy and energy efficiency by 2030. Relevant legal acts are being adopted in our country to develop “green energy,” the Karabakh and East Zangezur economic regions, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic have been declared “green energy” zones. Azerbaijan, together with foreign partners, has started implementing large projects to develop the field of renewable energy. The declaration of 2024 as the “Year of Solidarity for a Green World” by the Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev dated December 25, 2023, is an indicator of great attention and sensitive attitude to environmental protection. The unanimous decision to hold such a prestigious event as the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Azerbaijan, being an expression of respect and trust of the international community towards our country, is also another success achieved by us at a new stage of development. The Organizational Committee, established by the Order of President Ilham Aliyev, is taking appropriate organizational and technical measures related to the conduct of the global event. It can be confidently said that COP29, which will be held at a high level under the slogan “Unite for a Green World!”, making an important contribution to solving this problem of global significance, will simultaneously demonstrate to the whole world the powerful potential of our country.
It can be said without exaggeration that the 30-year history of our independence, thanks to the national leader Heydar Aliyev and President Ilham Aliyev, became the era of turning legends into reality. And when the great leader signed the “Contract of the Century,” considered a guarantee of our economic independence and dynamic development, and when he turned our country into a center of gigantic transnational projects, many considered it a myth, a job that could not be done in a short time. However, the pragmatism, foresight of the wise political figure, proved to the whole world that even legends become reality. Today, the appeals of President Ilham Aliyev to the people from the liberated territories, the revival of the devastated native land – these are the realities of a whole Azerbaijan, having restored its territorial integrity, which many once considered impossible, an unattainable dream.
Heydar Aliyev is a brilliant personality, a great leader, no longer fitting within a temporal context, demonstrating his greatness at all times. He grew up in a simple, hardworking Azerbaijani family, went through a meaningful and exemplary life path, rising to the level of outstanding political luminaries of modern times. The Azerbaijani people have the right to be proud of the great leader, who is remembered in their memory as a wise leader, savior, author of gigantic creative work, a historical figure, who created, thanks to his life and activity, the highest criterion of devotion to the Homeland, attachment to it, and has the moral right to educate future generations on the example of his personality.
Samir Nuriyev is head of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
