BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 30
Trend:
The people of Azerbaijan deserved it, and we achieved victory, drove the enemy out of our homeland, liberated our cities, liberated our native Shusha. Today, Shusha is being revitalized, and tangible steps are being taken to revive the city of Shusha, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said addressing the official opening ceremony of the Vagif Poetry Days in Shusha, Trend reports.
"The 44-day patriotic war is part of our glorious history," the president said. "This history will live forever. Because this victory is unique in our history. The people of Azerbaijan deserved it, and we won the victory, drove the enemy out of our homeland, liberated our cities, liberated our native Shusha. Today, Shusha is being revitalized, and tangible steps are being taken to revive the city of Shusha. I first came to Shusha on 14 January this year, after the war."
"This date was not chosen by chance," President Aliyev said. "Because 39 years ago, the mausoleum of Vagif was opened here with the participation of the great leader, and my arrival here specifically on 14 January had a great symbolic meaning. One of the first instructions during my first visit here was to restore Vagif's mausoleum because the vandals had destroyed it."
"Vagif's bas-relief and the gravestone inside the mausoleum were removed," the president said. "In other words, they committed vandalism inherent in them, as we have witnessed in all other liberated lands. The restoration of the mausoleum was undertaken by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, and we are launching the Vagif Poetry Days in front of this mausoleum today."
"The Vagif Poetry Days have been restored, and so has the “Kharibulbul” music festival," President Aliyev said. "In May of this year, we held this festival with great enthusiasm and restored this history."
"During my first visit, all the necessary instructions on the restoration of Shusha were given," the president said. "And a lot has been done in the seven months since January. Those who come to Shusha for the second or third time can see this. Yes, the city is still in ruins. No matter how hard the Armenians tried, they could not present Shusha as an Armenian city."
"If it were an Armenian city, then why is it in such a state, why was it destroyed, why wasn’t a single building constructed here? the president said. "Except for the new villas of three or four Armenian officials, no new buildings have been constructed here. All the old buildings have been destroyed, all historic sites have been destroyed."
"The restoration of Shusha began on 14 January, and great work was done in a short time," President Aliyev said. "First of all, the road was paved. We saw on 14 January what condition Victory Road was in. It took us about two and a half to three hours to get here from Fuzuli. It was snowing, there was no road, there was a trail, with ice and mud on the surface."
"An asphalt road has been built now, and this is Victory Road," the president said. "A highway is also being built. A highway with tunnels is being built from Fuzuli, and there will be a shorter road. Shusha's electricity infrastructure has been restored, high-voltage lines have been extended from Fuzuli, and a substation has been built. In other words, one of the main priorities was to supply Shusha with electricity."
"When the enemy was leaving Shusha, they blew up Shusha's water lines," President Aliyev said. "We have restored water supply to Shusha. Water comes to Shusha from two sources now. The restoration of historical sites in Shusha has started. Vagif's mausoleum has already been restored. The bust of Vagif, which was destroyed by Armenians, has been restored, and it was unveiled again in a ceremony yesterday. Three mosques are being repaired."
"The renovation of the Yukhari Govharagha Mosque is nearing completion," the president said. "Instructions have been given to repair the Saatli and Ashaghi Govharagha mosques. The repair of these mosques has been undertaken by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation too."
"The Natavan spring has been restored and now abounds in water," the president said. "The Armenians also dried up 17 springs here. If it were an Armenian city, why did they dry up these springs? Then Kharibulbul Hotel was opened, received its first visitors in May-June, and other steps were taken."
"The busts of our geniuses Natavan, Uzeyir Hajibeyli and Bulbul, which were shot at by the Armenians, have been brought and placed in the central square by me personally," President Aliyev said. "Yesterday saw the start of another stage in the revitalization of Shusha. As I mentioned, Vagif's mausoleum and Vagif's bust were reopened, the statue of Uzeyir Hajibeyli, which was destroyed by the contemptible enemy, was erected again."
"An order has been given to restore Uzeyir Hajibeyli's destroyed house," the president said. "Yesterday, Polad Bulbuloglu and his son, Bulbul's grandson, celebrated the opening of Bulbul's house. Polad has restored his father's house, and a beautiful museum has been created there. Karabakh Hotel reopened its doors to visitors after a major overhaul yesterday."
"We saw what Karabakh Hotel was like during the occupation," the president said. "Only two floors of it were working. There was no water or electricity. It was in a state of disrepair. This footage is available. It has also been restored, and I think that the most important of these measures is the laying of the foundation stone of a new residential complex."
"The new hotel will be five-star," the president said. "There will be 150 rooms in it. At present, there are 150 rooms in Karabakh and Kharibulbul hotels in Shusha – a total of 300 rooms. There will be a large conference hall and venues for events. The location of the five-star hotel was also chosen by me."
"The hated enemy was building the so-called parliament of the self-styled “Nagorno-Karabakh Republic” there," President Aliyev said. "This was intended to annoy us. There is no concept of a “Nagorno-Karabakh Republic”. The foundation of that building had already been laid and stonework had already been completed. By my order, this devil's lair was destroyed."
"The five-star hotel will be built in a beautiful location," President Aliyev said. "The most important event was the laying of the foundation stone of the new residential complex yesterday. This residential complex will be built on the basis of the master plan of Shusha."
"The master plan of Shusha has been approved and is a very detailed and well-developed plan," President Aliyev said. "At the first stage, the plan is to build 25 residential buildings here – three, four, and five-storey residential buildings, so that citizens can begin to return here."
"These comprehensive measures show that the revival of Shusha is progressing rapidly and the people of Shusha are coming back," President Aliyev said. "Groups of people are coming to visit their hometown. At the same time, natives of Shusha are provided with jobs at the facilities that have already been opened here. So we will revive Shusha."