BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 28. Various cities in Georgia hosted memorial events to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the January 20 tragedy, the State Committee for Work with the Azerbaijani Diaspora told Trend.
According to the Committee, an event titled "January 20 – A Path to Victory" was organized at the Dmanisi Training Center in Georgia. Participants first visited the monument dedicated to the martyrs in the village of Oruzman in the Dmanisi district, where the ceremony began with a moment of silence in honor of the fallen heroes.
The head of the Training Center, Kamran Khydirov, and other speakers discussed the crimes committed by the Soviet Empire’s forces against the Azerbaijani people in January of 1990.
At the initiative of the "Azerbaijan House" in Marneuli and with the organizational support of the Azerbaijani Diaspora Support Fund, a photo exhibition and event titled "The Road to National Resistance and Freedom" were held. The event saw the participation of key figures, including representatives from the embassies of Azerbaijan and Türkiye in Georgia, Sheikh Haji Faig Nabiyev of the Muslim Board of All Georgia, Zeynab Bayrak, the Director General of TIKA's Georgian representative office, Faruk Tekshen, the Director General of the Georgian representative office of Maarif Schools of Türkiye, as well as members and employees of the Marneuli Municipality. Also in attendance were various public figures, religious leaders, intellectuals, and youth.
Another memorial event in Marneuli took place at the Center for the Integration of Azerbaijanis in Georgia. Following a moment of silence to honor the victims of the January 20 tragedy, the Executive Director of the Center, Murad Muradov, delivered an opening speech. The event concluded with the screening of the documentary film "January 20. Speaking Fates."
At a separate event marking the 35th anniversary of the January 20 tragedy, held at the Rustavi Educational and Cultural Center, the center's head, Raida Darzieva, provided information about the bloody genocide. Poet and publicist Rafik Hummet, Sevda Shahverdiyeva, a teacher at School No. 3 in Gardabani, and other speakers emphasized that these tragic events failed to weaken the Azerbaijani people’s resolve in their fight for independence. The event ended with a literary and artistic performance by the center’s students, followed by a documentary video dedicated to the January 20 tragedy.
At the Alliance Youth Center in Tbilisi, participants viewed a photo exhibition honoring the January 20 tragedy. Rena Huseynova, the Executive Director of the Center, highlighted that this tragedy marked a pivotal moment in Azerbaijan's journey toward independence. She noted that due to the heroism of the Azerbaijani people and the determination of great leader Heydar Aliyev, the Soviet leadership's insidious goals were thwarted. The event also featured speeches by Isak Novruzov, Chairman of the Council of Elders of Georgian Azerbaijanis, economist Aigul Isayeva, Tengiz Mamedov, and student Nargiz Baghirova.
As part of an event organized by the "Caucasian Center for Law and Integration" in Bolnisi, dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the January 20 events, attendees visited the grave of martyr Ilgar Akhmedov, who hails from the village of Fakhraly in the Bolnisi region. Rezo Hasanov, Executive Director of the Center, shared insights on the January 20 tragedy.
During a memorial event at the Gabala Village Development Center in the Lagodekhi region, the Center's head, Yaver Mamedov, reflected on the 35 years since that fateful night, known to the Azerbaijani people as the tragedy of "Black January" or "Bloody January." He emphasized the significant progress Azerbaijan has made since then.
At the Bright Future Educational Center in the Garacop (Yor-Mughanly) district of Sagarejo, a memorial event was attended by the Chairman of the Sagarejo district municipality, Lekso Gilashivili, and the Mayor of Sagarejo city, Avtandil Gulikashvili. Other notable participants included the center's teachers, Ismikhan Mammadov and Durna Mardanova, the director of the Yor-Mughanly school, Rizvan Usubov, Samir Abdurahimov, an advisor to the Azerbaijani Embassy in Georgia, aksakal Tapdyg Mirzaliyev, and the imam of the Keshali mosque, Afgan Yolchuyev.
Finally, an event to mark the 35th anniversary of the January 20 tragedy was held at the Gardabani Educational and Integration Center. Raul Aliyev, the founder of the Center, along with other participants, informed attendees about the January 20 tragedy. They acknowledged the pivotal role of Heydar Aliyev, who quickly united Azerbaijani society around the idea of national salvation.
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