On the 10th of May the Azerbaijani Embassy celebrated the 92nd anniversary of the birth of Heydar Aliyev. Prominent representatives of the Russian and Azerbaijani political elites, cultural workers, scientists, and members of the diplomatic corps gathered to honor the memory of the national leader. Yefim Pivovar, rector of the Russian State University for Humanities, doctor of historical sciences, professor, and corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Vestnik Kavkaza that “it was a particular day for Russian-Azerbaijanian relations, because it was associated with the national leader of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, who, undoubtedly, represents the foundation of the relations that run through Russian-Azerbaijanian relations. He is also a symbolic figure not only for the history of the Soviet Union, but also for the history of Russia.
Russian leader of the Communist Party, Gennady Zyuganov, underlined Heydar Aliyev’s merits in establishing stability in Azerbaijan: “Heydar Aliyev had arrived in those difficult times and had shown his iron will and strong character, he was able to agree with those who were armed. He came, including the Russian community and said: "I am the guarantor of your freedom, independence, and your language." No one faltered, everybody lives and works together.
I have been friends with Heydar Aliyev for many years. I was in charge of Moscow, he came here to work. Together we were preparing one of the Inaugural Meetings dedicated to V.I. Lenin. He brilliantly delivered his report.”
After his speech, Gennady Zyuganov awarded the ambassador of Azerbaijan with a commemorative medal on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Victory in Great Patriotic War: “I know very well all the pages of the military history when the Nazis invaded Stalingrad. We had the following matter: are we able to provide our army with fuel? We received 80% of our fuel from Baku for our planes, tanks, trucks. Therefore, defending Stalingrad, we have to thank the residents and citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan, who, above all, made an enormous contribution to our Victory in the Battle for Stalingrad, because it significantly influenced the result of war.”
A Deputy of the State Duma, Leonid Slutsky, stressed importance of traditions in relations, telling Vestnik Kavkaza: “I am happy that I have the honor to be a politician who speaks closely with the current President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Heydar oglu, who successfully continues the work of his great father. And he managed to achieve that Azerbaijan is known and respected around the world: a program of struggle against poverty, energy independence, establishment of today's development of the fuel and energy complex, the Eurovision Song Contest, the forthcoming European Olympic Games, which open a new page, the page of the modern European Olympic movement. All of these events closely relate to Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev, Present and Azerbaijani leader.”
During the event, Polad Bülbüloğlu, Ambassador of the Republic, awarded Nobel laureate Zhores Alferov a gold medal of the Nizami of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences.
“In 1972 I came to oppose a doctoral thesis in Baku. After opposing, as usual we were at a banquet. Then Hasan Bagirovich went to the old Intourist hotel, to talk in the room with me. And at about 12 a.m. he told me: "Jaures, you know, you have come and I am always so glad about your arrival, I have to go to the general meeting of the Academy of Sciences, but I cancelled my trip. (He was a corresponding member of the Department of General Physics and Astronomy) I know that you have been nominated as a corresponding member, but you will be chosen without my vote. " I said, "Hasan, your vote will not prevent me.’’ Hasan Bagirovich looked at his watch, it was about 1 a.m. He was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He told his assistant: "Call on the next plane to Moscow." He was replied to at two o'clock. "Jaures, will you give me a toothpaste and a brush?" I gave him, Hasan went to the airport, and the next day he first called and congratulated me on my election as a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR," Zhores Alferov, Soviet and Russian physicist and laureate of the Nobel Prize in Physics, said.
