Interview by Maria Sidelnikova. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
The 90th anniversary of the late president of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev is marked on May 10th. It is well-known that he efficiently governed the state, being a very sick person. Vestnik Kavkaza managed to talk to his personal doctor Alexander Borodkin.
- Alexander Alexeyevich, tell the story of your meeting with Heydar Aliyev.
- It was due to my job. Our chief doctor called me in and said: “Heydar Aliyev needs a personal doctor. We recommend you.” What could I do? Of course I agreed. After a while I arrived in the Kremlin to him. It was Saturday. He talked to me. And his first address to me was to pay a lot of attention to his children. First of all, he thought about children and grandchildren and less about himself. When he went into hospital and after this, when he felt better, he always asked about Leila and Ilham’s health. He always asked about the grandchildren.
- What distinguished Heydar Aliev from the others?
- He was a very interesting, highly educated man. His intelligence and wide scope was obvious. I mention this, because he could fluently speak about healthcare. He also promoted healthcare in the Soviet Union. Of course he liked joking and greeted me with a joke. He wasn’t stiff. I remember his goodwill, first of all. I could arrive to him and see he was in a bad mood. But then he smiled and greeted me. He never let me feel that he didn’t want to see me. He always found a minute for me.
- Do you have any stories about you and him, some happy memories?
- To tell the truth there were no personal moments, because his illness was severe, and we had to deal with it. But I could see he treated my recommendations very carefully, not only mine, but in general medical ones. The guard and his circle said that Aliyev listened to us like no one else. It seems there was a certain contact.
- What a patient was Heydar Aliyev?
- He was obedient, but only after the disease, the heart attack. Previously he didn’t pay much attention to health. He said that he was alright, and only children and grandchildren’s health was important.
