State Flag Day in Azerbaijan

Russia 24 TV-channel made a report on State Flag Day in Azerbaijan. The report was broadcast on November 9th.

Today Azerbaijan marks State Flag Day. It is the youngest festival of the republic. The main ceremony takes place in Baku on the square near the Caspian Sea. There is a flagstaff of a record-breaking height – more than 160 meters. Alexander Chernetsov reports from Baku.

Today thousands of residents of the republic and guests of Baku have gathered to mark one of the favorite festivals of modern Azerbaijan. The country is marking State Flag Day for the fourth time. Baku residents believe that touching the symbol of statehood and independence brings good luck. Today the sun is shining brightly in Baku, and guests of the ceremony could enjoy the main event – the running up of the flag.

Once a year it is hauled down, after which it is run up a few moments later. Speaking about the history of the flag, I should say that blue stresses the belonging of Azerbaijanis to Turkic-speaking nations; red reflects a course for modernization of society and the development of democracy; green means belonging to Islam. On November 9th, 1918, i.e. 95 years ago, it became a symbol of the Azerbaijani Democratic Republic. Today on the Caspian shore, in the center of Baku there is a structure which weighs 220 tons. The flag streams in the wind at a height of 162 meters and is registered in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Probably the most important guests of the ceremony are veterans of the Great Patriotic War. Of course a lot has been said about new relations with Russia. The majority of people note that ties are improving year by year. As they say, people’s diplomacy is at the highest level today. Many Azerbaijanis live and work in Russia, while there are a lot of Russian-speaking people in Baku. Prospects of intergovernmental relations at the official level are directed at rapprochement of our states.

Next year Baku will mark five years of the festival, it will be a first round anniversary. Azerbaijan expects guests from Europe and Russia of course. Bikers have caught up the festive atmosphere, as an international bike ride started on Flag Square. The festival will continue on the capital’s streets deep into the night. Tomorrow is a holiday in Azerbaijan, according to President Ilham Aliyev’s decree.