Today, the Azerbaijani Embassy in Moscow held a mourning event dedicated to the memory of victims of the tragedy of January 20, 1990 in Baku. Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Russia, Polad Bulbuloglu, addressing the event, said that the night was the Soviet Union's point of no return.
"Gentlemen, you all know that 27 years ago there was a terrible tragedy in Baku, which has gone into the history of Azerbaijan as 'Black January'. On the night of January 19-20, Baku was invaded by the troops which fired on civilians, the city was brutally attacked. 158 civilians were killed in one night and more than 600 people were injured," he recalled.
"The Soviet leadership, which was losing control of the country, has made such a terrible step, which became a point of no return, after which the people understood that they cannot live in such a country. Before it there were events in Tbilisi, after it there were events in Vilnius, and in 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed - because if the government starts to push its people with tanks, it cannot end well. Azerbaijan always remembers the people who innocently lost their lives. Then we lived in a completely different country, and I want to emphasize that Azerbaijan does not connect this crime with modern, democratic Russia. It happened in the Soviet Union and was the agony of its leadership," Polad Bulbuloglu noted.
We cannot forget about the 'Black January', the ambassador stressed. "Our duty as Azerbaijanis is always remember the terrible tragedy, which took place on January 20, 1990 in Baku. On the following morning, Heydar Aliyev came to this building [the permanent mission of Azerbaijan in Moscow back then] and condemned the Soviet leadership very harshly. Azerbaijan was under information blockade, but Heydar Aliyev's speech broke through the blockade," he said.
Professor of the Russian University of Peoples' Friendship, PhD Fazil Gurbanov, offered deep condolences to the people of Azerbaijan. "People who wanted to live with dignity and continue their culture were killed. They were kneaded and crushed by the army, which they nurtured, to which they gave all the necessary. It is impossible to make people to forget this tragedy," he said.
The deputy of the State Duma, deputy head of the Russian-Azerbaijani parliamentary group, Dmitry Savelyev, also offered his deepest condolences to the people of Azerbaijan.
"This crime and a number of other acts, which have been committed, should be assessed. In my opinion, Gorbachev must be brought to justice for all that he did against the Soviet Union. Let us remember the victims, remember our ancestors and never allow such heinous violence to happen again," he concluded.
