Today marks one of the most important and decisive days in the history of Azerbaijan’s modern statehood. It has been 57 years since the national leader of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev, first came to political power in the country. With Heydar Aliyev’s election as the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan at the plenum held on July 14, 1969, the foundation for the country’s era of economic, cultural, and social revival was laid.
According to sea-news.az that historical facts and the rich life journey of the Great Leader fully reflect the main stages of his leadership period.
From the SSC to the leadership of the Republic: The first period (1969–1982) Born on May 10, 1923, in Nakhchivan, Heydar Aliyev gained vast experience in state administration and security agencies from a young age. Beginning his service in security agencies in 1944, the Great Leader rose through the ranks, and in 1967, he was appointed Chairman of the State Security Committee of the Azerbaijan SSR and was awarded the rank of Major General.
- The Great Leap: Coming to the leadership of the Republic on July 14, 1969, Heydar Aliyev transformed what was then a lagging agrarian republic into one of the most advanced industrial and cultural centers of the USSR in a short period.
- The Moscow Phase: His leadership talent did not go unnoticed at the Union level. In 1982, Heydar Aliyev was invited to Moscow, appointed First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, and elected a member of the Politburo.
National reconciliation and the second leadership period (1993–2003) Resigning in 1987 in protest against Mikhail Gorbachev’s political line, Heydar Aliyev was the first leader to raise his voice in protest against the January 20 tragedy. In the early 1990s, as Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, the Great Leader protected the region from Armenian aggression and founded the New Azerbaijan Party (YAP).
When the threat of civil war and the loss of independence emerged in the summer of 1993, Heydar Aliyev returned to Baku at the insistent demand of the people and was elected Chairman of the Supreme Council on June 15. Thus began the history of Azerbaijan’s salvation and development:
Chronology of the Great Leader’s leadership:
- October 3, 1993: Elected President of the independent Republic of Azerbaijan for the first time by an absolute majority of votes.
- October 11, 1998: Re-elected president as a result of democratic elections, accelerating the country’s state-building process.
- 2003: Due to health reasons, he withdrew his candidacy in favor of Ilham Aliyev.
Awarded five times with the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Red Star, and twice named a Hero of Socialist Labor, the national leader Heydar Aliyev passed away on December 12, 2003, and was buried in the Alley of Honor. The legacy of statehood he left behind continues to serve as the foundation of Azerbaijan’s strong, independent policy today.
