Azernews.Az

By Nazrin Gadimova

December 12 is the death anniversary of Azerbaijani National leader Heydar Aliyev, who passed away 10 years ago while he was at the peak of wisdom and leadership.

Heydar Aliyev was a historic personality, a person whom history creates and a personality who creates history. He was a true leader and a phenomenal political figure, loyal to his people and national principles.

Heydar Aliyev participated in the most complex and contradictory historical processes that took place in the world without losing his composure in difficult situations, appreciating geopolitical changes that could dramatically affect people.

Heydar Aliyev was a unique leader, who gained the love and respect of millions of people through his bright ideas and genuine work. And he will remain with us eternally through his ideas and the work he accomplished for the future of Azerbaijan.

Heydar Alirza oglu Aliyev was born in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan, on May 10, 1923. After graduating from the Nakhchivan Pedagogical School in 1939, he studied at the Architecture Department of the Azerbaijan Industry Institute (present Azerbaijan State Oil Academy), but war soon didn't allow him to complete his education.

Aliyev headed a department at the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs of the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic of Nakhchivan in 1941, and was sent to work at the state security bodies in 1944.

He became deputy chairman of the Committee of State Security under the Azerbaijan's Cabinet of Ministers in 1964, and was conferred the rank of lieutenant general. At that time, he studies in a special retraining school in Leningrad (present St Petersburg), and then graduated from the History Department of the Azerbaijan State University.

Being elected at the Plenum of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan as the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan in July 1969, Heydar Aliyev became the head of the republic.

Heydar Aliyev was elected a member of Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Soviet Union in December 1982, and, being appointed to the post of the First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR, became one of the leaders of the USSR.

In October 1987, Aliyev resigned from his post in order to protest against the policy pursued by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Secretary General Michael Gorbachev himself.

After the tragedy committed on 20 January 1990 in Baku by the soviet troops, Heydar Aliyev demanded punishment for the organizers and executors of the crime committed against Azerbaijani's people. To protest against the hypocritical policy of the USSR leadership and the conflict that accrued in Nagorno-Karabakh, he left the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in July 1991.

After returning to Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev lived in Baku and then Nakhchivan, and was elected as the deputy to the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan in the same year. He held the post of Chairman of the Supreme Assembly of the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan and Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 1991-1993. In 1992, Heydar Aliyev was elected Chairman at the constituent congress of the New Azerbaijan Party in Nakhchivan.

As a result of extreme governmental crisis in May-June 1993, the country was on the verge of civil war and loss of independence. Azerbaijani people wanted to bring Heydar Aliyev to power, and he was elected Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan.

Heydar Aliyev came to power as the President of Azerbaijan on July 24, 1993, on the resolution of the parliament -- the Milli Mejlis.

Heydar Aliyev was elected President of Azerbaijan as a result of a nationwide voting on October 3, 1993, and was re-elected in 1998.

Considered the greatest Azerbaijani politician, he was awarded a number of state orders and medals and international awards, he was elected honorable doctor of universities in many countries including the Lenin Order -four times- and Order of Red Star, he received orders and medals form foreign countries and received rank of the Hero of the Socialistic Labor twice.

He also received "Yaroslav Mudry" Order, the supreme order of Ukraine, "Peace Premium of Ataturk" Order, the high order of Turkey, and was also the Honorable Professor of Moscow State University.

President Heydar Aliyev was elected professor and full member of the Academy of Safety, Defense and Legal Norms Problems of the Russian Federation and was awarded the premium of Andropov on April 3, 2003. On May 10, 2003, a decree was signed on awarding Heydar Aliyev the Order of Saint Apostle Andrey Pervozvanny, the supreme order of Russia.

Azerbaijani National leader Heydar Aliyev died on December 12, 2003, but the memory of the brilliant politician is alive to this day.

An event dedicated to the memory of Heydar Aliyev was held on the initiative of the Azerbaijani Consulate General in Yekaterinburg on December 10.

Opening the event, Azerbaijan's Consul General to Yekaterinburg Soltan Gasimov talked about Heydar Aliyev's life and activity in detail, and pointed out the invaluable contributions of the genius politician.

Head of Administration of the Sverdlovsk Region Governor Professor Vadim Dubichev, Consul General of Belarus and Ukraine to Yekaterinburg Victor Polyanin, and ombudsman of the Sverdlovsk region Tatiana Merzliakova Vladimir Bondarenko commemorated the brilliant leader with deep respect, saying his memory will live forever not only in the hearts of the Azerbaijani people, but also in the hearts of all the people of the former Soviet Union.

Heydar Aliyev was also commemorated in Ulyanovsk, as well as in Beijing, where the presentation ceremony of Guseynbala Miralamov's and Victor Andrianov's book "Heydar Aliyev" from the series "Life of remarkable people" was held.

Heydar Aliyev was elevated to the top by people and their confidence and faith. The highest victory he could gain was winning people's hearts. Not only the Azerbaijan of yesterday and today, but also the future Azerbaijan which is a prosperous future can be seen from this peak.