Azerbaijan remembers ‘Black January’ on 35th anniversary of deadly crackdown

BAKU

Azerbaijan solemnly honored on Jan. 20 the victims of the 1990 attack, a tragedy and deadly crackdown by the Soviet administration etched into history as “Black January” and a poignant symbol of the nation's independence.

Marking the 35th anniversary of this harrowing event, thousands of Azerbaijanis congregated at Baku's Alley of Martyrs to pay homage to those who were killed in the attack. Stretching in long queues, mourners laid crimson carnations upon the graves, offering prayers for the fallen.

President İlham Aliyev also attended the commemorative ceremony, where the Azerbaijani national anthem resounded through the solemn gathering.

Aliyev placed a ceremonial wreath at the Eternal Flame Monument, paying his respects to the victims.

At precisely 12:00 p.m. local time, the entire nation observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims. During this poignant moment, the wails of ship sirens along the Caspian Sea coastline and the unified blare of metro trains and buses echoed across the city.

In early 1990, as tensions mounted due to escalating territorial claims by Armenians and growing resentment toward Soviet governance, tens of thousands of Azerbaijanis convened in Baku’s Freedom Square for prolonged protests.

To suppress these demonstrations, the Soviet military deployed a force of 26,000 troops on Jan. 20,1990, indiscriminately targeting civilians across various districts of Baku. The onslaught killed 150 individuals, including women and children and left hundreds more injured.

The victims were interred amidst an ocean of grief and crimson carnations, in what is now known as the Alley of Martyrs, attended by hundreds of thousands of mourners.

For the past 35 years, Azerbaijanis have solemnly marched to this sacred site on Jan. 20, bearing carnations—a poignant emblem of the massacre’s victims—ensuring that the memory of their sacrifice endures.