AZE.US
Azerbaijan is marking Independence Day on May 28, a national holiday tied to the founding of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918.
This year marks 108 years since the proclamation of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, widely remembered as the first secular democratic republic in the Muslim East. For Azerbaijan, the date is not only a historical anniversary. It is also a symbol of restored statehood after decades of Soviet rule.
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was founded on May 28, 1918, after the collapse of the Russian Empire opened the way for national movements across the region.
Mammad Amin Rasulzade is regarded as one of the central founding figures of the republic, while Fatali Khan Khoyski became the first head of its government.
The republic first operated from Tiflis and later moved to Ganja. The national government relocated to Baku after the city came under its control on September 15, 1918.
Although the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic existed for only 23 months, it left a lasting political legacy. Its leaders moved to create a national army, establish a national bank, introduce a national currency, build parliamentary institutions and pursue international recognition.
One of the republic’s most important decisions was the extension of voting rights to women, a major step for the region and for the wider Muslim world at the time.
On November 9, 1918, the republic adopted Azerbaijan’s tricolor flag at the proposal of Mammad Amin Rasulzade. The flag later became one of the main symbols of Azerbaijan’s restored independence.
The Ottoman Empire was the first state to officially recognize the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, doing so on June 4, 1918.
The republic was overthrown in April 1920 after the Bolshevik invasion, and Azerbaijan was forcibly incorporated into Soviet rule. The idea of independence, however, survived. Azerbaijan restored its independence in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
From 1991 to 2021, May 28 was officially marked as Republic Day. In October 2021, Azerbaijan adopted a new law renaming the holiday Independence Day.
May 28 is a non-working public holiday in Azerbaijan. This is also the sixth year the holiday is being marked in the territories restored to Azerbaijani control after the 2020 war.
AZE.US