Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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On the night of January 20, 1990, the city of Baku witnessed a tragic and brutal crackdown as Soviet troops, following orders from the USSR leadership, moved to suppress the burgeoning national liberation movement in Azerbaijan and uphold the Communist regime.

This invasion, marked by its violence, resulted in the loss of 137 lives, left 611 individuals injured, led to the unlawful arrest of 841 others, and left five people missing.

January 20, 1990, represents a pivotal moment in Azerbaijan's journey toward independence. It has been thirty-five years since the events of January 20, 1990, which are remembered as the tragedy of 'Black January.'

An event dedicated to the 35th anniversary of Black January has been organized at the Azerbaijan Composers' Union.

Those present at the event honored the memory of the victims of the January 20 events with a moment of silence.

In her opening remarks, the chairman of the Azerbaijan Composers' Union, People's Artist Frangiz Alizade noted that January 20 has become a black mark in the lives of every citizen of Azerbaijan, of all those who witnessed those terrible events or learned about them from the stories of eyewitnesses.

He said that although this year marks 35 years since the "Black January" events, the pain of that tragic night has not faded. The death of hundreds of innocent people, who fell victim to imperial politics and the Soviet military machine, will never be erased from our memory. At the same time, this day is a day of glory and heroism for the Azerbaijani people who are fighting for independence.

"Every artist, every creator considers it their duty to pay tribute to these events. Over the years, our composers have written numerous compositions in various genres that capture the grief and heroism of those days. These works are traditionally included in the programs of events at the Azerbaijan Composers' Union dedicated to the January tragedy. Today, however, we have decided to expand the range of genres and give a platform to another form of art—documentary film," said Frangiz Alizade.

During the memorial evening held at the Uzeyir Hajibayli Concert Hall, the documentary film "20 January" by the renowned director and screenwriter, Honored Art Worker Jahangir Zeynalov, was screened.

The talented Azerbaijani documentarian, who has made significant contributions to the development of national cinema, raises pressing contemporary issues in his films (he has over 40 film works). His productions have repeatedly been awarded at international film festivals.

The film "20 January," shot in 1990 right after the bloody events, had a profound emotional impact on the viewers, which included members of the music community, composers, musicologists, filmmakers, and students.

After the screening, J. Zeynalov shared his interesting and meaningful memories about the production of this film and its subsequent journey.

In conclusion, the memorable evening featured speeches from member of the Azerbaijani Parliament Aydin Mirzazade and the People's Writer Elmira Akhundova, who emphasized that January 20 is a tragic lesson of history, a day of heroism for the Azerbaijani people in their struggle for an independent Azerbaijan.