Former soldiers of the first Karabakh army gathered at Martyrs Lane in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the first Karabakh war of 1990.
The SABC News team is in Azerbaijan as part of an international media visit to the country that has been involved in a war with neighbouring Armenia over the Nagrono Karabakh region.
The befitting Martyrs Lane cemetery and memorial site in Baku are surrounded by the majestic Caspian Sea.
A magnificent backdrop honouring the thousands of brave souls that were killed in 1990 by the former Soviet army, during the first Nagorno Karabakh war.
Each of the black marble graves bears the image of those who died in various conflicts and wars in Azerbaijan.
Walking through the lane, silence fills the air. Red carnation flowers are placed on each grave site, symbolising the blood that was shed from the war that stole civilian lives.
Former army officers arrived in full uniform, gathering around the eternal flame monument.
It remains forever lit, the symbol that while lives have been lost – their memory and bravery is not forgotten.
Fizuli Rzaghuliyev is a military veteran from the former Azerbaijan Army.
“This sacred place is the lame of Marty’s and was founded after the January 1990 invasion of the Soviet troops to Azerbaijan, at a period of time when Azerbaijan was struggling for their independence.”
Martyrs’ Lane history
Martyrs’ Lane has a long history dating back to 1918 when it served as a Muslim Cemetery following a period of inter-ethnic conflict which claimed thousands of lives.
The cemetery was destroyed under Soviet rule but reinstated as a place of burial for national heroes after independence. Decades later, the army community gathers annually to pay their respects.
Rzaghuliyev says every visit brings back horrific memories of a troubled time for the country.
“I visit this place every year when we commemorate the memory of victims of genocide and the victims of the Russian invasion of Azerbaijan and the Karabakh war who became martyrs.”
Travelling through the troubled region of Nagorno-Karabakh, the area remains largely rural, with access to ruins and the remnants of a thirty-year-long war.
However, the rebuilding of the area is moving swiftly. Karabakh resident, Hasanova Giyafat, was expatriated with her family when fighting broke out between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
She says she’s grateful to fallen heroes for allowing her the opportunity to be able to return to her home.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have now agreed to a civilian European Union mission alongside their border, where the worst fighting between the two countries since 2020 killed more than 200 people last month.
