Mammad Emin Rasulzadeh's 135th Birthday

Baku / 31.01.19 / Turan: Today marks the 135th anniversary of the birth of the founder of the Azerbaijani People"s Republic, the first democratic state in the Islamic East (1918-1920).

A native of the Novkhany village (near Baku), Rasulzadeh was educated at the Baku Technical School. In 1911, he founded the Musavat Party and headed it. During the collapse of the Russian Empire, Rasulzadeh, along with Fatalikhan Khoisky and Nasibbey Yusifbeyli, prepared the Declaration of Independence of Azerbaijan and proclaimed independence.

After the occupation of Azerbaijan by the Red Army in April 1920, Rasulzadeh was forced to hide. He was later arrested, but in 1922 he was sent to Moscow, went from there to Finland, and then moved to Turkey, where he lived until the end of his days.

In 1948, Rasulzadeh created the Azerbaijan Cultural Center in Turkey, which became the center of political emigration of Azerbaijani compatriots. In 1952, he began publishing the magazine Azerbaijan and became its editor.

Rasulzadeh conducted active political activities, firmly believing in the restoration of the independence of Azerbaijan. This question was central to all his work and efforts.

Rasulzadeh died in Ankara on March 6, 1955 and was buried in the Asri cemetery.

The ideas of Rasulzadeh became the basis of the ideology of the national liberation movement in the period 1988-1992, and the government of the Popular Front (1992-1993).

Currently, the attitude of the authorities towards Rasulzadeh is rather cool. So, there is still no monument in Baku, and the name was removed from the name of Baku State University.-05B-