Victory Day, overshadowed by the war in Ukraine

Baku/09.05.23/Turan: Azerbaijan marks the 75th anniversary of its victory over fascism on this day. President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order to provide a one-time allowance of 1,500 manats to the participants of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 in honor of Victory Day. Widows of soldiers who died in the war or later, people awarded orders and medals for selfless work in the rear, employees of special formations who carried out assignments in the interests of the army and navy in the rear, and those awarded a medal and a badge for the defense of Leningrad, as well as participants in the siege of Leningrad, were paid 750 manats each. The state budget has allocated a total of 2.9 million manats for this purpose. The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 affected almost every Azerbaijani family, with Baku oil playing a crucial role in securing the military victory over fascism.

During the war, Azerbaijan had over 681,000 soldiers and officers, one in every five inhabitants, who fought on the front. 250,000 of them were killed. Over 400,000 soldiers and officers received military orders and medals, and 14 people became full holders of the Order of Glory, 123 were designated Heroes of the Soviet Union, and 44 were ethnic Azerbaijanis. Baku was the main supplier of oil and petroleum products, producing over 70% of the total volume in the USSR at that time. More than 130 types of weapons and ammunition were manufactured in Baku. Women made up about 70% of the workers in enterprises and collective farms.

Azerbaijan created 87 battalions, 1123 self-defense detachments, and formed the 77th, 223rd, 396th, 402nd, and 416th national rifle divisions, which fought from the Caucasus foothills to the Baltic States, Eastern Europe, and Berlin. Senior Sergeant Israfil Mammadov, assistant to the platoon commander of the 42nd Rifle Regiment, was the first Azerbaijani to receive the title of Hero. Guards Major General Azi Aslanov, commander of the 35th Tank Brigade, was awarded the title of Hero twice.

Azerbaijan sent 15 kg of gold, 952 kg of silver, and 320 million rubles from personal savings to the defense fund. Over 1.6 million units of necessary goods and 125 wagons of warm clothing were sent to the front. Baku enterprises alone collected and sent two wagons of caviar, 40 tons of dried fruits, 12 wagons of tomato puree and juices, as well as liver extract, hematogen, gelatin, and other food products, medicines, and dressings to Leningrad until the summer of 1942.

440,000 wounded soldiers were treated in Azerbaijan's hospitals during the war. However, Victory Day is perceived ambiguously in Azerbaijan today, mainly due to Russia's aggression against Ukraine, which suffered massive losses in the Second World War. Russia is more commonly associated with the fascist Germany that started the war on the European continent. The actions of Russia are driving people away from a shared history, which includes both common tragedies and victories such as Victory Day over Fascism.