For the next anniversary of national movement of Baku students (or paradoxes of fate of Blue-eyed man)

It happened over 30 years ago in November 1978, when I was 20 and student of Azerbaijan State University.

Our generation experienced repressions of the Soviet regime and has got information about "closed" pages of Azerbaijani history from the older generation. Despite the older generation"s persuasion "not to go too far," the national idea existed and number of its supporters increased. The idea of Azerbaijan"s independence has been discussed by Azerbaijani students. But nobody could imagine how much these talks will cost. But we, young people of the 1970s, knew nothing about the machine of suppression of the empire.

"THREES"

When I entered the University in 1974, the University"s famous and popular teacher Abulfaz Aliyev has been arrested. I did not know him, we have established contacts much later.

That time we used the principle of "three" to keep in touch - each activist knew at least two or three other members of the movement. This principle has been successfully applied by Abulfaz Aliyev. It looked rather romantic, but was more than serious. Such security measures have become especially important after Aliyev"s arrest.

Although students of many universities have been involved in the movement, majority of them were from Azerbaijan State University. In 1975 Abulfaz Aliyev was sentenced to imprisonment, but in 1976 he was freed.

DEMONSTRATION IN MARCH 1977

Abulfaz Aliyev"s release has become an incentive for the students to pass from words to deeds. Novruz holiday was the best cause for that and the students members of "Threes" started preparation. We wanted to protest at prohibition to celebrate Novruz and influence self-consciousness of the society.

On March 21, 1977 about 700 students of the University gathered near Shikhali Gurbanov"s grave on the Alley of Honorary Burial. In 1967 he has carried into life the idea to proclaim Novruz holiday an official holiday. Bahtiyar Vagabzade, Ziya Bunyadov, Abbas Zamanov, Halil Rza, Gara Namazov and others were also among the rally participants. In his speech Bahtiyar Vagabzade said the status of official holiday must be given to Novruz. The student by name Hatira used a rather revolutionary expression: "Way to freedom lies through the gun point!"

Then the demonstrators moved to Nariman Narimanov monument and laid flowers to it. Traditional sweets and candles were put on the tables in the university"s dining room. We have invited scientists and felt as winners. But the University"s rector Faig Bagirzade and other representatives of the administration were nervous and demanded that we should immediately stop the holiday and leave the dining room. Some of them even overturned the tables. Professor Abbas Zamanov sharply reacted to the rector"s actions.

All students - participants of the rally - discussed western radio stations" reports about the students" demonstrations in Baku.

WAY TO FREEDOM LEADS TO KGB

During several months after Novruz (till end of autumn 1977) almost all demonstrators (several hundreds of people), were involved in the investigation conducted by KGB of Azerbaijan. We knew nothing about details of the investigation and attended both lectures and political lessons of "threes."

On those days rector Faig Bagirzade called me and several more people to his office. Several strange people were in the office as well.

They asked us where our parents and what do we do. I refused to answer the questions in presence of the strange people, who have neither introduced themselves, nor explained why they are asking questions. But these were just my first troubles.

"WE ARE NEVER MISTAKEN"

Several days after the interrogation a strange man in Zhiguli 01 car called to me while I was on the way to the University. He had a regional dialect and looked like a person, who has got into difficulties.

He asked me: "Can you please tell me the way to Pedagogical University named after Lenin?" I described him the way in all details, but he said he could not find the way by himself and asked me to go with him. When I sat in the car, two men sat on the right and left of me. I paid no attention to the fact, thinking that they are relatives of the car owner. When the car approached the University, the driver sharply turned towards KGB. I told him that he is going the wrong way, he needs to go straight. But he answered: "We are never mistaken." The regional dialect has turned into a metallic voice.

HERE IS KGB...

I have immediately realized that I am in deep trouble and tried to collect my thoughts. This was the only way to control myself, because I had no idea, if I will be freed or not?

We have entered the building and went upstairs. At the end of the stairs I saw Dzerzhinsky"s bust with the famous phrase engraved on it: "Security officer must have hot heart, cold head and clean hands." We entered the room on the second floor and people, who accompanied me, immediately demanded that I should explain my political activities. These middle aged people were dressed very simply - grayish suits, white shirts and black ties.

I have written on a sheet of paper where I study and what I am doing. But I was asked to write everything anew. My new explanation was almost the same as previous one. But then investigators" have become tougher. The curtain was a little bit opened and I could see building of "Dinamo" society, where I used to go in for wrestling. I was in one of the rooms located on the eastern part of the building.

But investigators spoke loudly, trying to exert psychological pressure on me and demanded that I should write everything I know about the students" political activities. But I looked into their face and said that I will not write anything and torn sheets of papers into pieces.

ROOM CHANGED, BUT QUESTIONS REMAINED THE SAME

I have been moved to another room. And again the same black curtains, the same people and the same questions. Then these people suddenly left and fair hair and blue-eyed man came into from the room on the opposite side. He was in dark-blue suit, white shirt and tie, which was the color of the suit. As previous men, he did not introduce himself and started interrogation. His behavior, questions he asked and presence of mind showed that he has higher rank. During several hours this man did not show any emotions, he was cold as river stone. He asked who led the students, what was the role of Bahtiyar Vagabzade, Ziya Bunyadov, Abbas Zamanov, Asif Efendiyev and other scientists and philosophers as well as students.

After the interrogation, he asked me to go to another room and shut the door. The guy of my age was crying in the room. I asked him what happened and he said: "Please confess and we will go home." Then I asked: "What must I confess to?" I turned to the investigator and said: "Let this mother"s boy go, or he will have a cardiac rupture."

MY TONGUE - MY ENEMY

I paid a high price for my "heroism." The next hours I have been seriously pressured and threatened. I have been told that I have no future, all my relatives will be exiled to Siberia, I will never have a good job and I will be called enemy of nation and traitor. The threats changed into questions - who? where? when? Having failed to achieve any results, the blue-eyed has called two his employees and demanded to take me away. The corridors in the building were narrow, so one of men accompanying me went in front of me and another one from behind. We went downstairs and came to the semi-basement lit up by one lamp. I have been brought into the cell and the man locked the door with the words: "Here you will get wiser."

In this badly lighted and damp building walls were crooked and there was no floor. I heard drops falling somewhere and I did not know if I am arrested or not, if I will be freed or investigators have carried their threats into life.

After many years people, who have passed through KGB, told me that interrogation in this basement was one of KGB"s tortures.

After several hours I was freed from the basement and demanded to come back in the morning.

"THIS AZERBAIJAN WILL NEVER BE FREE"

In the morning two men, who "gave me a ride" to Pedagogical University named after Lenin, brought me to the room of the blue-eyed. On the table I saw color newspapers with Latin graphic. "Look, we have done nothing, but Turkish newspapers write that we have murdered and hung you," said the blue-eyed with irritation. Then he asked me in Russian: "What do you want?"

I answered that all nations want to be free. Azerbaijan must be free and unite. He said negatively: "South Azerbaijan can become free one day, but this Azerbaijan never!"

Then he left to answer phone call. After 10-15 minutes he came back and quietly recommended me to study. He advised me "not to play games with the government." I asked the man: "Did you let that young crying guy go?" He said that this is none of my business. Then he demanded to answer his questions. "We have warned Abulfaz, but he did not listen to us. All of you will share his fate," he threatened. I started thinking about my future, but without fear.

I thought why these Azerbaijanis are hostile to their own nation and its fate, why they do not want freedom and independence and why they do not have any national feelings?

Meanwhile, the blue-eyed again left and came back after 20 minutes. He said: "You all will be charged under article 67 (anti-Soviet propaganda and agitation). Then you will understand what it means to speak against the state."

I kept silence and the thought that my close relatives will suffer, because of me, scared me.

All this took several days. Every morning I came to KGB and the officers worked with me. I have been warned that I must not speak about these visits to anyone and I did not know how long it will last and what it will end with.

KGB CHAIRMAN: DO YOU RAISE REVOLUTIONARIES?

On that day I have been told that I am free. At about 4.00 p.m. I left KGB building. After a while I and my close friend were on the way to "Sadko" café. I have told him a little bit about the latest events and he said that he has been also interrogated.

On the next day I went to the University. My classmates already knew about interrogation in KGB. Nobody condemned us, they were worried about us.

After lunch my "friends" from KGB suddenly appeared again and took me to their office. When I entered the room, I saw fierce face and eyes. "What did you do in Saratov, did you have talks with the students there?" asked the blue-eyed.

I understood that he means events that occurred in 1976. That time I and my friend went to Saratov city to discuss our problems with Azerbaijanis living there. I was sure that my friend could not blurt out the secret. So, I was surprised that they know about what is going on outside of Azerbaijan. I denied everything. I don"t remember how much time passed, but suddenly a big black telephone rang, the blue-eyed has taken the phone and left the room not saying a word. He was in hurry and forgot red book on the table. I did not dare to take it, but I raised myself a little and read name and surname "Mahmud Mammadkuliyev", but I don"t remember his position and the rank. I was surprised, because I was sure that he is not Azerbaijani.

He returned after 20 minutes and said that KGB chairman has just reprimanded my rector Faig Bagirzade.

"Do you train specialists or revolutionaries?" Krasilnikov asked Bagirzade. I have understood from these words that Bagirzade is also in KGB and KGB chief Vitalii Krasilnikov scolded him.

PROLONGED VISITS

The story took almost six months. Visits, evidences and explanations. During this period the students involved in the investigation knew each other better. I have learned that at least 600 students are involved in the investigation.

The students were frequently asked: "How did you know location of Southern Azerbaijan?" Of course, we have never been in Southern Azerbaijan, but we knew its location.

I was surprised why we have been asked this question, because lots of documentary and fiction were devoted to Southern Azerbaijan.

Many students have been expelled from the University and many of them have been shadowed. In May 1978 this issue has been resolved.

Last time I was leaving the KGB building, the blue-eyed told me: "Try not to get here anymore."

11 years after that or in November 1988 Azerbaijani national movement has become a reality and soon turned into the national-liberation movement, but in 1991, the country, to which this man served, collapsed.

I LOOKED FOR HIM

I often recalled the blue-eyed man, but I am not sure if I hated him. I wanted to talk to him and ask why he was so scared to be freed. I did not see him in March 1988, when the Karabakh conflict started and I was again brought to KGB. This time I was interrogated by Russians. They asked me about the events in Sumgait and Afghanistan. They also asked about Iran, but there was no the blue-eyed among them. (That time I did not know that he worked in the KGB central office in Moscow and after Heydar Aliyev"s dismissal from the position of the member of the Political Bureau, he was dismissed too.)

I wanted to remind him his own words that South Azerbaijan, but not Soviet Azerbaijan can be independent. I wanted to say that Northern Azerbaijan is already free and now it is the turn of Southern Azerbaijan.

BLUE-EYED - AMBASSADOR OF INDEPENDENT AZERBAIJAN!

I have seen him again after the June mutiny in 1993 and collapse of the Popular Front government. I have recognized his face on the screen at once. It was Mahmud Mammadkuliyev, Deputy Foreign Minister, previously Ambassador of Azerbaijan to UK and son-in-law of Heydar Aliyev that time.

I could imagine him and those like him in any managerial system of the empire, but I could not imagine him to be a public servant of an independent state. But the man, who said that Azerbaijan will never be independent, has become Ambassador of independent Azerbaijan in London. Even the June mutiny and Heydar Aliyev"s coming to power surprised me less.

AFTERWORD

This is not the story about the blue-eyed and those like he. This is a story about true patriotism of young people. These feelings forced us to go into the streets in February 1988, when KGB and their agents called us nationalists.

Patriots went to the front first and spilled blood in Karabakh, but then those who persecuted them made their carrier on their bones, speaking on behalf of independent Azerbaijan.

In the mid-1970s those, who are now called builders of independent Azerbaijan, coordinated shadowing for the dissent and threw them in jails and banned Novruz holiday. On the day, when we made march on Novruz day Azerbaijan television even did not show the holiday concert!

For about ten years more Novruz holiday was banned and officials were not ashamed to say that it is disgraceful to celebrate Novruz, because it coincides with Maharram mourning month seven years running!

Later on we knew that authorities were seriously frightened with scale of "nationalism" and party committees of all universities were instructed to keep students away from harmful thoughts by all means. Number of KGB agents in the student professional comities and Komsomol committees has sharply grown. New pro-rector of Azerbaijan State University was KGB lieutenant-colonel. He recommended not to give Turkish names like Gunel or Tural to children, because we have lots of our own names.

Those writing official history always think that everything is forgotten and people will not bear moral responsibility for their deeds.

Tofig Turkel