Year passes since Azerbaijan liberated Shusha from occupation

Today - November 8 - is the first anniversary of the liberation of Shusha from the Armenian occupation.

On November 8, 2020, the President of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev announced the liberation of Shusha from the occupation. The tricolor flag of Azerbaijan was hoisted in the center of the city.

The liberation of Shusha is a successful operation of the Azerbaijani army, which predetermined the outcome of the Patriotic War. Rapidly moving forward, Azerbaijani soldiers liberated their native lands one by one. In mid-October, Hadrut was cleared of the Armenian occupiers. Further liberated were the village of Chanagchi of the Khojaly region and part of the strategic road Shusha-Lachin.

On November 7, Azerbaijani special forces, moving in the direction of the city, made their way through dense forests and ravines, hard-to-reach mountain passes. Climbing the rocks in groups of 100 people, the brave fighters of Azerbaijan entered Shusha from several directions, with hand-to-hand fighting ensuing.

During the fighting, Armenian troops launched a rocket attack on Shusha, firing Iskander missiles targeting the Azerbaijani special forces. Despite the enemy's resistance, the valiant Azerbaijani army liberated Shusha on November 8.

Shusha received the status of an administrative district in 1930. Located at an altitude of 1,300-1,600 meters above sea level, the city and the adjacent mountainous terrain are among the most strategically important points in the Karabakh region.

Shusha was occupied by the armed forces of Armenia on May 8, 1992. At that time, the population of Shusha was 24,000 people. In the battles for Shusha's defense, 195 people became martyrs, 165 people were injured, 58 people were captured or taken hostage.

After the occupation, 25 Shusha schools, 31 libraries, 17 clubs, 8 houses of culture, 4 technical schools, 2 institutes, 7 kindergartens, 4 cinemas, 5 parks of culture and rest, 2 sanatoriums, a tourist base, 2 hotels, a branch of the State Museum of Azerbaijani Carpet, Shusha State Drama Theater, Shusha Television, Factory of Oriental Musical Instruments, State Picture Gallery, Children's Health School were looted, burned and destroyed by the Armenians.

Before the occupation, there were more than 170 residential buildings in Shusha and up to 160 cultural and historical monuments. Among the latter are tombs in Shusha and Shushakand, dating back to the Bronze and Iron Ages, caves in Shusha, the walls of the Shusha fortress dating back to the 18th century, the Ganja Gate, the Palace and Library of Panakhali Khan, Ibrahimkhalil Khan's Castle, the Khan Palace and a caravanserai, madrasahs and a tomb of Molla Panah Vagif, a two-storey caravanserai, the Mehmandarovs' estate, the Gevkhar Agha, Khoja Marjanli, Haji Abbas, Merdinli, Saatli, Kocharli mosques, the house and spring of Khurshidbanu Natavan, the houses of Abdurrahim bey Hagverdiyev, Gasim bey Zakir, Mir Mohsun Navvab, Suleyman Sani Akhundov, Najaf bey Vezirov, Yusif Vezir Chemenzeminli, house, mosque and spring of Mamay bey, houses of the Beibutovs, Faramazovs, Zohrabbeyov, Bahman Mirza, houses-museums of Uzeyir bey Hajibeyli, Bulbul, Khan Shushinsky, and other historical monuments.

Currently, 34,300 Shusha residents have temporarily settled in 58 regions of Azerbaijan and are eagerly awaiting their return to their homelands.

On November 16, 2020, President Ilham Aliyev ordered the construction of a road from Fuzuli district to Shusha. As part of a trip to Fuzuli region, Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva got acquainted with the progress of the project.

On January 14, 2021, the head of state laid the foundation for the Fuzuli-Shusha road. Then, President Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and their daughter Leyla Aliyeva visited the liberated Shusha.

On May 12 this year, President Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, their daughters Leyla and Arzu Aliyeva once again visited Shusha. First, they took part in the opening of the Shusha substation. On the same day, the Khary Bulbul hotel was opened after reconstruction.

On May 12, President Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, their daughters Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva familiarized themselves with the conditions created in the 48-room building and cottages at the Khary Bulbul hotel, saw the palace of the khan's daughter Natavan. The President laid the foundation for secondary school No. 1 and a new mosque in Shusha. The head of state and his family members also visited the Khan Gizi spring.

On May 12, the music festival "Khary Bulbul" took place in Shusha. After 29 years, Shusha, the cradle of ancient culture, once again opened its arms to the guests.

On June 15, the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkey Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Shusha. The heads of the two fraternal states held a tete-a-tete meeting. Then the "Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Turkey" was signed.

On June 15, the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkey Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan respectively visited Shusha. The heads of the two fraternal states held a tete-a-tete meeting. Then the "Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Turkey" was signed.

On August 29, a museum-mausoleum of the great Azerbaijani poet and public figure Molla Panah Vagif was opened in Shusha after reconstruction. President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva attended the opening ceremony and got acquainted with the work done.

On August 30, the Days of Vagif poetry were held for the first time with the participation of the head of state and the first lady in liberated Shusha.

On September 18, the city celebrated the Day of National Music. In the park, where the monument to Uzeyir Hajibeyli is erected, the works of Uzeyir Hajibeyli, Vasif Adygezalov, Suleiman Alasgarov and other composers were performed by the orchestra of folk instruments of the song and dance ensemble named after Fikrat Amirov.

Shusha flourishes, transforms and will soon become even more beautiful.

Karabakh is Azerbaijan!