Society

In the late 1960s, during his first assumption of power, Azerbaijan was experiencing a period of economic and cultural fall as well. At that time, just with coming of Heydar Aliyev there was observed intensive rise in all spheres of the life of society, development of national spirit and progress of morality.

After return to power, Heydar Aliyev, due to his political ability could salvage the country from the threat of civil war, socio-political separation, and, embodied in him, in his strong personality the goal and idea of the society, he could unite his native people around common ideology, instil in it the sense of trust in morrow.

During these years, just Heydar Aliyev, as a true leader, could resolutely bring to the notice of world the truth on Azerbaijan. Only after the return of Heydar Aliyev to power, Azerbaijan could realize its geopolitical opportunities. Due to the political talent of Heydar Aliyev, the threat of isolation of Azerbaijan from the world community was overcome.

Head of Azerbaijan always distinguished with his word, authority, and influence from the standpoint of the impact on the processes proceeding on the world political arena. Inexhaustible energy of Heydar Aliyev, deserving nationwide love, inspired the people for new successes.

Thanks to the bright political talent of Heydar Aliyev — one of the historical personalities of Azerbaijan that in the junction of the two centuries and two Millenniums, preserving its national-moral values, confidently stepped down the Third Millennium. Having overcome all the obstacles, and despite the difficulties, the talent of Heydar Aliyev helped Azerbaijan to survive in the upheavals of the extremely complicated time and hold a worthy place both in the region and in the whole world.

Heydar Aliyev, as one of the unique statesmen of our people, along with his complicated life always thought on the people and Motherland. His heartbeat in the name of strengthening the independence of Azerbaijan, for the happiness of his nation. As the head of state, Heydar Aliyev, in the most complicated time for Azerbaijan showed unprecedented selflessness in the name of its salvation, could save his country from misfortunes.

Due to a number of unique nature-gifted features, Heydar Aliyev, as a farseeing personality, could foresee the course of the historical events, demonstrated a truly patriotic position while adopting decisions with extreme significance for the national history, could undertake resolute actions. The resoluteness, peculiar to his personality, often found its reflection in the ideas, extemporized during his appearances before the audience. Reports and speeches of Heydar Aliyev, which, being founded on iron logic, had an extraordinary impact, are a bright expression of the depth and width of his philosophical and political vision.

As head of the Azerbaijani state, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev holds an exceptional position in the centuries-old history of our statehood. Heydar Aliyev's activity, from the point of view of its significance, goes far beyond the borders of Azerbaijan. The processes, proceeding currently not only in Azerbaijan and but also in the entire post-soviet space, as well as in the world, cannot be presented without the personality and activity of Heydar Aliyev.

The period covering over 30 years of state-building, economic rebirth, political consciousness, political life in modern Azerbaijan, is connected with the name and practical activity of Heydar Aliyev, with an inexhaustible talent, encyclopedic knowledge, large world vision, being a historical personality, prominent politician, and concrete deals realized by him. These complicated processes were reflected in his practical activity and philosophic ideology — the philosophy of national revival.

Heydar Aliyev was a great philosopher and thinker of the present. The philosophy of Azerbaijanism, founded and developed by him, determined the special role of Azerbaijan in the present world, rests on the basis of national statehood, created a firm base for the solidarity of the World Azerbaijanis. The problems of national revival, which in the last century seriously worried the Azerbaijani intelligentsia, thanks to Heydar Aliyev, in these years, turned to strategic state policy, from the science, sociology, and philosophy — to a practical and political plane.

Thanks to his bright political wisdom and talent, Heydar Aliyev created a new Azerbaijan, its current realities, and defined the path leading to the future. Just, therefore, the period of the history of Azerbaijan from 1969 up to date was closely connected with the name of Heydar Aliyev and went down our history as Heydar Aliyev's epoch. The major content of this epoch, from the standpoint of the further historical destiny of Azerbaijan, is Azerbaijanism.

Path of Azerbaijan leading to the construction of an independent state, in essence, started in 1969 — after his coming to power. In this sense, the brightest pages of Azerbaijanism were written just in these years. In the frame of the then ideology, Heydar Aliyev could — let it be even in the form not contradicting the existing system — not only prevent full oppression of the national spirit of Azerbaijan, on the contrary, but also make maximum use of the opportunities on the way of his raise.

In this sense, the next period of coming by Heydar Aliyev to the leadership of the Republic is perceived as the start of the national self-consciousness, return to the origins. The major ideological-political trend of the philosophy of Heydar Aliyev management, history of which just begins from this period, contains the large extent of all forms and means of the national self-expression of the people, strengthening the sense of national pride and realization of quick strategy pf development, able to raise the national conscience. Since the beginning of his leadership in the Republic, it became a tradition to regularly celebrate the jubilees of the prominent personalities of Azerbaijan, which created a foundation to raise the national spirit, national self-conscience, closely connected with the nationwide problems of the Azerbaijani people, returning to the people its historical memory, the realization of the idea of independent statehood.

The work carried out by Heydar Aliyev while leading Azerbaijan in 1969-82 released national self-consciousness from the fetters of previous ideological system and ensured boundless rising of national sprit on the base of such fundamental principles as giving historical memory back to the people, and created favourable conditions for the idea of national statehood our people had been maturing for many years to turn into the great driving force.

Coming to power in Azerbaijan, which because of being attributed to one of the USSR's provinces, was in late 60s behind others in all spheres of social and economic life, the republic where negative trends had taken deep roots, and where latent competition for power gradually intensifying had taken bad shape undermining national and spiritual unity of the people, the new leader first prevented collapse of economic təsir potential of the republic, possibility of negative impact of the recession in social and political life upon moral and psychological state of the people. As cosmopolitan atmosphere prevailed in the Republic then, not only no serious steps were taken to train national personnel, develop and use national language, staff officials of Azerbaijani origin, on the contrary, such initiatives were resolutely suppressed putting obstacles to growing personnel having national consciousness and mentality.

There was a need to find a way out of this complicated situation in the Republic whose economy had entered the phase of a deep and long crisis, work out fundamentally new approaches to ensure its economic development, conduct cardinal structural reforms in the economy, apply new methods of economic management and encouragement. Heydar Aliyev was confident that the foundation of a nation's political independence is conditioned by its economic freedom.

The negative factors prevailing at those times because of lack of the national idea and leading to both economic and cultural decay were eliminated with Heydar Aliyev's coming to power. As a result of his unexhausted activity, the years 1970-1985 constituted the brightest pages in the chronicles of creation of Azerbaijan by the scale of change occurred, the character of cardinal reforms in social and economic spheres and transition to a qualitatively new stage of the people's living standard.

Today's state sovereignty and economic independence of Azerbaijan, the process of widening of its foreign economic links and deeper integration into the global economy are based on the potential whose foundation was laid by Heydar Aliyev as early as 1970-1980s.

Drawing attention in Heydar Aliyev's strategic program of statehood is the following feature regarding the ideology of Azerbaijanism: moral, artistic and esthetic revival were realized here within the single flow combined with the progress achieved in economy, industry and construction, as well as improvement of the people's living standard and mass enthusiasm.

Since the 70s, this progress — created owing to existing economic potential as the next phase of the economic development of Azerbaijan - had inwardly prepared the country for the historically necessary struggle for freedom. The large scale of the liberation movement in late 80s early 90s became possible due to the economic growth achieved at Heydar Aliyev times and formation of national fighting spirit ready to immediately take the historical chance.

While in many other republics of the Soviet Union were observed the totalitarian system's strong pressure, threats and persecutions against workers of science and culture, intellectuals, Heydar Aliyev managed — owing to his fearlessness and firm will - to create in Azerbaijan favourable conditions for creative persons to freely think, fully realize their creative plans, and latently search for ways to national and moral principles ensuring sovereignty and independence in the history of Azerbaijan statehood.

Exactly in these years, the large-scale works were done in Baku on municipal improvements: a number of architectural complexes, administrative centres, palaces, institutes, publishing houses, schools and many other buildings beautified the city. It was exactly Heydar Aliyev's initiative due to which it became possible to restore a lot of monuments of architecture. He was well aware that immortalization in monuments of great persons in the history of Azerbaijan would have an extremely positive impact on the strengthening of the national self-consciousness of the people.

Thanks to the care Heydar Aliyev showed of our culture and history thus demonstrating deep respect to them, majestic monuments for outstanding persons bearing the idea of the national self-consciousness of our people were erected, and home-museums for each great historical persons were established in the most attractive sites of Baku.

One of the Heydar Aliyev's far-seeing steps was his initiative to send young Azerbaijani people to study in prestigious higher educational establishments of the former Soviet Union for them to acquire knowledge and specialities necessary for the future independent country. With rising scientific and human potential in Azerbaijan, the realization of the national and spiritual values of our people became a reality.

One of the factors conditioned revival of Azerbaijan under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev in 1969-1982 was particular attention paid to the development of education in the republic giving preference to youth's education in the native language.

In addition, to expand international ties of Azerbaijan in the scientific and technical, economic and cultural sphere, various related events used to be arranged on a Union and international scale, while in former Soviet republics used to be organized Days of Azerbaijan's culture and arts. All this created a solid foundation for the establishment of links between Azerbaijan and foreign countries and Azerbaijanis living there and ensured self-consciousness of the Azerbaijanis as a nation having its own historical and cultural traditions.

It was the period when articles, which could not be appeared in print even in Moscow or St. Petersburg because of being the samples of active civil position, could see the light of the day in Baku periodicals under Heydar Aliyev's personal auspices protecting them from any attacks and infringements. Favourable conditions provided in those years for representatives of culture and art to create works in the spirit of national traditions and connected to our historical past were the result of special care shown to the young masters of pen.

From the very fest days of Heydar Aliyev's coming power, the Azerbaijani language was the focus of particular attention in his strategic program, which constituted a foundation for building a national state. As a result of the Heydar Aliyev's activity, Azerbaijani was given State language status that was reflected in the Constitution of 1978. This step, which from the standpoint of those times may be described as true heroism, was taken exactly for the sake of future independent Azerbaijan.