20th January 1990: A Black Day for Azerbaijan
It was 20 January 2025, and I heard a story that exactly goes with the following words:
“On January 19, 1990, I was a 9-year-old schoolgirl. Our school was located 110 km from the highway leading to the capital, Baku. That day, an unusual stillness hung in the air, a tension born of fear and uncertainty that we couldn’t fully understand. It was as if everyone sensed something terrible was about to happen, but no one knew exactly how or when. That day, lessons were forgotten.
Instead, we stood in the schoolyard, watching as tanks rumbled slowly along the highway. The cold January wind cut through us, but we couldn’t take our eyes off the scene. It was the first time I had seen tanks—an overwhelming sight for a child, yet we watched silently, unable to comprehend the full weight of what was unfolding. That night, those very tanks entered Baku, bringing unimaginable tragedy. Innocent, unarmed people in the capital fell victim to brutality.
The next week, when we returned to school, everything had changed. We each carried two red carnations in our small hands, a simple yet profound symbol of mourning. The uncertainty we had felt just days earlier was replaced with a heavy grief—a deep mourning for the lives lost and the pain inflicted. This event left a lasting scar on the memories of millions, including mine. It shaped the collective identity of our people, etching a profound sadness and resilience into our hearts. May God have mercy on our martyrs and grant peace to their souls. Amen.”
This was the story of one of my colleagues, Mehriban, whom I met on January 20, 2025, on an occasion where people from different walks of life were gathered to commemorate the martyrs of 20th January or Black January in Azerbaijan. The tragic story behind 20th January, or as Azerbaijanis call it, Irmi Yanvar (Irmi means 20 and Yanvar means January), is related to the sacrifices of the martyrs who stood firm and gave their lives for the independence of their land and its people.
Background of Black January
The late 1980s witnessed an unprecedented political revolution across the Soviet Union as republics began asserting their autonomy and challenging Moscow’s consolidated control. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked a watershed moment in global history, reshaping geopolitical landscapes and fostering newfound independence for former Soviet republics. Among these nations, Azerbaijan’s journey to sovereignty was deeply intertwined with its tumultuous path toward independence, punctuated by the tragic events of January 20, 1990.
Azerbaijan, rich in cultural heritage and resources, was no exception. Calls for independence grew amidst a backdrop of economic stagnation, cultural revival, and mounting dissatisfaction with Soviet policies. Amidst this atmosphere of change, Azerbaijan’s independence movement gained momentum. Grassroots protests, intellectual dissent, and demands for greater autonomy proliferated, reflecting a deep-seated desire for self-determination and freedom from Soviet rule. The Popular Front of Azerbaijan emerged as a leading voice advocating for independence, galvanizing support across diverse segments of society.
The tragic episodes of January 20th, 1990, remain a black and rough patch in the history of Azerbaijan, making this day a horrible and haunting chapter of their lives. The peaceful demonstrators who were raising their voices for their freedom were violently dealt with. When the world was going through a major shift in geopolitics, one of the most powerful countries of the world was on the edge of breaking up, and countries like Azerbaijan and others were struggling for their independence.
Taking independence was, of course, a very brutal process where the people of Baku faced all kinds of brutalities, from crackdowns to the loss of lives. But despite all kinds of brutalities, the people of Azerbaijan stood like an iron curtain in front of one of the most powerful militaries in the world at that time. Black January was transformed into a day of resilience, freedom, struggle, and sacrifice for Azerbaijan.
Historically, there have been events in which the people of Azerbaijan showed heroism and bravery. Sacrificing for the homeland is in their blood and character. Black January and its brutalities have a long history behind them, as it was a series of events mainly related to the Nagorno-Karabakh region. It was an attempt to hand over this part of the region to Armenians, and the momentum against this by the Azerbaijanis living in Armenia increased when the uprisings and disturbances were unbearable for the Soviet Union. The general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, Mikhail Gorbachev, ordered the military units to deal with the situation with force, resulting in massacring people in large numbers from every walk of life, including women and children.
According to an estimate, a total of 131 civilians were killed, and 749 more or less were wounded in Baku and other regions. A massive number of people were arrested. Soviet troops fired on 200 homes; 80 cars were set on fire and damaged many public and private properties, including ambulances. People were brutally abducted in Baku and different cities and regions. This was an apocalyptic battle for freedom for the people of Azerbaijan for their national identity, which further led to their national independence. Independence from an old and brutal system that was getting stale, which was around there for 70 years, was coming to an end.
Immediately after the tragedy, on January 21, 1990, national leader Heydar Aliyev visited the office of Azerbaijan`s permanent representation in Moscow with his family members. He expressed solidarity with his people and sharply condemned the Soviet leadership for the killings of this gravity in the Soviet Union.
An Annual Tribute
The people of Azerbaijan still remember the day as it was not a long time ago and pay tribute, put bouquets and flowers on the graves of the martyrs, say prayers for the families of the victims, and meet them. Besides this, almost the entire city of Baku and people from the surrounding cities visit the graves of the martyrs on this day. A lot of events are organized to commemorate the martyrs’ talk and remember them. Silence is observed, and sirens are heard in different parts of the city.
As a friend of many Azerbaijanis and as someone living in the country for more than two years, I salute the brave martyrs of Black January and pay my condolences to the bereaved families who lost their loved ones in this struggle for freedom.
If you want to submit your articles and/or research papers, please check the Submissions page.
The views and opinions expressed in this article/paper are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Paradigm Shift.
Sheraz Mehmood Khan is a Research Scholar and a candidate for a PhD in International Relations at Western Caspian University, Baku, Azerbaijan.