Every Day Is Special: Azerbaijan

Showing posts with label Azerbaijan. Show all posts

September 20 - Oil Workers' Day in Azerbaijan

Posted on September 20, 2020

"Contract of the Century."

I read over and over again that the September 20, 1994, contract between the newly independent country Azerbaijan and the largest nations in the world - a contract to develop oil and gas fields in the Caspian Sea - was the Contract of the Century. That it changed Azerbaijan forever. That it changed history.

Azerbaijan is rich in oil and gas, and hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis work in the industry. The nation supplies fossil fuels to millions of people.

You probably know that burning fossil fuels is a huge cause of climate change, and climate change is causing horribly extreme weather, devastating hurricanes, and massive wildfires - so it feels really strange to celebrate the industry and those who work in it. I hope that the nation is thinking ahead and investing in clean energy, too!

Above and two below:
The "Oil Rocks" city was built when Azerbaijan was part
of the Soviet Union, and some parts are rusting out and
falling apart. To some extent, the floating city is slowly
falling into the Caspian Sea.

Like oil rigs everywhere, there is great danger of fire
and oil spills. In addition to injuring or killing workers,
these accidents are devastating to the environment!

Also on this date:

Glass artist Dale Chihuly's birthday

Scientist and inventor James Dewar's birthday

Anniversary of the first Otis elevators

Anniversary of a statue of Buddha losing its protective hall

Anniversary of the first patent leather

Punch Day

Birthday of artist and muralist Judy Baca

National String Cheese Day

Youth Day in Thailand

Universal Children's Day in Germany

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January 20 - The Day of Nationwide Sorrow in Azerbaijan

Posted on January 20, 2020

The former General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party, Mikhail Gorbachev, was the leader of the Soviet Union when it crumbled and died, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. You might think that Gorbachev would consider that allowing his nation to fall was his worst mistake - but actually he considered declaring a state emergency in Baku, Azerbaijan, to be the biggest mistake of his political career.

That happened DURING the fall of the Soviet Union, on this date in 1990. The Azerbaijani people were attempting to pull away from the USSR, as were so many other Soviet Republics, and become independent. Unfortunately, Gorbachev ordered a crackdown, and 26 THOUSAND Soviet soldiers entered the city to stop the protests and end the independence movement. Between 140 and 300 Azerbaijanis died under the "state of emergency" effort. In addition, 700 - 800 Azerbaijanis were injured, and from 20 to 30 Soviet soldiers were killed and about 90 injured.

All of those casualties, all of that suffering, all of those lives cut short - and still the Soviet Union fell and Azerbaijan did become independent!

It was in 1995 that Gorbachev took responsibility for this huge misstep and apologized to the Azerbaijani people. But every January 20 they commemorate those who died during Black January, all those years ago.

Also on this date:

National Heroes' Day in Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau

National Disc Jockey Day

Penguin Awareness Day

Celebrate Rio de Janeiro

Anniversary of the first game of basketball

Anniversary of the U.S. patent for the first successful roller coaster

Anniversary of the founding of León

Armed Forces Day in Mali

Anniversary of the Lao Army

Martin Luther King, Jr., Day
(also mentioned here)

(Third Monday of January)

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February holidays
February birthdays
Historical anniversaries in February

December 31 - International Day of Solidarity of Azerbaijanis

Posted on December 31, 2019

The last day of the year! People all over the world celebrate endings and fresh starts, the hope of a New Year, the celebration of the Old.

In Azerbaijan, people celebrate the tearing down of a border fence between Iran and Soviet Azerbaijan, in December 1989 - and the collapse of the Berlin Wall (November through December 1989)!

The idea behind this holiday is that Azerbaijanis all over the world share many values, a common history, and therefore a psychological unity.

The whole thing about the border fence on the border shared with Iran is that ethnic Azerbaijanis traditionally lived in the areas now carved up into Iran, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Turkey. So that fence artificially divided a people and likely many families.

A "diaspora" means the dispersing of a people from their original homeland. Diasporas are sometimes caused by natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions or horrific droughts, but they are more often caused by war, repression, or exile. The Azerbaijani diaspora resulted in Azerbaijanis living in European nations (such as Belarus, Ukraine, and the U.K.), in North America (Canada and the U.S.), and in nearby Asian nations (Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan). I hope many people who live away from Azerbaijan will be able to visit there!