Victims of Black January are buried in the Cemetery of Martyrs

The flag of Azerbaijan: the blue alludes to Azerbaijanis’ Turkic heritage, red stands for progress, and green symbolizes Islamic roots. The crescent also alludes to Turkic heritage, as does the eight-point star that was on 11th-12th century Seljuk banners.

Independence of Azerbaijan

On August 30, 1991, Azerbaijan declared its independence from the Soviet Union. The liberated nation was led by its former Soviet President, Ayaz Mutalibov, officially elected into power on September 8, 1991, in the first nationwide Presidential election. In December 1991, Azerbaijani citizens voted on a nationwide referendum to approve the Declaration of Independence, and on December 25, 1991, the Soviet Union ceased to exist.