Khojaly massacre memorials

There are memorials around the globe dedicated to the victims of the Khojaly massacre in the town of Khojaly carried out by the Armenian armed forces against the Azerbaijani population on February 25–26, 1992. [1][2]

Azerbaijan
Commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Khojaly massacre near the Khojaly Massacre Memorial in Baku, Azerbaijan

A 8.6-meters-long Khojaly massacre memorial was erected in Baku, near the "Shah Ismail Khatai" metro station, sculpted by Aslan, Teymur and Mahmud Rustamovs. The opening ceremony took place on February 26, 2008, the 16-year anniversary of the tragedy.[3][4]

Bosnia and Herzegovina

In February 2012, a memorial the victims of massacre was unveiled in Sarajevo, by the efforts of Leyla Aliyeva - the daughter of Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev and the initiator of "Justice of Khojaly" campaign.[5]

Germany
Khojaly massacre memorial
Chodschali-Denkmal in Berlin
LocationZehlendorf, Berlin, Germany
DesignerAkif Asgarov
Salhab Mammadov
Ali Ibadullayev
Ebrahim Ehrari
TypeMemorial
Height2 m
Completion date2011
Opening date30 May 2011
Dedicated toVictims of the Khojaly Massacre

The Khojaly Massacre Memorial is a public memorial dedicated to victims of the Khojaly Massacre, located near Gottfried Benn Library in Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Germany.[6]

The idea of the monument belongs to four sculptors - Akif Asgarov, Salhab Mammadov, Ali Ibadullayev and Ebrahim Ehrari. Ehrari, who lived in Germany, found people, including state officials, who helped to establish the memorial. Azerbaijan's Ministry of Culture and Tourism also provided assistance. The opening of the memorial was postponed due to protest from the Armenian diaspora. Azerbaijani ambassador to Germany Parviz Shahbazov, who was summoned to the Foreign Ministry of Germany, explained that the monument "is not directed against a particular country", but is "against war, for peace and better relations between peoples to prevent such events from ever happening again." As a result, the permission for opening of the monument was granted.[6]

The memorial opening ceremony on 30 May 2011 was attended by Mayor of Steglitz-Zehlendorf Norbert Kopp; Azerbaijani Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Adalat Valiyev; Azerbaijani expatriates and intellectuals from both countries.[7][8][9]

The monument consists of three abstract bronze figures, symbolizing father, mother and a child[6] and signifying hope for a peaceful future of the nations.[10] On the pedestal there is a plate with the following inscription "Ein Geschenk für Steglitz-Zehlendorf (a gift to Steglitz-Zehlendorf) [8]

Israel

In February 2016, a memorial garden in Chaim Weizmann forest was opened in memory of victims of the massacre, by the efforts of the Azerbaijan-Israel International Association (AZIZ), with support from Heydar Aliyev Foundation (led by Azerbaijan's First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva), "Justice for Khojaly" campaign (led by Azerbaijani president Ilhams Aliyev's daughter Leyla Aliyeva) and the Jewish National Fund.[11]

Mexico
Monument to the Khojaly massacre in Mexico City (on the left)

In August 2012, a monument was unveiled in Mexico City's Tlaxcoaque square, changing the name of the square to Plaza Tlaxcoaque Jodyali.[12]

Controversy
See also: Statue of Heydar Aliyev, Mexico City

In November 2012, a Mexican advisory commission said authorities had erred by accepting money to allow a foreign government to decide which political figures or historic events should be commemorated in Mexico City's public spaces, adding that a plaque on the monument calling the Azerbaijani deaths "genocide" was misleading." Recommending that authorities take action,[13] it was decided to remove substitute the word "genocide" with "massacre", together with the removal of Azerbaijan's former president Heydar Aliyev's statue from the park. [14] The incident generated negative public image of Azerbaijan in Mexico, referring to the efforts of erecting the statue as "an authoritarian government clumsily trying to buy influence and whitewash the legacy of a dictator." Guillermo Osorno, a prominent journalist and member of a government commission appointed to study the monuments commented that “now everybody talks about Azerbaijan, but in a bad way”.[14]

Netherlands
Khojaly Massacre Memorial in the Hague

Khojaly massacre memorial in Kamperfoeliestraat Park of the Hague was unveiled on February 24, 2008 at an initiative of Dutch-Azeri-Turkish Culture Association, with support from Azerbaijan's State Committee on Work with Azerbaijanis Living Abroad. The Azerbaijani ambassador to the Netherlands led the opening ceremony. The monument shows an image of a mother raising her baby above her head "to protect it from Armenian thugs", in the words of a representative of Azerbaijan's State Committee on Work with Azerbaijanis Living Abroad. The marble-made edifice is about two meters high. A large flower garden was planned around the monument located in a vast area rented for 30 years. [15]

Turkey

Another memorial was built in Ankara, Turkey.[16][17] In 2011, municipalities of Turkish cities Isparta, Adana, Uşak and Çanakkale also approved proposal for a memorial to the victims of Khojaly massacre.[18][19][20][21] In February 2014, the opening ceremony for the monument to the victims of the Khojaly massacre was held in Uşak.[22][23] On 23 April 2015, another monument was unveiled in İzmit.[24] In 2016, Khojaly memorial was built in Denizli.[25]

See also

References
  1. Голландии будет установлен памятник Ходжалинской трагедии Archived October 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine (in Russian)
  2. Годовщина Ходжалинской трагедии будет отмечаться в более чем 60 городах мира (in Russian) Archived July 12, 2012, at archive.today
  3. К годовщине Ходжалы в Баку будет открыт обновленный памятник "Ана Харайи"
  4. New memorial to Khojaly tragedy to be erected in Baku
  5. В Боснии и Герцеговине будет открыт памятник жертвам Ходжалинского геноцида. 1news.az (in Russian). Retrieved February 22, 2012.
  6. Interview with Salehab Mammadov Archived March 8, 2016, at the Wayback Machine (in Russian)
  7. "Khojaly monument unveiled in Berlin". teas.eu. Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  9. "Khojaly monument opened in Germany". news.az. Archived from the original on October 25, 2018. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
  10. "Enthüllung einer Skulptur im Lesegarten der Gottfried-Benn-Bibliothek" (in German). Archived from the original on March 6, 2014.
  11. "Garden opened in Israel in honor of victims of Khojaly". vestnikkavkaza.net. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  12. В Мехико возведен памятник жертвам Ходжалы – ФОТО. 1news.az (in Russian). Retrieved August 23, 2012.
  13. Mexico City Removes Aliyev Statue
  14. Kucera, Joshua (January 30, 2013). "How Azerbaijan Botched Its Effort To Win Friends in Mexico". Slate Magazine. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  15. Monument to Khojaly victims to open in Hague
  16. Monument in memory of Khojaly victims to be erected in Ankara city municipality – Today.az
  17. Commemorative events on 16th anniversary of Khojaly tragedy to be held in 60 cities – Today.az
  18. В одном из городов Турции будет воздвигнут памятник жертвам Ходжалинского геноцида. 1news.az (in Russian). Retrieved August 23, 2012.
  19. В Адане будет установлен памятник жертвам Ходжалинского геноцида. 1news.az (in Russian). Retrieved August 23, 2012.
  20. В Чанагкале планируется установить памятник жертвам Ходжалы. 1news.az (in Russian). Retrieved August 23, 2012.
  21. "Monument to victims of Khojaly genocide to be erected in Turkish Isparta". news.az. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved February 26, 2011.
  22. Sh. Nazarli. В Турции установлен памятник жертвам Ходжалинского геноцида Archived April 2, 2015, at the Wayback Machine // SalamNews. February 24, 2014
  23. Türkiyənin Uşak şəhərində Xocalı soyqırımı qurbanlarının xatirəsinə ucaldılmış abidənin açılışı olub Archived March 1, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. // Gun.az. February 19, 2014
  24. Khojaly Genocide Memorial Opening in İzmit. Vesti.az. 23 April 2015.
  25. "Denizli'de, Hocalı katliamı anıtı açıldı".
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