The commemorative event dedicated to the next anniversary of the 20^th January tragedy was held jointly organized by the Institute of Folklore of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) and the Territorial Party Organization of the NAP Yasamal District ANAS Institute of Folklore.

The event began with the playing of the National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan and a minute of silence was observed in memory of the martyrs of January 20.

Opening the event with an introductory speech, Director of the Institute of Folklore, Doctor of Sciences in Philology Hikmat Guliyev said that the main goal of the event was to recall the historical essence of the January 20 tragedy, to honor the memory of the martyrs and to accurately convey those historical truths to future generations. Hikmet Guliyev noted that the bloody events of January 20, the 36^th anniversary of which we were celebrating, would remain in history as a grave crime and bloody act of terrorism committed by the Soviet Empire against the will of the Azerbaijani people for freedom and independence.

The military intervention carried out by the central government of the USSR on January 20, 1990 was a state-level crime directed against the people's national will, democratic values and aspirations for independent statehood.

Hikmat Guliyev mentioned in his speech that over time, the historical essence of the January 20 tragedy was being understood more deeply. Today, in a situation where the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan had been restored, the events of January 20 were viewed not only as a tragedy, but also as an important page in the annals of national heroism and a glorious stage on the path to an independent state.

Then, a video clip titled “January 20: We Have Not Forgotten, We Will Not Let You Forget!” prepared by the Folklore Studio was presented. The video clip contained the images of the dramatic moments of that day, the heroism of the martyrs and the great sacrifices they made for the independence of Azerbaijan.

The speakers participating in the event such as Aydin Mustafayev, Sevinj Huseynova, Mahir Ordunadi, PhD, associate professor Ilhama Gasabova presented their reports.

At the end of the event, Director of the Institute Hikmat Guliyev made a speech and said that the event was not only about remembering history, but also had great importance in terms of strengthening national memory in younger generations, increasing the spirit of patriotism and passing on the heroic chronicle of the January 20 martyrs to future generations. He noted that the lessons of the January 20 tragedy and the memory of the martyrs should not be forgotten.