On the occasion of 15 June – National Salvation Day, and within the framework of the “Year of Urban Planning and Architecture” declared in Azerbaijan, the regional organizations of the New Azerbaijan Party in Zangilan and Lachin jointly organized a commemorative event. Among the speakers was Doctor of Sciences in Philology, Director of the Institute of Folklore of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Hikmat Guliyev.  

In his speech H. Guliyev mentioned that National Salvation not only ensured the survival of Azerbaijani statehood, but also laid the political and ideological foundation for the country subsequent historical achievements, including the Great Return process. According to him, the Great Return represents not only the physical return of people to their ancestral homeland but also the reactualization of collective memory and cultural identity.

H.Guliyev noted that the political course established by the National Leader has been successfully continued by President Ilham Aliyev, significantly strengthening Azerbaijan’s economic, political, and military capabilities. As a result, Azerbaijan achieved a historic victory in the 44-day Patriotic War in 2020, and in 2023 fully restored its state sovereignty.

Approaching the Great Return from the perspective of socio-anthropological folklore studies and collective cultural memory, the scholar underlined the close relationship between the liberation of territories and their socio-cultural revitalization. He stressed that the restoration of these areas is inseparable from the revival of their historical memory and cultural heritage.

H.Guliyev also highlighted the importance of systematic scientific research and the comprehensive collection of folklore heritage in the process of reactivating collective memory. In this regard, he noted that the ANAS Institute of Folklore has been carrying out consistent work on researching, documenting, publishing, digitizing, and preserving the folklore heritage of the liberated territories and the historical Azerbaijani lands for future generations.

He further mentioned that introducing the younger generation, particularly those born during the years of occupation, to their ancestral lands helps restore the connection between family memory and real geographical space.

Concluding his speech, H.Guliyev noted that the path of state-building initiated with National Salvation has found a new and magnificent expression in the Great Return Strategy. In his view, every house built, every street laid, and every social facility commissioned in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur represents not only physical infrastructure but also reconstructed spaces of collective memory.