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Khojaly Genocide Memorial in Baku. Khojaly massacre monument

Khojaly Genocide Memorial in Baku, Azerbaijan or “Mother cry” (“Ana harayı” abidəsi) a monument to the victims of the Khojaly massacre, carried out on the night of February 25 to February 26 in 1992 by members of Armenian armed formations against residents of the Azerbaijani city of Khojaly.

This is the first public memorial in Azerbaijan dedicated to victims of the Khojaly Massacre.

LOCATION

Khojaly Genocide Memorial is locate not far from the Khatai metro station and depicts a mother running out of the house in her nightgown with a dead child in her arms, whom she presses against her heart.

Photographic materials taken by famous Azerbaijani journalist Chingiz Mustafayev were also used in the work. The bas-reliefs of the pedestal depict women, children, old men who were killed during the massacre, as well as Chingiz Mustafayev himself, bending over the body of a dead child with a camera in his hands. And at the bottom of the pedestal are data on the victims and engraved lists with the names of the deceased.

The authors of the memorial are Teymur Rustamov, his father Aslan Rustamov and brother Mahmud Rustamov.

Khojaly Genocide Memorial In Baku. Khojaly Massacre Monument
Khojaly Genocide Memorial In Baku. Khojaly Massacre Monument
Khojaly Genocide Memorial In Baku. Khojaly Massacre Monument
Khojaly Genocide Memorial In Baku. Khojaly Massacre Monument
Khojaly Genocide Memorial In Baku. Khojaly Massacre Monument
Khojaly Genocide Memorial In Baku. Khojaly Massacre Monument

The background of the birth of the sculpture of a mother with a dead child in her arms goes back to 1992. It was installed in the center of the capital right after the tragedy.

The old one was created in a rush and it did not reflect the whole tragedy of those terrible events. That’s why the decision was made to replace it with a new one – more solid and imposing.

The new monument of black granite and bronze is much taller than the previous one. Whereas the old one was four metres high the current one, including the plinth, is about nine metres. Practical information about the tragedy: “26 February 1992: The genocide in Khojaly” has been engraved on the trapezoidal base of the monument in Azeri and English.

The horror in Khojaly began on the night of February 25-26, 1992. Russian 366th egiment and Armenian fighters surrounded the town from four directions, opening heavy and ceaseless fire from artillery and other heavy weapons. As a result, Khojaly became shrouded in fire and the defending army and population had to leave their town.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijanis who remained to protect their homeland and those who were unable to leave the town were subjected to terrible torture and killed by the attackers. On this dreadful night, the Armenian soldiers killed 613 civilians, most of whom were women, children and elders, severely maimed 1,000 and took captive 1,275 people. The fate of 150 captured remains unknown to this day. Moreover, eight families were exterminated, while 25 children lost both parents and 130 lost one.

Every year on the anniversary of the tragedy, thousands of city residents march to the monument to honor the victims of the massacre.

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