Why 26 June
Armed Forces Day of Azerbaijan is marked on 26 June — the anniversary of the creation of the first national army in 1918.
A date with history
26 June was not chosen by chance. On this very day in 1918 the government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic decided to create the first regular national army. The holiday directly links the modern Armed Forces to their historical roots.
At first, after the restoration of independence, Armed Forces Day was marked on 9 October. By a 1998 decree of President Heydar Aliyev the date was moved to 26 June, to emphasise continuity with the 1918 national army.
A public holiday
26 June is an official holiday and a non-working day in Azerbaijan. On this day service members and veterans are honoured, the fallen defenders of the homeland are remembered, flowers are laid at memorials, and the army is congratulated across the country.
Parade and traditions
In landmark years, military parades are held in Baku with various branches, combat equipment and aviation. The holiday is accompanied by concerts, equipment exhibitions, ceremonies in military units and tributes to the families of service members and war veterans.
The holiday in brief
Armed Forces Day of Azerbaijan is celebrated every year on 26 June. It is a public holiday and a non-working day.
On 26 June 1918 the government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic decided to create the first regular national army. The holiday is established in honour of that date.
No. After the restoration of independence it was marked on 9 October, and in 1998 a decree of President Heydar Aliyev moved it to 26 June.
Counting from the first national army of 1918, the Armed Forces are more than a hundred years old. The independent army of modern Azerbaijan was re-established in 1991.
Armed Forces Day honours the very army that in 2020, in the 44-day Patriotic War, liberated Shusha and hundreds of settlements, returning Azerbaijan's lands.
The army that returned Karabakh
In the autumn of 2020, in 44 days, the Azerbaijani army liberated Shusha and hundreds of settlements, restoring the country's territorial integrity after almost three decades.
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