Today, Azerbaijan celebrates National Revival Day. This holiday is associated with the National Liberation Movement that began in Baku in November-December 1988. At that time, as a result of the anti-Azerbaijani policy of the USSR leadership around the Karabakh issue, an anti-Soviet popular movement was formed in Azerbaijan. On November 17, 1988, long-term and continuous rallies of the Azerbaijani people began in Baku’s main square, Freedom Square (formerly Lenin Square). This action, which lasted for 17 days without interruption and was attended by millions of people, was also the largest-scale protest action in the former USSR. The people gathered in the square and opposed Moscow’s anti-Azerbaijani policy. Although the nationwide rally was broken up by Soviet troops on the night of December 4-5, Moscow could not prevent the National Liberation Movement of the Azerbaijani people. In Azerbaijan, these events are considered the National Liberation Movement and are considered a key factor in our republic’s independence.

National Revival Day was declared on November 17, 1992.