Today, Azerbaijan marks Genocide Day

On March 31, Azerbaijan marks Genocide Day in commemoration of the victims of events in 1918.

In March-April 1918, armed formations of the Armenian nationalist party "Dashnaktsutyun", acting with support of Bolshevik leaders of the Baku Soviet headed by Stepan Shaumyan unleashed massacres and pogroms against peaceful Azerbaijanis.

These retaliatory operations were conducted under the slogan of "fighting against counterrevolution." Within several days, thousands were murdered in Baku and adjoining settlements, mosques, schools and monuments of architecture were destroyed. After operations in the Baku District, massacres of the peaceful population continued in Shemakha, Guba and other regions of Azerbaijan. In total, 30,000 peaceful residents were liquidated.

Decree of Azerbaijani President Geidar Aliev of March 26, 1998, "On Azerbaijanis' Genocide" announced March 31 to be the Genocide Day of Azerbaijanis.

Every year on March 31 officials, public activists of Azerbaijan, ambassadors of foreign countries, and thousands of Baku residents organize a march to the Alley of Fallen Heroes located in the upland part of Baku to commemorate the victims of the events in March 1918.

In the opinion of Doctor of History Solmaz Rustamova-Togidi, author of the book "March 1918 in Baku. Azerbaijani Pogroms", the reasons of the March events were in the aspiration of Bolsheviks and Dashnaks to deprive the National-Democratic Party "Musavat", which had been becoming more and more popular, of its social base.