On January 19, 2026, a memorial event was held in Sheki Regional Scientific Center of ANAS on the theme "The difficult and glorious path to freedom" in connection with the anniversary of the January 20 tragedy.

First, the memory of the sons of the Motherland who gave their lives for the freedom of Azerbaijan was commemorated.

Opening the event, deputy director for scientific affairs of Sheki Regional Scientific Center, Doctor of Philology, docent Kamil Adishirinov noted that the events of January 20, 1990, constituted an important stage in the struggle for freedom of our people, that the martyrs of January 20 were a symbol of the determination of the Azerbaijani people for independence, and gave the floor to Elchin Valiyev, a scientific researcher in the department of History and epigraphy.

In his speech, Elchin Valiyev analyzed the path leading to the January 20 events, spoke about the socio-political situation in the Soviet Union at that time and the growing desire for freedom of the Azerbaijani people. He noted that the January 20 incident was a planned military intervention, and the main goal here was to break the will of the people.

The speaker also spoke about the public consciousness and sense of national unity that formed in society after the tragedy, emphasizing that the January 20 incident further strengthened the idea of independence of our people.

The speaker specifically noted that thanks to the political foresight and decisive position of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev, the true essence of the January 20 tragedy was conveyed to the world community, and this tragedy became a part of our national memory.

He noted that it was as a result of the policy of the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev that these events were widely covered in the world's leading media, causing the international community to pay attention to the true voice of Azerbaijan.

At the end of his speech, Elchin Valiyev spoke about the embodiment of the January 20 tragedy in Azerbaijani literature, and drew attention to the fact that writers and poets reflected this tragedy in their works as a chronicle of national memory and heroism.

Head of the department of Landscape studies, PhD in geology and mineralogy Huseyn Mustafabeyli noted that during the January 20 events, the Azerbaijani people once again proved their existence as a nation and demonstrated their determination for freedom and independence.

He prayed to God for mercy on the martyrs and wished that our Motherland would always live in freedom and peace.

At the end, a video clip dedicated to the January 20 tragedy was shown.

It should be noted that an exhibition dedicated to the January 20 tragedy was also organized as part of the event.