On February 26, 2026, an event was held at Sheki Regional Scientific Center of ANAS on the occasion of the 34th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide.

The event commemorated the dear memory of the victims of the Khojaly genocide with a minute of silence.

Opening the event, deputy director for scientific affairs of Sheki RSC, PhD, docent Kamil Adishirinov, emphasized that the Khojaly genocide left an eternal mark in the blood memory of our people. He noted that this tragedy is a grave crime committed not only against the Azerbaijani people, but also against all humanity, and it is the moral duty of every citizen not to forget it.

Elchin Valiyev, a scientific researcher at the department of History and epigraphy of Sheki RSC, delivered a speech on the topic “The Khojaly genocide is a planned historical crime against the Azerbaijani people.” He pointed out that the events were premeditated and purposeful, referring to the facts contained in various sources, including the works of the Armenian author Zori Balayan.

Elchin Valiyev provided detailed information on the steps taken by the National Leader Heydar Aliyev to inform the world community about the Khojaly tragedy and to give a political and legal assessment to the event, and the consistent activities of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, who successfully continued his political course, to introduce the Khojaly truths to the international community.

He noted that the special services of the Vice-President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva were made in communicating the Khojaly truths to the world community, and important work was done within the framework of the initiatives implemented under her leadership to communicate the Khojaly truths to the world community.

The speaker especially emphasized the importance of the video and photo materials taken by journalist, National Hero Chingiz Mustafayev in communicating the Khojaly genocide to the world. He noted that these frames were widely covered in international mass media, including the French and English press.

In his speech, Elchin Valiyev emphasized that the monuments and parks erected in memory of the victims of the Khojaly genocide in Baku, Berlin, Mexico City, The Hague, Ankara, Istanbul, Izmit, Izmir, and Sarajevo are of great importance in conveying information about the genocide to the international community.

At the end of his speech, the speaker said that the liberation of Khojaly from occupation as a result of the glorious Victory won in the 44-day Patriotic War is an expression of the greatest respect shown to the souls of our martyrs and once again confirms that their dear memory is always held high.

Head of the department of Literary and cultural environment and folklore, PhD in philology Irada Yusifova, in her report titled “Khojaly Genocide in Artistic Thought,” extensively analyzed the reflection of the tragedy in Azerbaijani literature and artistic thought in general. She said that the pain of Khojaly left a deep mark in poetry and prose not only as a historical fact, but also as an integral part of national and spiritual memory.

The speaker noted that in the work of many authors, the Khojaly tragedy is expressed through various artistic prisms. In poems, the mother's cry, the pain of unfinished lives, the loss of homeland and the call for justice sound as the main motives, while in prose works, the psychological and social effects of the events are described in a broader plan.

At the end of Irada Yusifova's speech, excerpts from a poem dedicated to the Khojaly genocide by the Italian poet Davide Gualtieri were also sung. She noted that the fact that the tragedy is reflected in the international literary environment plays an important moral bridge in communicating the truths of Khojaly to the world community and shows that this topic is perceived as a universal pain.

Elvin Garayev, an employee of the Ecological Geography Department, spoke on the topic "Khojaly genocide: an indelible bloody trace from history" and spoke not only about the historical, but also about the socio-demographic and moral consequences of the tragedy. He emphasized that the Khojaly genocide will never be erased from the memory of the Azerbaijani people and it is the duty of each of us to convey these truths to future generations.

The speaker noted that such commemorations are of great importance in terms of preserving national memory and promoting historical truths.