Black January (20 January)

Bloody January (Bloody January, 20 January) is the name given to the events that occurred during the night of 19 January 1990 to 20 January 1990, when a Soviet military force of 26,000 troops intervened in Baku and several other cities of Azerbaijan. During the intervention, armored vehicles entered Baku from five directions; unarmed civilians were shot at; tanks and heavy armored vehicles were driven into civilian crowds; and ambulances and passenger buses were fired upon. On 19 January 1990, the power supply to Azerbaijan Television was destroyed, disrupting broadcasting and information services.

The number of casualties and victims reported in these events varies across different sources. According to data from the Anatolia Agency, 147 civilians lost their lives during the Bloody January events, approximately 400 people were detained by the Soviet army, and 744 were injured.^【1】

^{Bloody January Events} (AA)

After the intervention, the bodies were gathered at Freedom Square in Baku and later buried in Dağüstü Park. This park was subsequently transformed into a memorial site known as the Martyrs’ Lane. Bloody January is regarded as a historic turning point in Azerbaijan, marking the collapse of public trust in Soviet rule and accelerating the movement toward independence.

^{Azerbaijani People Burying Their Martyrs} (AA)

The path leading to Bloody January unfolded amid rising political and social tensions in Azerbaijan beginning in 1987. During this period, mass displacements arose due to the forced expulsion of Azerbaijanis from their historic settlements in Armenia; efforts to detach Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan and annex it to Armenia gained momentum. Escalating clashes in the Nagorno-Karabakh region conflicted with Soviet authorities’ decisions and instead fostered an environment of local insecurity and widespread mobilization.

The year 1988 marked a turning point characterized by prominent mass protests and rallies. Large-scale public gatherings were held in Baku and other centers; the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, the Soviet government’s stance, and Armenian territorial claims became the dominant issues in public discourse. During the same period, opposition organizations against Soviet rule gained strength, and the Azerbaijan Popular Front was established as a mass political movement with the goal of independence. Attempts to restructure the administration of Nagorno-Karabakh failed to ease tensions; on 12 January 1989, the establishment of a “special committee” under Moscow’s direct control to manage the region further intensified the political dimension of the crisis.

By the end of 1989, initiatives to unite Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia entered the public agenda. These developments expanded the wave of protests in Baku. Freedom Square became the primary venue for rallies attended by hundreds of thousands. Demonstrations continued as a sustained expression of opposition to Armenian territorial demands and Soviet authority.

By January 1990, tensions escalated rapidly. On 2 January 1990, after unrest in Khojali spiraled out of control, the Soviet government decided to intervene in the region. On 4 January, the closure of Azerbaijan’s borders to foreign media marked one of the first steps in this process. On 9 January, Armenia’s declaration that it had incorporated the “Karabakh” region into its own “economic plan” triggered a new crisis. Protests intensified; on 13 January 1990, various actions took place in Baku. On 17 January, a new wave of large-scale rallies began. During these demonstrations, demands emerged calling for an end to Armenia’s territorial claims and the deployment of military units to the conflict zones.

The persistence of rallies and the establishment of barricades in various parts of the city signaled that the Soviet authorities were preparing to declare a state of emergency. On 19 January 1990, a state of emergency was declared in Baku, with implementation scheduled to begin at 00:00 on 20 January. That same evening, the power infrastructure of Azerbaijan Television was bombed, cutting off broadcasting. This development effectively halted the flow of information in the hours preceding the military intervention on the night of 19 to 20 January. During this period, security measures extended beyond administrative actions; military deployments and intervention preparations became evident. As the hour of the emergency declaration approached, the disruption of information flow coincided with a simultaneous hardening of social mobilization and security measures in the city.

On the night of 19 to 20 January 1990, a Soviet military force of 26,000 troops entered Baku from five directions using armored vehicles. During the intervention, unarmed civilians attempting to block the entry of troops were shot at. Tanks and heavy armored vehicles were deployed along routes crowded with civilians. In the later hours of the intervention, ambulances and passenger buses were also fired upon. Civilians were killed in Baku during the night of the events.

The intervention was not confined to Baku. Soviet units also conducted operations in other settlements such as Neftchala and Lankaran. After the intervention, Soviet authorities established de facto control over the city. Nevertheless, social mobilization continued; preparations began for the removal and mass burial of the dead. During the Bloody January events, 147 civilians lost their lives, approximately 400 people were detained by the Soviet army, and 744 were injured.

Despite the intervention, social response continued in Baku under conditions of emergency rule and military control. The removal and burial of those who lost their lives in the city took on the form of a broad public mobilization. The funerals gathered at the Freedom Square in Baku and were carried on the shoulders of the people to the burial site.

^{Azerbaijani People at Freedom Square} (AA)

The burial site chosen was Dağüstü Park. This area, which had been turned into a park during the Soviet era, was the resting place of Azerbaijanis who died in the attacks of 31 March 1918. The bodies brought here were buried side by side, and over time the site transformed into a memorial space known as the Martyrs’ Lane. It is estimated that between one and two million people participated in the funeral ceremonies.

^{Funeral Ceremony Organized by the Azerbaijani People for the Martyrs} (AA)

Commemorative practices for 20 January have become institutionalized. Every year on 20 January, the Martyrs’ Lane is visited with red carnations, symbolizing the victims. At 12:00, a one-minute silence is observed nationwide. Vehicle horns are sounded and state flags are lowered to half-mast. These practices demonstrate that 20 January is one of the central days of national mourning and collective memory in Azerbaijan.

^{Destruction by the Soviet Army} (AA)

Black January marked a turning point in Azerbaijan, shattering public trust in Soviet rule and strengthening the political will for independence. The military intervention of 19–20 January 1990 was carried out to suppress mass protests in Baku and quell the rising demand for national freedom. Instead of quelling dissent, the intervention produced the opposite effect: it reinforced political resolve and a sense of unity within society.

Following the events, the national liberation movement in Azerbaijan acquired broad-based participation. The political struggle did not remain confined to protest; it transformed into a concrete socio-political reality centered on the goal of an independent state. This transformation led to the perception of 20 January not merely as a day of mourning but as a threshold at which the idea of independence gained social legitimacy.

Another dimension linked to the independence process is the official political and legal assessment of the events at the state level. In 1994, the National Assembly passed a resolution characterizing the 20 January intervention as a military attack and a crime aimed at crushing the national liberation movement and breaking the will of the people.^【2】

^{Remembering the Martyrs of 20 January at the Martyrs’ Lane} (AA)

20 January is regularly commemorated in Türkiye within the framework of historical, cultural, and political ties. Commemorative activities are organized by state institutions, diplomatic missions, civil society organizations, and diaspora associations in various cities across Türkiye. These events recognize 20 January as a day of mourning and solidarity for the civilians who lost their lives in Azerbaijan’s struggle for independence.

^{Commemoration Program Organized by the Azerbaijan House of Iğdır on the Anniversary of 20 January} (AA)

The commemoration of 20 January in Türkiye has also received recognition at the highest state level. In statements made by President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the martyrs of 20 January who died for Azerbaijan’s independence have been honored with mercy, and Türkiye’s unwavering solidarity with Azerbaijan has been reaffirmed. These statements demonstrate that 20 January is officially recognized in Türkiye as a historical event of national significance.^【3】