Ilham Aliyev

He was accompanied at the ceremony by his wife, Mehriban Aliyeva.

The statue of Koroglu on horseback has been erected on the site of a statue of Japaridze, one of the commissars in the Bolshevik government that controlled Baku between March and September 1918 who was later arrested and shot.

Koroglu, whose name means "son of a blind man", is a hero of Azerbaijani and Turkic epics, known for his defence of the poor.  

News.Az prints below the full text of the president's speech, reported by AzerTAj.

“Dear friends, this is a remarkable and unforgettable day in the history of our city. We have gathered today for the unveiling of a memorial to a great figure and heroic son of the Azerbaijani people, Koroglu, in the centre of Baku, a wonderful spot in our city. I would like to congratulate you and all the people of Azerbaijan on this wonderful event.

"Koroglu is a hero of our people. Koroglu is a symbol of patriotism and courage. Koroglu has always lived in the hearts of the Azerbaijani people. Koroglu’s service to the people lives and continues to live in the memory of the people of Azerbaijan at all times.

"Koroglu embodies patriotism, courage and bravery. Koroglu embodies all the wonderful features of the Azerbaijani people. An factor of enduring importance - patriotism - is clearly part of Koroglu’s image.

"At different periods our great masters have turned to the story of Koroglu. The opera Koroglu, written by our composer of genius Uzeyir Hajibayli in the 1930s, continues to live today. The overture to the opera is heard at all solemn ceremonies. Along with our state anthem, this overture today remains of great integral value to the Azerbaijani people.

"Statues of Koroglu have been erected in different cities in our country, but there was no Koroglu statue in Baku. Today we ar remedying this lack. In 2009, I signed a decision on setting up a statue of Koroglu in Baku. Our talented sculptor Tikay Mammadov has created this wonderful, imposing composition. The process of selecting a site for the Koroglu statue started. I wanted to have a wonderful and magnificent monument in a beautiful part of our city and today we can see this historical event.

"There are statues of Koroglu in different parts of our country and now Baku also has a monument too. From now on this park will be called Koroglu Park.

"The epos Koroglu is an important tool in raising the younger generation in the necessary spirit of patriotism. The citizens of independent Azerbaijan should love their homeland and their people. Koroglu was a wonderful person who emerged from the people, and lived for the people, he was a great commander. At the same time, Koroglu was a talented person - a poet and an ashug [minstrel]. I have to repeat that he possessed the most wonderful characteristics of the Azerbaijani people. Our young people should have a close and deep knowledge of this positive hero from our past. Last year, we marked the 20th anniversary of our independence, but we have a very rich history and culture. We have oral folklore. We have wonderful works, figures of genius. Our citizens, especially young people, should know about these figures. The erection of the Koroglu statue on the one hand reflects historical justice and, on the other, shows clearly the greatness of the Azerbaijani people.

"We have great respect for the memory of our figures of genius. Statues of a number of outstanding figures were erected in Baku last year alone. These were the statues of Zivarbay Ahmadbayov and Fikrat Amirov. And today we mark the unveiling of the Koroglu statue. In the near future, statues of Babek, Qara Qarayev and Bulbul will be put up in wonderful locations in our city. The relevant instructions have already been given.

"Statues of great figures from our people were also set up in the Soviet period at the initiative of the great leader, Heydar Aliyev. This policy is continuing today. These memorials are further proof of the talent and greatness of the Azerbaijani people and the great historical figures that we have. Their life, work and and attachment to the people is an example to us. They showed us the way. This is the way of justice.

"Koroglu was also for justice. Koroglu was on the side of the poor. Koroglu was an outstanding figure, commander and wonderful citizen who tolerated no injustice and fought it. I have to say once again that we should bring up the young generation on such positive examples. I am very glad that Azerbaijani youth are patriotic, attached to their homeland and love it. Our citizens are right to take pride in being citizens of Azerbaijan.

"In 20 years, our country has travelled a great and glorious path, attained great success in all spheres. National and moral values form the basis of our achievements. It is possible to create a strong economy, it is possible to have strong positions in the region - though this requires a lot of work - but no country, no people can develop without national and moral values. Our advantage is that our young and strong state is based on stable ground. It is built on years of history and culture. National and moral values are an important issue for us. Certainly, we share human values, but what's the most important for us are our national Azerbaijani values.

"Development and progress can be seen in our country in all spheres, as well as in the national and religious sphere. We are building a strong, modern state. But we are attached to our traditions, history and the past too. The world is going through processes of globalization that influence us. That is, they cannot bypass any country. In this period, the attention to national values should be especially high. People should grow up in the national spirit. They should have respect for their homeland, their past, their history, their figures of genius. I am very happy that these factors define the current realities of Azerbaijan. We differ from other countries in that the Azerbaijani state is built on a stable national foundation. At the same time, representatives of all ethnicities and religions living in Azerbaijan are worthy citizens of our country and in this sense, Azerbaijan’s experience is worthy of attention and causes great interest.

"The unveiling of this monument today also improves this wonderful park. Along with the creation of the monument, we instructed the executive authorities of Baku to improve this park and make it even finer. Great construction work is under way in Baku. All parks and gardens are being reconstructed. Wonderful places are created for the people. Baku today is really one of the most beautiful cities of the world. Baku has historic beauty. Historic, ancient buildings lend our city a special beauty. All the same, Baku is successfully growing into a modern metropolis. There must be no contradictions between these two directions. Both modern buildings and ancient Baku must supplement each other and they do. It is a very important issue for every resident of Baku, every citizen of Azerbaijan to make this city even more beautiful. Anyone, who visits Baku, admires the city. Baku is our great national heritage.

"I have to note once again that the erection of the Koroglu statue makes great sense. It is a sign of our respect to historical figures and the attitude to our past and an assessment of Koroglu's self-sacrifice by the people of Azerbaijan. I am sure that this wonderful composition will please all Azerbaijanis. This is how the Koroglu monument should be. Beautiful, grand and immense.

"I would like to repeat my thanks to the creator of this composition - outstanding sculptor Tokay Mammadov. I would like to express my thanks to those who took part in the creation of this monument. I would like to congratulate the residents of Baku and the people of Azerbaijan on this wonderful event. Thank you!”

News.Az