Republican art exhibition ‘Children and war’ held due to the 20th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide
Republican art exhibition ‘Children and war’ was held at Gulustan Palace due to the 20th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide, February 22.
Organized by Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Education, the exhibition features over 1200 works.
In the event, attended by state and government officials, MPs, education public and intellectuals, pupils of the Art Gymnasium under the National Conservatoire of Azerbaijan presented a composition on the Khojaly tragedy.
Addressing the opening of the exhibition, Minister of Education Misir Mardanov said initiated by Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s Vice President Mrs Leyla Aliyeva, the exhibition is held in several phases. The exhibition aims to provide the youth with comprehensive information on the Khojaly genocide, one of the most horrible and tragic pages in the history of the world and Azerbaijan, pay tribute to martyrs, strengthen schoolchildren’s sense of faith and love for the homeland.
The Minister noted the Khojaly massacre is annually marked in all education institutions that bring together hundreds of thousands of pupils.
According to the action plan of the Ministry of Education, exhibitions of more than 10.000 works of art dedicated to the Khojaly genocide have been organized in towns and districts of the republic. The republican phase of the exhibition has received more than 1200 works by pupils of general education schools and vocational lyceums of over 60 towns and districts. This number is several times higher than the total number of works of art submitted to exhibitions held by the Ministry in the past years.
100 works, which won the republican phase, will be displayed in the exhibition to be held in Moscow on February 27-28 due to the 20th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide on the initiative of Vice President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mrs Leyla Aliyeva.
M.Mardanov said the exhibition covered the age groups 6-10, 11-14 and 15-18. Though these children were born after the tragedy, they have detailed information about the Khojaly genocide.
Talking about the horrors of the Khojaly genocide, the Minister of Education mentioned this massacre has gone down in the history as one of the most terrible stories of XX century. 613 civilians, including 63 children, 106 women, 70 elderly were killed under torture during the tragedy committed with special brutality in Khojaly over the night from 25-26 February 1992 by the Armenian armed forces with the support of the infantry guards regiment No. 366 of the former soviet army. 487 people, including 76 children were heavily injured, 1275 children, women and elderly captured and oppressed. 8 families were completely destroyed, 25 children lost both parents, 130 one of them.
M.Mardanov stressed only after national leader Heydar Aliyev returned to the power upon the request of the nation, the Khojaly genocide received a political and legal assessment. At the efforts of the great leader, Milli Mejlis adopted decision on ‘Day of Khojaly genocide’ on February 24, 1994.
The Minister of Education expressed confidence that our occupied lands will soon be released on the basis of international law as result of the purposeful policy of President Ilham Aliyev and perpetrators of the Khojaly genocide will be punished.
Head of Khojaly District Executive Power Shahmar Usubov noted our people always honor this bloody tragedy. According to instructions of President Ilham Aliyev, the 20th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide will be marked in the country and by the embassies and diaspora of Azerbaijan in foreign countries. The exhibition featured works by Khojaly schoolchildren as well.
MP Bakhtiyar Aliyev underlined important works have been done this year to assure international awareness of the Khojaly genocide. He noted under the leadership of Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva, the President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO, MP, necessary steps are taken to inform the world community of the Khojaly genocide, series of events held in a number of countries due to the anniversary of the tragedy.
The speakers mentioned the Khojaly genocide is the crime committed against not Azerbaijan only but the mankind and the world community must be aware of that.
In the end, participants were familiarized with the exhibition.
