28 May 2011, 17:00
Azerbaijan celebrates Day of the Republic today
Today, Azerbaijan marks its Day of the Republic - on May 28, 1918, the Azerbaijani Democratic Republic (ADR) was proclaimed, which was the first republic in the Muslim world.
Azerbaijan declared its independence after the collapse of the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic (TCDFR) on May 26, 1918, which was caused by disagreements between the Georgian, Armenian and Azerbaijani factions in the Transcaucasian Sejm (Parliament). The first Azerbaijani Democratic Republic fell on April 28, 1920, as a result of Red Army's invasion. Azerbaijan regained its independence after collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, having declared succession of the ADR and adopting its anthem, coat of arms and banner.
After collapse of the USSR, May 28 is celebrated in Azerbaijan as an official state holiday and is a day off.
President Ilham Aliev dated his amnesty order, which pardoned 89 persons, including the well-known journalist Einullah Fatullaev, to the Day of the Republic.
Author: Faik Medzhid Source: CK correspondent
