Albert Agarunov
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Albert Agarunov | |
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Born | |
Died | May 8, 1992 | (aged 23)
Burial place | Baku, Azerbaijan |
Nationality | Azerbaijani |
Occupation | Military |
Parent | Agarun Agarunov |
Awards | File:Dədə Qorqud Ordeni.png |
Albert Agarunovich Agarunov (Template:Lang-az) (25 April 1969 – 8 May 1992) was a soldier and starshina of the Azerbaijani Army who died during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. He was among Azerbaijani forces fighting for Shusha, also known as Shushi, which was captured by local Armenian forces during the Battle of Shusha on May 9, 1992.
Life
Albert Agarunov was born in a Baku suburb to Mountain Jewish parents,[1][2] Agarun, who was an oil-worker from Quba, and Leah Agarunov. Albert was one of the family's ten children. During his school years, Albert was interested in music, and he took trumpet lessons. After obtaining a degree in technology, he started working at a machine building factory, as a metal turner. His brother, Rantik Agarunov, stated that: "The only thing Albert did not like, was aggression and abusive attitudes towards the vulnerable."[3]
Military service
He served in the Soviet Army from 1987 to 1989 in Georgia. Agarunov was a tank commander during his military service.
Participation in Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
In 1991, Agarunov voluntarily enlisted in the Azerbaijani Army in Azerbaijan's war against the ethnic Armenian inhabitants in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, becoming a tank commander.[4]
In May 1992, local Armenian forces launched a successful assault to re-capture the strategically important town of Shusha, in order to break the Siege of Stepanakert.[5]
Death and commemorations
Commander Haji Azimov said that Agarunov left his vehicle to remove the bodies of dead Azerbaijani soldiers lying on the streets, and he was hit by sniper fire. Agarunov was killed on the road connecting Shusha to Lachin on 8 May 1992.[6] After his death, Azerbaijani soldiers started to refer to their tanks as "Albert."[7] Albert Agarunov was posthumously awarded the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan and was buried at Martyrs' Lane in Baku in May 1992, attended by both Imams and Rabbis. The school in Baku from which Albert graduated was renamed after him.[8]
In 2017, a memorial plaque was placed in Albert Agarunov's house in Amirjan settlement of Surakhani district.[9]
In 2020, a monument honoring him, including a giant statue of Agarunov, was unveiled in Baku.[4]
Awards
- (1992) — National Hero of Azerbaijan[10]
- File:Dədə Qorqud Ordeni.png (2014) — "Son of the Fatherland" order [11]
- (2016) — Hazi Aslanov medal[12]
References
- ^ "Альберт Агарунович Агарунов - танкист, Национальный герой Азербайджана". Aksakal Media. Archived from the original on 2016-10-14. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
- ^ Video on YouTube
- ^ "Albert Aqarunov: "Mən müsahibə verə bilmirəm..." – 1905.az". 1905.az (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 2017-12-30.
- ^ a b Gut, Arye (17 May 2020). "Remembering Albert Agarunov, the Jewish hero of Azerbaijan". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
- ^ Dobbs, Michael (10 May 1992). "KEY TOWN IN KARABAKH SEIZED BY ARMENIANS". Washington Post.
- ^ De Waal. Black Garden, p. 314, note 42.
- ^ "Бывший боец ОПОН: "Под Шушой нас заживо похоронили"". Archived from the original on 2010-05-09. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
- ^ "Suraxanı rayonunda Azərbaycanın Milli Qəhrəmanı Albert Aqarunovun xatirəsi anılmışdır". surakhani-ih.gov.az. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ "Şuşanın işğal günü amerikalı müəllifdən önəmli məqalə". Trend.Az (in Azerbaijani). 2015-05-12. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
- ^ "Azərbaycan Respublikası Müdafiə Nazirliyinin hərbi qulluqçularına "Azərbaycanın Milli Qəhrəmanı" adı verilməsi haqqında" (in Azerbaijani).
- ^ "Şəhid Milli Qəhrəman Albert Aqarunov "Vətən övladı" ordeninə layiq görülüb". trend.az (in Azerbaijani). 8 May 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-08.
- ^ "Milli Qəhrəman Albert Aqarunov ordenlə təltif edilib". Retrieved 7 March 2017.