An event dedicated to the 103rd anniversary of the birth of Heydar Aliyev, the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people, was held at the Kharkiv National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Mykola Lysenko in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

The event was attended by Afgan Salmanov, the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the city of Kharkiv, Nikita Sterin, Director of the Department for Work with Public Organizations of the Kharkiv City Council, heads and representatives of the Azerbaijani diaspora organizations in Kharkiv, representatives of various ethnic groups, cultural and educational figures, and members of the local community.

The event opened with a rendition of the national anthems of Azerbaijan and Ukraine, followed by a minute of silence to honour the memory of National Leader Heydar Aliyev and those who sacrificed their lives for the independence of both countries.

Next, a documentary film about Heydar Aliyev’s life and state-building activity was screened.

Nikita Sterin, Director of the Department for Work with Public Organizations of the Kharkiv City Council, emphasized the Great Leader’s exceptional role in the establishment of a modern, powerful, and independent Azerbaijani state. He also expressed his gratitude for the Azerbaijan’s humanitarian aid and continuous support to Ukraine.

In his speech, Afgan Salmanov, the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the city of Kharkiv, stated that the relations between the Azerbaijani and Ukrainian peoples are based on the principles of friendship, mutual respect, and strategic partnership, and the foundations of these relations were laid by Heydar Aliyev.

The artistic portion of the event featured musical works by Muslim Magomayev, Fikrat Amirov, Arif Malikov, Gara Garayev, Sevil Aliyeva, Tofig Guliyev, Mykola Lysenko, and Heorhiy Maiboroda, as well as Ukrainian folk music. Vugar Shammadov performed musical pieces on the tar. Tofig Guliyev’s composition, “Bahar” (Spring), was performed with accompaniment by a symphony orchestra.