Abulfaz Elchibey

Abulfes Qadirqulu oglu Aliyev (Elchibekh) was born in the Keleki village of Ordubad region on June 24, 1938. After finishing secondary school №1 in Ordubad city, he entered the Oriental studies faculty in Baku State University in 1957.  In 1962, he worked as a translator in Baku department of USSR’s Hydro-project Institute. In January 1963, he was sent to the Arabic Republic of Egypt, and worked as a translator in the construction of the Esvan dam till October 1964. In 1965, he entered postgraduate study at Baku State University and got his Doctor of Philosophy degree by defending the dissertation theme “Tuluniler state (868-905)” in 1969. In 1968-1975, he worked as a teacher and senior teacher in the “History of the Asian and African countries” chair of BSU. 

In January 1975, Azerbaijan State Security Committee arrested him under the name of conducting nationalist and anti-soviet propagation activities among the students. He was deprived of liberty as a political prisoner till July 17, 1976. He was sentenced to hard works in Garadakh quarries within his imprisonment period. 

After being released, he began working as a junior scientific worker in the Manuscript Institute of Azerbaijan Mational Academy of Sciences from December 1976. Till 1992, he rose to the scientific ranks and posts, such as senior scientific worker, head of department, leading scientific worker. 

A.Elchibekh was the leader of Azerbaijan Popular Front, established in 1989, and Azerbaijan Popular Front Party from 1995 till his the end of his life. In June 1992, A.Elchibekh was elected the President of Azerbaijan Republic in the first democratic elections. In 1993, he was left the post and went to his native Keleki village. In November 1997, he founded and presided over a socio-political organization, “Unity of the whole Azerbaijan”. In 1997, A.Elchibekh was elected the honorary chairman of the Assembly of Turkic peoples as well. 

Abulfes Elchibekh died on August 22, 2000 in Ankara and was buried in the Honorary Alley in Baku.  

• Among the Soviet republics the Russian army was first withdrawn from Azerbaijan;

• Azerbaijan National Army was formed;

• The national currency of Azerbaijan was put into circulation;

• State Treasure Foundation was established;

• Entrance examinations to he high and vocational educational was held with test method for the first time;

• The foundation of private institutions in the education field was permitted and a number of such education centers were soon established;

• After a long period of discussions, the passage to the Latin alphabet was realized.