The Hero of the Patriotic War ( az, Vətən Müharibəsi Qəhrəmanı) is the highest title in

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of t ...

. The title was created by the law "Regulations on the title of "Hero of the Patriotic War" of the Republic of Azerbaijan" dated 26 November 2020 and the decree of the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev dated 1 December 2020. It was established on the occasion of Azerbaijan being the victor in the

Second Nagorno-Karabakh War The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding territories. It was a major escalation of an unresolved conflict over the region, involving Azerbai ...

. Its recipient is also awarded with the Hero of the Patriotic War Medal. The title of Hero of the Patriotic War is conferred by the

President of Azerbaijan The president of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the head of state of Azerbaijan. The Constitution states that the president is the embodiment of executive power, commander-in-chief, "representative of Azerbaijan in home and foreign policies", ...

on his own initiative, or on the proposal of the Ministry of Defence, the

Ministry of Internal Affairs An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministry ...

, the State Border Service, the State Security Service, and the Foreign Intelligence Service of Azerbaijan. This title can only be awarded once. The Heroes of the Patriotic War enjoy the benefits established by law.

History

Awarding

On 9 December, the

, Ilham Aliyev signed a decree to award 83 servicemen, 34 of them posthumously with the title of the Hero of the Patriotic War. The awardees included

Hikmat Mirzayev Hikmat Izzat oglu Mirzayev () is an Azerbaijani military officer. He is a lieutenant general of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces and the commander of the Special Forces, and participated in the 2016 Nagorno–Karabakh clashes and the 2020 Nagorno-K ...

, the commander of the special forces, Ilham Mehdiyev, the deputy chief of the State Border Service, as well as the officers

Namig Islamzadeh Namig Sarafruz oglu Islamzadeh ( az, Namiq Sərəfruz oğlu İslamzadə; born 1974), is an Azerbaijani military officer, major general serving in the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. He serves as a garrison commander in the "N" military unit of the Aze ...

, Kanan Seyidov, and

Zaur Mammadov Zaur Sabir oghlu Javanshir ( az, Zaur Sabir oğlu Cavanşir) is an Azerbaijani military officer, major general serving in the special forces of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. He had taken part in the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh clashes and 2020 Nagorno ...

Status

The title of Hero of the Patriotic War is the highest title in

. Previously, the title of

National Hero of Azerbaijan The National Hero of Azerbaijan ( az, Azərbaycan milli qəhrəmanı) is the highest Hero (title), national title in the Republic of Azerbaijan. The title was named on 25 March 1992, and the "Qizil Ulduz" Medal awarded as a sign of receiving this t ...

was the highest title in the country. The title is awarded for "military merits in the complete defeat of the enemy, as well as high professionalism in the management of military operations or personal heroism in the restoration of the state borders of Azerbaijan". The Hero of the Patriotic War is awarded a special distinction, the Hero of the Patriotic War Medal.

Recipients

, Commander of the

Special Forces of Azerbaijan The Special Forces of Azerbaijan ( az, Azərbaycan Xüsusi Təyinatlı Qüvvələri) is a military unit of the Republic of Azerbaijan. History It was established in April 1999 under the Ministry of Defense. The formation of the unit was attended b ...

. *

, garrison commander in the "N" military unit of the

Azerbaijani Air Force Azerbaijani Air Forces and Air Defence often referred to as the Azerbaijani Air Force ( az, Azərbaycan hərbi hava qüvvələri) is the air force and air defence force of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. History The roots of the current organisat ...

Kurdamir District Kurdamir district ( az, Kürdəmir rayonu) is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the centre of the country and belongs to the Central Aran Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Zardab, Ujar, Goychay, Ismayi ...

. *

, the first commandant of

Shusha / hy, Շուշի , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = ShushaCollection2021.jpg , image_caption = Landmarks of Shusha, from top left:Ghazanchetsots Cathedral • Yukhari Govha ...

after its capture. * Ilham Mehdiyev,

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

, and the deputy head of the Azerbaijani State Border Service. * Ramiz Gasimov, lieutenant colonel of the

Azerbaijani Air Forces Azerbaijani Air Forces and Air Defence often referred to as the Azerbaijani Air Force ( az, Azərbaycan hərbi hava qüvvələri) is the air force and air defence force of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. History The roots of the current organisat ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hero of the Patriotic War Orders, decorations, and medals of Azerbaijan Honorary titles of Azerbaijan

Hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''her ...

Awards established in 2020 2020 establishments in Azerbaijan Hero (title)