Today, Azerbaijan marks Kalbajar City Day – a date that has become a symbol of national pride, resilience, and the triumphant return of ancestral lands after nearly three decades of occupation.
Five years ago, on November 25, 2020, Kalbajar – one of the most beautiful and strategically important regions of Azerbaijan – finally returned home. The withdrawal of Armenian forces took place under the terms of the November 10 trilateral statement, following Azerbaijan’s historic victory in the 44-day Patriotic War.
The liberation of Kalbajar became reality through the strong political will, strategic leadership, and unwavering determination of President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, as well as the courage of the Azerbaijani Army, whose sacrifices reshaped the map of the South Caucasus.
Although Armenia had been obliged to leave Kalbajar by November 15, it asked for an additional ten days. Azerbaijan, demonstrating what officials described as national dignity and humanitarian values even toward an adversary, granted the extension – a gesture that underscored the moral strength of the victorious side.
For the Azerbaijani people, Kalbajar is not just a territory. It is a land of mountains, springs, and memories – a place whose loss in April 1993 became one of the darkest chapters in the nation’s modern history. More than 53,000 residents were expelled from their homes. Hundreds were killed, hundreds more taken hostage or left missing, and countless families were torn apart.
Today, Kalbajar is alive again.
Azerbaijan is rebuilding the district from the ground up. Roads now wind through valleys that were once silent. New infrastructure is rising on lands that for years bore the scars of occupation. The restoration of Kalbajar is being carried out with the same determination that led to its liberation – step by step, stone by stone.
Each November 25 is not only a celebration of victory but a reminder of justice restored, dignity reclaimed, and the unbreakable bond between the Azerbaijani nation and its historical lands.
Kalbajar is home again – and home to stay.
