TBILISI – THE PLACE OF RESTORATION OF THE STATE INDEPENDECE OF AZERBAIJAN

Abstract

Tbilisi is the geographical core of the South Caucasus. Over time, this old city also became the administrative, economic and cultural center of the region. The political workload of Tbilisi especially increased after the February Revolution of 1917, which led to the overthrow of the monarchy in Russia and the abolition of the Institute of Caucasian governorship. In Tbilisi, new governing bodies of the region were formed in turn - Ozakom, the Transcaucasian Commissariat, and the Transcaucasian Seim. Tbilisi was the capital of the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic from April 22 to May 26, 1918, which included Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia. On May 26-28, 1918, for three days, there were born three states in Tbilisi - the
Republics of Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, whose governments acted here for
some time. This is a unique fact which has no analogs. The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was the first republic in the entire Eastern Muslim world, the birth of which the international community learned from Tbilisi. The historic meeting of the National Council of Azerbaijan, which proclaimed the state independence of Azerbaijan, chaired by Hasan-Bek Agayev, was held at the Palace of the former Viceroy of the Caucasus on Shota Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi. Today, a memorial plaque has been installed on the building. On June 16, 1918, the government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, headed by Fatal
Khan-Khoisky, moved to the city of Elizavetopol, to which its old name – Ganja, was returned on July 30. Georgia and Azerbaijan soon recognized each other’s sovereignty and exchanged diplomatic missions. Diplomatic etiquette was fully preserved in the political relations of neighboring republics. Governments and legislative bodies sent greeting addresses to each other, congratulatory telegrams on important events in the state life of each people, and so on. Although there were controversial issues between the two newly formed states (territorial division, borders), they fruitfully cooperated with each other in various areas (trade, economy, defense).