Today, the national holiday of Azerbaijan - Independence Day is celebrated.

Axar.az reports that on May 28, 1918, 106 years have passed since the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the first secular democratic state in the Muslim East.

As a result of the February Revolution in Russia in 1917, the Tsarist Empire was overthrown. The national movement of the peoples oppressed by tsarism has started in the country. On May 28, 1918, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918-1920) - the first secular democratic state in the Muslim East - was established. This republic left a mark in the historical memory of Azerbaijanis as the first experience of Azerbaijani statehood.

The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, founded by Muhammad Amin Rasulzadeh, was the first parliamentary republic and the first example of a democratic, legal and secular state in the Turkish and Islamic world.

The first head of the interim government of Azerbaijan was Fatali Khan Khoyski. After working in Tbilisi for 10 days, the National Council was transferred to Ganja. Only in September 1918, after Baku was cleared of Dashnak-Russian forces under the leadership of the Turkish army, the national government moved from Ganja to Baku.

The independent Republic of Azerbaijan has achieved great achievements and victories in its short life. For the first time, the republic that gave women the right to choose and ensured equality between women and men, including the national army, national money, democratization, national bank, free elections, international relations and official recognition of Azerbaijan's independence by the international community, ensuring the integrity of Azerbaijan, economic reform, etc. . provided the independent Republic of Azerbaijan.

The first state to officially recognize the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was the Ottoman state (June 4, 1918).

On November 9, 1918, based on the proposal of M.A. Rasulzade, the three-color flag of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was adopted. Until then, the flag of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was red.

The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was able to function for only 23 months in tense and complex socio-political conditions. Unfortunately, the independent Republic of Azerbaijan was attacked by the Bolsheviks before it was two years old and was temporarily overthrown. The Soviet Union forcibly included Azerbaijan in its composition. Despite being overthrown by the Bolsheviks, the idea of independence was not renewed, and with the collapse of the Soviet Empire in 1991, Azerbaijan declared its independence again.