WONDER [PHOTO]

... That moment when I stop in front of this photograph! …

... Oh my God! This photo … This look!

I am lost in thought for a long while...

The meaning of the astonishing eyes of my hero in the photograph fascinates me …

.. This is a moment of life and eternity of the moment. Time and eternity look at you through white and black shades of color …

 There are endless words in my heart, but I confess that the words are helpless to describe the moment of eternity …

… And when I look into these eyes …

the sentences which glow as embers in my brain move away …

***

Yes, my dears!

Maybe everything in this world begins with just wonder and then becomes a Great Wonder.

Our world, itself, is a result of wonder, isn’t it?!

WONDER is a beginning for rich cultures and great civilizations and a way which leads a person going after his endless curiosity about secrets of nature to valuable inventions and discoveries.

WONDER is a desire of humankind to know or learn and the first meeting moment of conscience and thought with the world around.

The childhood photo of Great Leader Heydar Aliyev, a Genious Person who made a great history with his life, doesn’t fade from my memory. His facial expression is not like the wonder of children staring at camera; he looks at not only the lens, but also the whole world. 

Look, he couldn’t hide his wonder about this troublous and chaotic world … 

***

I wonder which stage of the history is that moment when the photograph was taken?! 

I try to think deeply and to refresh my memory.

In fact, the time doesn’t matter. The main thing now is existence of this wonder …

… Beginning of the century was not so good; the world couldn’t get out of the shock of the First World War.  New disturbances replaced one another, and the worst outcomes of such disturbances were recorded in the remote areas of the former empire.  

The Bolsheviks had just removed Tsar Nicholas from the power. It would take a long time to eliminate the destruction caused by the revolution. Social thinking was desperate. People didn’t feel optimistic about the future.

The situation had reached the point where the people living in separate provinces of the former Tsarist Empire far from Azerbaijan hoped to escape starvation.

The Azerbaijani families could neither recover from the genocide committed by armed Armenian Dashnaks just few years ago in different regions of Azerbaijan, nor forget the tortures exposed by Armenians...  

They didn’t know that wave of repression was waiting for them ahead. This wave would hit terrible blows to history of social thinking in Azerbaijan. As well, the grievous pain of the Second World War was waiting ahead. This war would cause tragedies, hunger, deprivation and many other troubles for Azerbaijani families…

The rigorous conditions of the world at which Heydar Aliyev gazed in wonder worsened due to hardships of the time; the world brought wretchedness to people, and the time destroyed all hopes and joys with its miseries…

And Heydar Aliyev looked astonishingly at this world… 

Maybe he wondered at the first big question of his life or at the mission he saw in the small light of the camera used to take this photograph…

Historical mission begins with just a momentary wonder, isn’t it?

…It seems the secret of Heydar Aliyev’s childhood photo which fascinates me is disclosed gradually…

He witnessed great events in this world and would see many others thereafter.

What and why amazed him? And what would he do to astonish others?

In a child’s wondered face, the photographer unwittingly took the photo of bright and plain way which would change the history of a great nation…

***

This way began with wondered look at the world, and as Heydar Aliyev became a genius person the way continued sometimes with sharp turnings and astonishing order granted by God for Heydar Aliyev’s life and in the person of Heydar Aliyev for the history of Azerbaijan. 

He was gifted the ability of painting. As well, when he began to determine his job at the last grades of the secondary education, his elder brother was one of the young painters who had just begun to be famous in Azerbaijan. If Heydar Aliyev would decide to be a painter, undoubtedly, he would become one of the renowned painters of his time.

God also gifted him high artistic ability. His achievements in the stage as an active member of the Nakhchivan theatrical circle amazed everyone in his adulthood.   

Heydar Aliyev was admitted to Nakhchivan Pedagogical Technical School. Destiny had determined a way for him in this field. Heydar Aliyev’s intellect, sense of responsibility and love for his job would make him a successful teacher or prominent scientist of Azerbaijan. 

The art of architecture he studied in the Azerbaijan Industrial Institute was one of the highly prospective specialties of that time. If Heydar Aliyev would decide to be an architect, his name would probably be mentioned among the most famous architects of the last century in Azerbaijan, and the buildings which would be constructed by Heydar Aliyev would be considered masterpieces in the history of the Azerbaijani modern architecture.

But again WONDER!...

Again, the destiny made changes in the course of his life and assigned the most difficult tasks to him. He began to work in the special service bodies as a young chekist [special service servant]. Although he was initially appointed to a minor position, he was promoted to higher ranks and gained more achievements in these ranks.

Besides the achievements, Heydar Aliyev also faced with hardships while executing his duties; some people felt envy toward his confidence, purposefulness, leadership qualities, and the opportunities arising from his professional character.  

Strangely, it seemed any super power defended Heydar Aliyev when he encountered such obstacles, helped him overcome all difficulties and protected this genius person for future of Azerbaijani state and nation. 

All of them were the moments of life full of WONDER.

***

When the genius persons and the missions completed by them are discussed, it should be stressed that no one can replace such persons in the history, because the historical figures are raised by and their missions are determined by the time and conditions, and it is impossible to change or replace these factors…  

HEYDAR ALIYEV was a great state figure raised by his time.

Formation of Heydar Aliyev’s phenomenon and beginning of the period of revival remembered as his time in the history were due to the amazing harmony of several important directions.

In Soviet times it is impossible to see such compatibility of time, character and mission in the political activity of Azerbaijani leaders who headed the state before Heydar Aliyev.  

In the 60s of the last century, only few years after the war, Azerbaijan was one of the important regions of USSR and its failing economy needed revival. Azerbaijan was at the beginning of a new period. Direction of development would have depended on attitude of the person who shouldered responsibility for the future of the state towards his people, history and state values. It was possible to divert Azerbaijan from its values, history, language, and national identity and to change it into a completely new state or to stimulate a new and powerful stage of history of Azerbaijani national statehood … 

The second direction required great leadership abilities, confidence, decisiveness, uncompromising management talent, intelligence and wisdom, as well as love for nation and national values.

Moreover, one needed some changes and thaw in the world and former Soviet states for defense from pressure and threats encountered due to new and distinctive measures taken for solution of national issues or establishment of justice in the society.

In such a tough situation Heydar Aliyev emerged in the history as a character of Great National Leader with his ideological views, attitude towards his duties, confidence, and professionalism.   

***

Thereafter again WONDER begins … 

Heydar Aliyev’s leadership ability was required for solving social-economic problems of the country in a short span of time, applying iron discipline to all areas of activity, establishment of justice in society, making people be hopeful about the future and use this hope to raise Azerbaijan to the rank of leaders of all Soviet Union.         

Only Heydar Aliyev was able to awake national consciousness in a society which had experienced intense psychological shocks and become introverted due to fear of repression until the mid 50s of the last century, to revive our mother tongue, to preserve historical figures, history, literature, culture, science, moral and national values of motherland, to protect the intellectuals who represented the people’s wish for liberty against repression and to direct their works. 

Despite the numerous obstacles created by the central government of the Union, only Heydar Aliyev, as a Leader, could adopt the important programs related to the development of Azerbaijan, formation of national human resources for future of the country, promoting Azerbaijan in the world with the help of cultural diplomacy, preparing the society for independence and carrying out the difficult mission of parallel and harmonious execution of these tasks. 

When Heydar Aliyev began to work in Moscow, Turkish Political Figure in the person of Heydar Aliyev astonished the whole world in Kremlin as written by the foreign press of that time.

Only Heydar Aliyev, as an Azerbaijani Turk and Muslim who was born in a simple working family living in a remote city of the former empire, could rich success with his intelligence without getting any help or support from anyone else and become one of the main leaders of a great empire like USSR. His success was the first one in the history of both Turkish and Islamic worlds.

***

If the destiny of Azerbaijan would depend on others in the 70s of the last century, to imagine the future of the country would be just impossible. In 1987 Heydar Aliyev was dismissed from his office, and his ability to participate in the political life of Azerbaijan was restricted with intervention of Armenians and of leadership of the former Soviet Union due to evil plans of Gorbachov and others. After that Azerbaijan was exposed to a number of hostilities and calamities; Nagorno-Karabakh was the most heart-breaking one among them.

It is impossible to erase from memory the tragedies, hardships, and social upheaval we faced in the first years of independence.

We also remember the sufferings of a fragile land which was faced with the danger of civil war and breakup and experienced battles fought in its remote regions and struggle for power made in the center.    

When we see the disasters caused by the crusades in the Muslim countries of the modern world and witness the grief in the eyes of the children whose hopes were dashed, and mothers' tears and the misery of the poor immigrants who were lost at sea while trying to escape bombs, we realized that the fate defended Azerbaijan from serious calamities with the help of Heydar Aliyev in 1993.    

And again you wonder!

If Heydar Aliyev would not help the country in such a decisive moment, what would happen?

Could Azerbaijan be an independent country as it is today?

After returning to power Heydar Aliyev, as a state figure who worked in the Soviet system all his life long, precisely determined the future and development trends of the independent country, conducted reforms for establishment of democratic values in society, carried out legal state-building processes and brought achievements to the country in the field of free market economy in such a short span of time. If he would not return to power, could such achievements be gained?

Each of them is a WONDER, isn’t it?

***

Like all wise men in the world, Heydar Aliyev, all his life long, inspired to use intellect and intelligence, but not force or weapon, and in his own activity he demonstrated the superiority of intelligence over force, used his intellect and intelligence against the ones who applied force to our country and always achieved victory over them.  

In his character all qualities required for a leader completed each other successfully, and this completion, itself, was a miracle of God, too...

He was tall and charismatic, and had healthy body and mind, perfect oratorical skills, great intelligence, comprehensive knowledge, desire to learn, purposefulness, aristocratic behavior and excellent taste. If any of these qualities would not exist, Heydar Aliyev’s character in history would be uncompleted. But all of the qualities precisely completed each other in the character of this Great State Figure.       

Additionally, prescience!

Heydar Aliyev foresaw what would happen in the world towards the middle of the twenty-first century and which problems would occur in the countries, and he knew that only a purposeful leader who was raised by a constitutive father and was faithful to his political strategy could defend and develop Azerbaijan in such a chaotic world.

Mentioning Mr. Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, our National Leader Heydar Aliyev said: “I rely on him as much as I believe in myself”. These words both reflect the FATHER’S belief in his SON and confidence in connection with the predictions about today’s success of Azerbaijan. 

Heydar Aliyev was a happy father, because he has righteous children who justified his confidence with their good deeds, and because he has a son like Mr. President Ilham Aliyev, who manages to build a state as Heydar Aliyev wished, supports our motherland to experience the best period of its history, and carries out and pursues Heydar Aliyev’s mission.

… And the love and recognition gained by First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva who supports this ideology in the right manner, and protects the family hearth as a guardian angel is a tribute to the great Soul of the National Leader…  

Heydar Aliyev was a successful state figure - he managed to implement all honorable tasks that a leader could do for the history of national statehood of his nation. Heydar Aliyev rose to the peak of the history with his mission.  

Heydar Aliyev was a winner - he overcame all difficulties with steadfastness and realized the biggest ideals of his life. He guided his nation to reach its national goals.      

…And probably, it was a destiny determined by God.

***

During my visit to Nakhchivan many years ago, one picture bringing to my attention in Heydar Aliyev museum located at the center of the city fascinated me. I remember it not as a simple photograph, but as a sign of a person’s fate, and disclosure of the secret which we call predestination in any encoded form.    

The exhibit which fascinated me was drawn by Heydar Aliyev having the talent of painting with a nip pen of that time. He drew a teenage girl and wrote under the picture as follows with his own handwriting: “Zarifa’s picture was drawn when she was 12 years old at 9.30 on April 27, 1942”.

I wonder that Heydar Aliyev would meet with his future wife Zarifa Aliyeva after many years, then how could he draw this picture in 1942?

Again I was WONDERED...

While drawing that picture Heydar Aliyev asked the 12 year-old girl her name. The girl introduced herself as Zarya. Heydar Aliyev was so sensitive about such moments (I remember a moment when in a video Heydar Aliyev criticizes pronunciation of “kaklikotu” (thymus) as “kakotu”), and therefore, he objected to the girl’s introduction and wrote under the picture with his hands as follows: “Zarifa’s picture…”

I can’t help wondering!

God, you disclosed the fate of the loved person before the expected time and met him with his future wife, and so make him write his fate with his own hands… 

God knows, maybe Heydar Aliyev’s eyes which were wonderingly looking at the world from that time was a sign of the happy fate of Azerbaijan.

…Yes, my dears…

…Raise your head and look at this photograph once more, look at the photograph from which the future Great Leader looks wonderingly at the coming days.

… He came to this world and WONDERED in this world… 

… He came to this world and made this world WONDER … 

Are these wondering eyes a message for happy future?

Or are they what we see, hear, know and think about the Great History beginning with this wonder?

…Everything is really thought-provoking and wondering!   

Imamverdi ISMAYILOV, 

Member of Milli Majlis (National Assembly), Honored Journalist