Elmira Gafarova

Elmira Gafarova was born in the Balakhani settlement of Baku.

She studied at the Philology Faculty of Azerbaijan State University (1953-1958) and postgraduate studies (1958-1961).

He served as secretary of the university's Komsomol committee (1955-1958), instructor in the science and higher education department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan (1961-1962), secretary of the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Komsomol Organization (1961-1962), first secretary of the Komsomol Committee (1966-1970), deputy head of the Culture Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party (1970-1971), secretary for ideology of the Baku City Party Committee (1971-1980), Minister of Education (1980-1983), Minister of Foreign Affairs (1983-1987), deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers (1987-1989), chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (1989-1990), chairman of the Supreme Soviet (1990-1992). On the night of January 19-20, 1990, when Soviet troops entered Baku and massacred civilians, Elmira Gafarova made a statement of protest against this bloody crime committed by the Soviet leadership. An extraordinary session of the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan was convened on January 21 and 22, 1990, upon the appeal of 160 deputies. On January 22, the session adopted the “Appeal of the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Supreme Soviets of the allied republics, the peoples of the USSR, the parliaments of all countries of the world, and the United Nations.” During her tenure as Chairman of the Supreme Soviet, historically important decisions were made: on October 18, 1991, the state independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan was declared, on October 29, the “Appeal of the Supreme Soviet to the parliaments and governments of the member states of the world community” on the recognition of independence was adopted, and on March 2, 1992, the Republic of Azerbaijan was admitted to the UN.

Candidate of Philological Sciences (1961) Elmira Gafarova died in 1993 and was buried in the Alley of Honor.