Monument to Heydar Aliyev in Kogalym
Heydar Aliyev Monument

In September 2024, a monument to Heydar Aliyev, made by sculptor Aidyn Zeinalov, was unveiled in the Western Siberian town of Kogalym. This prominent Soviet and Azerbaijani statesman made important contributions to the development of the town and the country’s oil industry in the early 1980s. As the First Deputy Chairman of the Soviet Council of Ministers in charge of the country’s social policies, he ensured that construction workers from Azerbaijan were sent to help develop the newly founded settlement. Overall, they built some 60,000 square meters of housing there. To celebrate their exploits, a street in the town was named after the Azerbaijani capital Baku. Azerbaijani natives also helped develop the local oil and gas industry. The monument to Heydar Aliyev, installed among buildings adorned with ornate, Eastern-style concrete patterns, stands as a symbol of remembrance and an allegory of the friendship between nations.

The austere classical-looking monument shows Aliyev as a man of business, who is, however, placed in a somewhat surprising setting. Just a few decades ago, vast expanses of primeval taiga forests stretched across this land; hence the bronze animals walking placidly among the trees. But thanks to leaders like Heydar Aliyev, a new important town appeared on the map of Russia. The monument was unveiled to mark the 100th anniversary of Aliyev’s birth.
© Copyright 2024 | Aidyn Zeinalov