On 20 January every year Azerbaijanis pay tribute to those who died in a bloody massacre committed by the former USSR against civilians to suppress the national liberation movement.
Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev commemorated Black January with a visit to the Alley of Martyrs on 18 January in remembrance of massacre carried out by the Soviet Union (USSR) in 1990.
At the site, Aliyev laid flowers at the Eternal Flame monument, which is a symbol of remembrance for the civilians killed during the military crackdown towards the end of the USSR.
The official anniversary, which is a Day of National Mourning in Azerbaijan, takes place on 20 January and is observed every year across the country as a day of national reflection.
Black January is widely seen as a turning point in the country's path to independence, strengthening public resolve for sovereignty. The president's visit is part of a broader country-wide commemorative programme.
Tributes are paid to those who died in a massacre on 20 January 1990, to suppress the national liberation movement. From early morning, thousands of people go to the Alley of the Martyrs in Baku, where victims of the tragic events are buried.
It was announced by the Soviet authorities to be a "restoration of constitutional order in the republic."
Troops were deployed without warning the population and peaceful civilians were among the main victims. As a result of the operation against innocent people, which included children, women and the elderly, at least 140 civilians were killed and more than 700 were injured.