Heydar Alirza oglu Aliyev

Childhood and Youth Heydar Aliyev

Early Years

Heydar Aliyev was born on May 10, 1923, in Nakhchivan city of the Azerbaijan SSR. He was the third child in a family with five children. His father, Ali Abas Oghlu, worked as a postman, and his mother, Izzat, was a housewife. The family lived modestly in a small apartment in Nakhchivan. From an early age, Heydar stood out for his intelligence and curiosity. He enjoyed reading books and was interested in history and politics. Heydar Aliyev attended a local secondary school where he excelled in his studies, especially in humanities and social sciences.

Education

Heydar Aliyev

After finishing secondary school with excellent grades, Heydar Aliyev continued his education. He entered the Azerbaijan Industrial Institute, located in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan SSR. During his studies, Heydar was very active in social activities — he headed the Institute’s Komsomol organization and initiated various cultural events. He believed getting a good education was the key to a successful career and making a difference in society.

In 1941, at 18, Heydar Aliyev graduated with honors from Azerbaijan Industrial Institute, receiving a degree in Civil Engineering. His thesis focused on improving water supply systems in Azerbaijan. Heydar’s teachers remembered him as a bright, hard-working, and determined young man with broad intellectual interests and leadership abilities.

Beginning of Heydar Aliyev Career

After graduating from the Institute in 1941, Heydar Aliyev worked briefly as an engineer in Baku. However, he felt attracted to politics and government service from an early age. When Azerbaijan SSR became part of the Soviet Union, there were many opportunities for ambitious young people in the state security agencies.

So, in 1944, Aliyev started working in the People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs (NKVD) in Nakhchivan. From 1944 to 1967, he gradually rose through the ranks, eventually becoming Chairman of the KGB in Azerbaijan SSR. Heydar Aliyev believed that working in law enforcement and intelligence allowed him to gain invaluable experience in management, politics, and diplomacy. This experience proved crucial later in his career.

Heydar Aliyev

In 1951, Heydar Aliyev was sent to study at the KGB Higher School in Moscow. He completed the course with distinction, demonstrating excellent analytical skills and a deep understanding of strategy. In the years spent in Moscow, he has expanded Heydar’s connections in the highest echelons of Soviet leadership. After returning to Baku, Aliyev continued his swift rise in the Azerbaijan KGB.

Political Career Heydar Aliyev in Azerbaijan

Rise to Power

In 1969, at 46, Heydar Aliyev reached the peak of his career in Soviet Azerbaijan. He was appointed First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Azerbaijan SSR. This effectively made him the second most influential figure in Azerbaijan after the First Secretary of the Communist Party.

During the 1970s, Aliyev worked hard to improve Azerbaijan’s economy and raise the living standards of its citizens. He initiated several reforms in industry, agriculture, and infrastructure construction. Under Aliyev’s leadership, Azerbaijan SSR significantly increased its output of goods while also developing social services like healthcare and education. Aliyev’s managerial skills and natural intelligence allowed him to find practical solutions to complex economic problems.

Thanks to the economic progress in Azerbaijan SSR, Heydar Aliyev gained political influence and popularity. In 1982, Moscow decided that Aliyev was ready for an even more significant role. He was appointed First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan — the most powerful political office in the Soviet republic.

Downfall

However, Aliyev’s time as leader of Soviet Azerbaijan was cut short by the reforms initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev. As the policy of «perestroika» took hold across the USSR, old-guard politicians like Aliyev became targets of criticism. In 1987, amid anti-corruption campaigns and shifts in Moscow politics, Heydar Aliyev was forced to resign as First Secretary.

Stripped of his powerful positions, Aliyev largely withdrew from public life in the late 1980s. He moved to Moscow with his family in 1990 and spent several years away from the political spotlight.

Return to Power

The situation changed dramatically in 1993. Azerbaijan had descended into political chaos and economic crisis following the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. The country desperately needed an experienced leader. Bowing to popular demand, Heydar Aliyev returned to Baku and re-entered politics.

In June 1993, Aliyev was elected Chairman of the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan. As a cunning political operator, he consolidated power and prevented civil unrest. In October 1993, the Supreme Council confirmed Aliyev as the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Once again, he found himself leading his nation during a difficult period.

President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev

Stabilizing the Situation

When Heydar Aliyev was elected President of Azerbaijan in October 1993, the country was in a crisis. The economy had collapsed after the Soviet breakup, violent internal conflicts flared up, and the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh war continued. Aliyev, an experienced statesman, understood that immediate steps were needed to stabilize Azerbaijan.

First, he took control of the chaotic security situation, cracking down on armed groups and criminal gangs that flourished in the early 1990s. Aliyev reformed the armed forces and intelligence agencies, giving them the tools to establish law and order.

On the economic front, Heydar Aliyev initiated market reforms, including privatization programs that eased Azerbaijan’s transition from a planned to a market economy. He was able to reduce inflation and stabilize the national currency. Just as importantly, Aliyev opened Azerbaijan’s vast oil & gas reserves to foreign investment. Major contracts were signed with Western energy companies to develop offshore oil fields in the Caspian Sea. This influx of foreign capital and know-how boosted Azerbaijan’s economy.

By skillfully combining firm leadership with pragmatic policies, Heydar Aliyev pulled Azerbaijan back from the brink. Within several years, he regained control over the country and put it on a path to socio-economic development.

Foreign Policy of Heydar Aliyev

In foreign affairs, President Aliyev implemented a balanced multi-vector strategy. He strengthened Azerbaijan’s relations with neighboring countries and Western powers like the United States. Being a savvy politician, Aliyev understood that positive ties with Russia were crucial for maintaining stability in the volatile Caucasus region.

In 1997, he signed a landmark Friendship and Cooperation treaty with Moscow, which helped ease tensions with Azerbaijan’s giant northern neighbor. Russian military units were withdrawn from Azerbaijan in a smooth transfer of power. At the same time, Aliyev developed energy and security cooperation with the West, forging strategic alliances with Turkey, Israel, and the US.

Overall, Heydar Aliyev’s foreign policy ensured that Azerbaijan maintained productive relations with all major powers while not becoming over-reliant on any one of them. This allowed the country to preserve its independence and strengthen its regional role.

Last Years and Legacy

In 2003, Heydar Aliyev passed away at the age of 80. He left behind a stable and increasingly prosperous Azerbaijan — a striking contrast to the crisis-torn country he had inherited ten years earlier. Azerbaijan completed a difficult transition from being a Soviet republic to becoming an independent nation-state.

Aliyev’s pragmatic policies and strategic vision for Azerbaijan enabled this remarkable transformation. He saw early on that Azerbaijan’s geography gave it great potential as an East-West energy and transport corridor. Today, Azerbaijan is realizing this potential as a central player linking Europe and Asia.

Heydar Aliyev managed to turn Azerbaijan from a fledgling post-Soviet republic into a modern, forward-looking country. His son and successor, Ilham Aliyev, continued to build on his substantial legacy. Thanks to policies initiated by Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijan entered the 21st century as a stable, independent state with extensive oil wealth and ambitious development goals.

Personal Life of Heydar Aliyev

Family

Heydar Aliyev married Zarifa Aliyeva in 1949. She stood loyally by his side for the rest of his life through all the ups and downs of his lengthy political career. Zarifa came from an educated family in Baku and worked as a teacher before focusing on raising their children.

Heydar and Zarifa had three children together — daughter Sevil in 1950, son Ilham in 1961, and son Alikper in 1965. As a father, Aliyev tried to find time for his family despite his busy work schedule. He saw education as highly important and ensured his children got quality schooling.

Daughter Sevil became a historian, while both sons went into politics. Ilham followed his father’s footsteps especially closely. After getting an education in Moscow, he was appointed vice president of the state oil company in Azerbaijan and later joined Heydar’s government. When Heydar’s health deteriorated in 2003, Ilham became president of Azerbaijan.

In her later years, Zarifa Aliyeva led the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, which implemented various cultural and charitable initiatives. She continued supporting her son Ilham’s presidency until she died in 2011 at 83.

Interests and Personality

Outside of work, Heydar Aliyev enjoyed reading history and classical literature. Though he did not play himself, he was a big soccer fan and supported Azerbaijan’s national team. Aliyev also liked taking walks through the streets of Baku to observe daily life in action.

Aliyev’s main hobby was swimming — he frequently spent hours doing laps in the pool into his old age. The exercise helped relieve stress and keep him physically fit. In the 1970s, Aliyev even received a Master of Sports distinction in swimming. Sports taught him discipline and the ability to set and achieve challenging goals.

As a leader, Aliyev was known for his intelligence, flexibility, and ability to negotiate compromise solutions. While critics considered him cunning and authoritarian, Aliyev had undeniable charisma and a strong work ethic. He demanded discipline and results from subordinates.

Aliyev’s personality was shaped by his years of rising through the Soviet system. He learned to be pragmatic, careful in decision-making, and wary of political games in Moscow that could impact his career. This made Aliyev a very skillful player in power politics.

Overall, Aliyev will be remembered as a leader who brought stability and development to Azerbaijan through strategic vision, tactical skill, and sheer personal determination.

Azerbaijan