On October 5, 2005 President of Azerbaijan Republic Mr. Ilham Aliyev participated in the opening ceremony of « Heydar Aliyev» museum of the Special State Protection Service.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev cut the red ribbon as a sign of official inauguration of Heydar Aliyev Museum, got closely acquainted with the exhibits which reflected the rich life and activity of Heydar Aliyev, architect and builder of independent Azerbaijan. The bust of Heydar Aliyev in the museum is cut of white marble from the Urals by architect Adil Ahmadov, member of the Union of Architects of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and sculptor Islam Jafarov, member of the Union of Artists of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

When the Azerbaijani President got acquainted with the photo exhibits devoted to the youth of Heydar Aliyev, he was informed that Heydar Aliyev was born on May 10, 1923, in the town of Nakhchivan in the family of a worker. After finishing the teacher training school in Nakhchivan he studied in the Faculty of Architecture at Azerbaijan Industrial Institute named after M. Azizbeyov. The war, which broke soon, did not allow him finish his studies.

In 1941-1944 he worked as an executive in different posts at the Peopl's Commissariat of Internal Affairs of the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan and at the Soviet of People's Commissariat of Nakhchivan.

In the January of 1944 Heydar Aliyev expressed his desire to serve in the organs of the State Security. In the May of the same year he was admitted to the service in the organs of State Security at the recommendation of the Party Committee of the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan.

In the years when he served in the organs of State of Security in 1950, he finished the school of the Ministry of State Security of the USSR in Leningrad (now Petersburg) and in 1966-the higher school of the State Security Committee named after F. E. Dzerzhinsky attached to the Council of Ministers of the USSR in Moscow, with distinction, in 1957-the Faculty of History of Azerbaijan State University.

In 1964 he was appointed deputy chairman of the State Security Committee attached the Council of Ministers of Azerbaijan, in 1967 he became chairman of the same Committee.

Heydar Aliyev rose to the rank of Major-General, he was the first Azerbaijani to have this rank in the organs of the Committee of State Security.

In the historical plenum of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan of June 1969 Heydar Aliyev was elected the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan and hold this post till 1982. The Museum also demonstrates photo slides on the personal and family life of Heydar Aliyev referring to those years and to the years which followed.

In the December of 1982 Heydar Aliyev was elected member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and appointed first vice-chairman of Council of Ministers of the USSR and was one of the few persons who headed the USSR. He was member of the Soviet parliament for twenty years.

For his services to the Motherland Heydar Aliyev was twice decorated with the gold medal of “Hammer and Sickle”, “Hero of Socialist Labour”. He was also decorated with the order of “Lenin” for five times, with the orders of “Red Star”, “October Revolution”, “Patriotic War” of the first degree, many other medals and honorary badges.

In the October of 1987 he resigned from all his posts as a sign of protest to the political line pursued by the leaders of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

In connection with the bloody tragedy committed by the Soviet troops in Baku on January 20, 1990, Heydar Aliyev made a statement in the Azerbaijani mission in Moscow on January 21, 1990, demanded the punishment of the organizers and executors of the crime committed against the Azerbaijani people. As a sign of protest to the hypocritical policy of the administration of the USSR in connection with the conflict in the Mountainous Garabag in the July of 1991 he left the ranks of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

In the July of 1991 Heydar Aliyev returned to Azerbaijan, first he lived in Baku, then left for Nakhchivan. In the same year he was elected to the parliament of Nakhchivan. In 1991-1993, he chaired the parliament of the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan and simultaneously was the first vice-chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Azerbaijan. In 1992 he was elected chairman of the New Azerbaijani Party at its institutional conference held in Nakhchivan.

In the May-June of 1993, as a result of crisis in the government there emerge the danger of the break of a civil war, the independence of Azerbaijan was threatened. With a unanimous demand and will of the nation the then administration of the country invited Heydar Aliyev to Baku. On June 15, 1993, he was elected chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Since June 24 he executed the powers of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan by the resolution of the Parliament.

Heydar Aliyev was elected President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on October 3, 1993. He was reelected on October 11, 1998, winning the confidence of the nation.

The banners of Azerbaijan used in the oath taking ceremonies of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan of Heydar Aliyev and kissed by him on October 10, 1993, and on October 18, 1998, are exhibited in the museum. Heydar Aliyev always got interested in the problems of refugees and often met them. The photos of those meetings and also a handmade carpet presented to him by the refugees are also among the exhibits of the Museum.

There are also photos and books telling of the oil strategy of Azerbaijan. The home and foreign policy of Azerbaijan, consolidation of the independence of the country, progress and development of the Republic have been directed to ensuring the future prosperity of the people. There are also exhibits in the Museum demonstrating the care and attention to the youth-the future of the Azerbaijani people.

The personal influence of Heydar Aliyev in the home and world policy has played a matchless role in the recognition of Azerbaijan in the occupation of its worthy place in the world community.

The history of the Special State Protection Service begins not from 1993, but from 1969, when Heydar Aliyev came to power in Azerbaijan.

On the background of photos reflecting the meeting of Heydar Aliyev with the public in 1969, one can see Colonel Japarov Gusman Aymukhanbetovich who headed the Security Service then. One also see Colonel Kamaev Yuriy Petrovich standing behind Heydar Aliyev and his son Ilham in the photo taken in front of the Museum of Lenin in 1979. He is still serving in the Special State Protection Service in the capacity of the chief of a department.

The entire personnel of the Special State Protection Service took an active part in the prevention of the actions of foreign and internal hostile forces aimed at the violation of stability in the Republic in the events of October 1994, March 1995, in obstacling their attempts of overthrow, in ensuring the security of the statehood. In those hard, critical and decisive moments the personnel of the Special State Protection Service demonstrated heroism, responsibility, sincerity and devotion, ensured the security of the Republican President reliably.

There are also video clips of speeches of Heydar Aliyev of his meetings with the personnel of the Special State Protection Service.

In general, President Heydar Aliyev met the personnel of the Special State Protection Service four times. On May 28, 1994, on the occasion of the Day of Republic President Heydar Aliyev came to the location of the National Guard to meet the personnel of the Special State Protection Service. Then as a tradition President Heydar Aliyev came to meet the personnel of the Special State Protection Service on May 28 each year, on the Day of Republic.

On May 28, 1995, President Heydar Aliyev came to the territory of the National Guard and took part in unveiling the bust of the National Hero of Azerbaijan Afghan Huseynov, former commander of the regiment of the National Guard. On December 25, 1996, President Heydar Aliyev decorated with orders and medals a group of servicemen of the Special State Protection Service for special services, took part in the opening of the new barrack built for the soldiers of the National Guard.

On May 28, 1998, President Heydar Aliyev met the personnel of the Special State Protection Service on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan, gave precious gifts (watches) to several servicemen. Chief of the Special State Protection Service General Vagif Akhundov gave a saber as a gift to President HJeydar Aliyev on behalf of the personnel. The analogues of the watches and the saber are among the exhibits in the Museum.

On May 10, 1998, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of President Heydar Aliyev the combined team of alpinists of the Special State Protection Service together with the team of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Tourism of the Republic conquered the peak of Gizil-Gaya located in the district of Gusar. The peak is 3875 m above the sea level. They gave the name of Heydar Aliyev to the peak and erected a special bas-relief there. They phoned from there to President Heydar Aliyev, informed him about their deed and congratulated him on the occasion of his 75-year jubilee.

There are photos reflecting the cases when President Heydar Aliyev presents the awards to the servicemen of the Special State Protection Service and to a number of high ranking persons of the Service.

The personnel of the Special State Protection Service took a close participation in the celebration of the 30-year jubilee of the Military School named after Jamshid Nakhchivansky, 12 graduates of this school serve in the Special State Protection Service.

To eternalize the memory of the period of Heydar Aliyev and the Special State Protection Service the latter has published a book titled “Heydar Aliyev and the Special State Protection Service”.

Chief of the Special State Protection Service Colonel General Vagif Akhundov presented the first copy of the book to President Ilham Aliyev on behalf of the personnel.

Today anyone who enters the Heydar Aliyev Museum in the new administrative building of the Special State Protection Service experiences excited moments. Because, all the documents, archive, photo and video materials there are directly connected with name and matchless activity of this prominent leader, they concern his relations with the Special State Protection Service. And when the devoted persons, who knew him closely, loved him and devoted their life to ensuring his security, get acquainted with these exhibits, fragile, warm and radiant memories awake in their hearts…