Post-Independence Identity Policies in Azerbaijan

Although officially declared its independence in 1991, the idea of independence in Azerbaijan has a longer history. During these phases, the independence idea has undergone a great deal of developments and changes. This process can be briefly summarized as follows: Having been through Tsarist Russia’s occupation in the 19th century and later annexed by the Soviets in the 20th century following a very short experience of independence beforehand, Azerbaijan eventually gained its independence in the last decade of this century. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Azerbaijani people who experienced the independence for a short time under the name of the Azerbaycan Halk Cumhuriyeti (People’s Republic of Azerbaijan) in 1918, had waited for a long time under the Soviet occupation (1920-1991) stuck amongst the past memories and the dreams of future. In fact, this period under the Soviet pressure could be described as a preparation and maturation process rather than merely standing by. As a result, in 1991 when Azerbaijan officially regained its independence under the name of Republic of Azerbaijan, it started carrying out a rapid and determined identity policy. In this study, we will try to show how the Republic of Azerbaijan built the independent Azerbaijan through the identity policies that it carried out to shape a modern nation state. Again, in this study, the post-independence identity policies in the Republic of Azerbaijan will be frequently compared with the initiatives of the Soviets to create the Soviet identity/homosovieticus, and we will also focus on the relations between these policies with the experience of the Azerbaijani People’s Republic