Winners of the Essay Contest 'Heydar Aliyev: The Phenomenon of Leadership' Awarded in Ukraine

To commemorate National Salvation Day, an award ceremony for the winners of the essay contest “Heydar Aliyev: The Phenomenon of Leadership” was held among students of higher education institutions in Ukraine. According to AZƏRTAC, the contest was initiated jointly by the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Ukraine and the Baku International Multiculturalism Center.

Participants of the event — including representatives of the contestants, staff of the Embassy, and officials from Ukraine’s leading universities — first visited the park named after the National Leader Heydar Aliyev in Kyiv, laid flowers at his monument, and honored his memory.

In opening remarks, Second Secretary of the Embassy Samir Allahverdiyev noted that the contest received nearly 200 essay submissions from students throughout Ukraine. Of these, 20 outstanding essays were selected by the jury. The top three winners will receive cash prizes, while the top 10 and top 20 finalists will receive valuable and commemorative gifts.

The jury included the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Ukraine Elmira Akhundova, Merited Journalist of Ukraine and writer-publicist Viktor Vasilchuk, Embassy diplomats Samir Allahverdiyev and Terana Sadigova, as well as the Baku International Multiculturalism Center’s representative in Ukraine, Marina Goncharuk.

In her address, Ambassador Elmira Akhundova highlighted the immense contribution of Heydar Aliyev — the founder and architect of modern Azerbaijan — and underscored that the country continues to develop rapidly and enjoys a high international reputation. Heydar Aliyev saved Azerbaijan from losing its independence, established statehood, and built a robust governance system that ensures the country’s sustainable growth. His political course is successfully continued by President Ilham Aliyev.

“Today, the spirit of our National Leader is at peace, for under the leadership of the victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, the Azerbaijani Army has liberated our country’s occupied territories,” the Ambassador added.

Ambassador Akhundova further emphasized that the large number of essays submitted, particularly from students across various regions of Ukraine, demonstrates a genuine interest among young people in Heydar Aliyev’s legacy. The core themes of the submissions included the great leader’s life journey, President Ilham Aliyev’s successful continuation of his policy, as well as the aggression and separatism orchestrated by Armenia against Azerbaijan. According to the Ambassador, next year it is planned to publish a book in Ukraine on the phenomenon of Heydar Aliyev, featuring insights drawn from these 200 essays.

After a documentary screening about Heydar Aliyev’s life and legacy, additional remarks were offered by Anton Nanavo, Deputy Director of the Institute of International Relations at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv; Viktor Vasilchuk, Merited Journalist of Ukraine and writer-publicist; Dmytro Drozdovskyi, Editor-in-Chief of the “Vsesvit” journal; Serhii Kulyda, Editor of the “Literaturna Ukrayina” newspaper; Lesia Smirna, Head of the Department for International Scientific Relations at the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine; and Marina Goncharuk, representative of the Baku International Multiculturalism Center in Ukraine. All speakers emphasized the significance of such contests and the multi-faceted legacy of Heydar Aliyev.

Following the speeches, the winners of the contest were awarded.

• 1st & 2nd places: Students of the Institute of International Relations at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Polina Orlova and Emilya Mamishova
• 3rd place: Anastasiya Limarenko of Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs and Maryana Krylo of the Western Ukrainian National University

Emil Huseynli Special Correspondent of AZƏRTAC Kyiv

Source: azertag