Albert Agarunov

Albert Agarunov
Albert Agarunov - National Hero of Azerbaijan
Born (1969-04-25)April 25, 1969
Baku, Azerbaijan SSR
Died May 7, 1992(1992-05-07) (aged 23)
Shusha
Burial place Baku, Azerbaijan
Nationality Azerbaijani, Jewish
Occupation Military
Parent(s) Agarun Agarunov
Awards National Hero of Azerbaijan

Albert Agarunovich Agarunov (Azerbaijani: Albert Aqarunov) (25 April 1969 – 7 May 1992) was a Starshina of the Azerbaijani Army who died during the Nagorno-Karabakh War. He was among the last Azerbaijanis to defend Shusha, which was occupied by Armenian forces on May 9, 1992.

Life

Albert Agarunov was born in a Baku suburb to Mountain Jewish parents,[1][2] Agarun, who was an oil-worker from Quba and Leah Agarunov. Albert was one of the family's ten children. During his school-years, Albert was interested in music, and he took trumpet lessons. After obtaining a degree in technology later on, he started working at a machine building factory, as a metal turner. His brother, Rantik Agarunov, stated that: "The only thing Albert did not like, was aggression and abusive attitudes towards the vulnerable."[3]

Military service

The road to leading to Shusha where the encounter between Avsharian's and Agarunov's tanks took place.

He served in the Soviet Army from 1987 to 1989 in Georgia. Agarunov was a tank commander during his military service.

Participation in Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

In 1991, Albert Agarunov voluntarily enlisted in the Azerbaijani Army in the war against Armenia to defend the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Agarunov fought in a battalion, led by Elchin Mammadov to retake the town of Shusha from Armenian control. He became a tank commander in the defense of Shusha in May 1992, when the Armenians launched the successful assault to take this strategically important town. Agarunov was assigned tank No.533 and took part in the war with his famous tank engagement against a T-72, commanded by Gagik Avsharian, disabling the T-72 outside of the town of Shusha. On December 8, 1991, Agarunov along with driver, Agababa Huseynov, managed to disable nine Armenian tanks and two armored trucks. During another skirmish, Agarunov managed to disable two tanks by a method called, the "Jewish sandwich" by his comrades.

Armenians offered 5 million rublуs for his head.[4]

Death and commemorations

Commander, Haji Azimov, said that Agarunov left his vehicle to remove the bodies of the dead soldiers lying on the streets, but was hit by sniper fire. Agarunov was killed on the road connecting Shusha to Lachin on 8 May 1992.[5] After his death, Azerbaijani soldiers started to name their tanks, "Albert."[6] Albert Agarunov, was posthumously awarded the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan and was buried at Martyrs' Lane in Baku in May, 1992, attended by both Mullahs and Rabbis. The school in Baku, from which Albert graduated, was named after him.[7]

In 2017, a memorial plaque was opened in Albert Akarunov's house in Amirjan settlement of Surakhani district.[8]

Honours and medals

References

  1. ↑ "Альберт Агарунович Агарунов - танкист, Национальный герой Азербайджана". Aksakal Media. Archived from the original on 2016-10-14. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  2. ↑ Video on YouTube
  3. ↑ "Albert Aqarunov: "Mən müsahibə verə bilmirəm..." – 1905.az". 1905.az (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 2017-12-30.
  4. ↑ "Azərbaycanın Milli Qəhrəmanı Albert Aqarunovun xatirəsi anılıb (FOTO)". Trend.Az (in Azerbaijani). 2014-04-25. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
  5. ↑ De Waal. Black Garden, p. 314, note 42.
  6. ↑ "Бывший боец ОПОН: «Под Шушой нас заживо похоронили»". Archived from the original on 2010-05-09. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
  7. ↑ "Suraxanı rayonunda Azərbaycanın Milli Qəhrəmanı Albert Aqarunovun xatirəsi anılmışdır". surakhani-ih.gov.az. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  8. ↑ "Şuşanın işğal günü amerikalı müəllifdən önəmli məqalə". Trend.Az (in Azerbaijani). 2015-05-12. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
  9. ↑ "Milli Qəhrəman Albert Aqarunov ordenlə təltif edilib". Retrieved 7 March 2017.
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