This story is both tragic and comic.

This happened more than 25 years ago in Baku. There was the annual meeting in the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan. A new president of Academy was elected on the place of Abdullayev, who in all his speeches, as a rule, was repeating: “Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan after its establishment has not yet made any scientific discovery”.

The newly-elected president opened the above-mentioned meeting. The 1st secretary of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Azerbaijan Baghirov was also present. However even the presence of the first person of the republic had no effect on the behavior of the scholars. There was a terrible noise, like at a meeting in a farm village.

To report the floor was given to the most outstanding representative of biologists V.Volobouyev, who was the only representative of national minorities among more than 100 academicians-Azerbaijanis. As soon as he came to the pulpit, took out the text from the folder, adjusted his pince-nez and wanted to start reading the first page, when suddenly the 1st secretary addressed him.

– Comrade Volobouyev, I’d request you to make a speech without written text. Because you’re a scientist, academician!

Jew old man was struck dumb with surprise, he did not expect such an unpleasant surprise. He asked for a permission to read his report but the CC Secretary was unmoved. And who tried to make speech later on, all were “punished”, republic leader’s angry replica dumped on their heads.

– Where is Bouniatov?, – shouted Baghirov. – What are our historians busy with? Have you read the latest book of John Kirakosyan? See, what the Armenians write! And what are you doing? First you prove that the Azeris are descended from the Persians, then – from the Turks. Isn’t it enough? Eventually we must know – from whom we come?

This question of the former leader of Azerbaijan till now is still relevant and it remains unanswered.

Rouben Grigoryan