Azərbaycan Marşı, is the national anthem of Azerbaijan. The music was composed by Uzeyir Hajibeyov, with lyrics by poet Ahmad Javad. The government officially adopted the anthem in 1920 with the passage of the decree, "On the State Hymn of the Republic of Azerbaijan." In 1992, after the fall of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan's government officially restored Azərbaycan Marşı as the national anthem. The government of Azerbaijan has also officially declared the national anthem to be "the sacred symbol of the Azerbaijan state, its independence and unity." Since 2006, a fragment of the lyrics from the national anthem is depicted on the obverse of the Azerbaijani 5 manat banknote. In 2011, to mark the 20th anniversary of Azerbaijan's independence from Soviet rule, the government issued a stamp celebrating the anthem.
History
In 1919, during the formation of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the new government announced it was accepting submissions from the public for a national anthem, coat of arms and state seal. A prize of 15,000 rubles would be awarded to the citizen who submitted the winning anthem. Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov wrote two marches. In 1919, this work received the first award announced by the government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. The second march was the "March of Azerbaijan." According to Turkish musicologist Etem Üngör, "In those years, when Azerbaijan had not yet lost its independence, the march was chanted by military schools before lessons." In 1922, Azərbaycan marşı was replaced by Soviet communist anthem The Internationale. In 1944, during World War II, the new Soviet national anthem replaced The Internationale and an additional anthem of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic was installed. In 1989, following several years of changes brought by perestroika, composer Aydin Azimov arranged a modern recording of the anthem by a full symphony and chorus. That fall, Azərbaycan marşı was broadcast on television and radios in Azerbaijan, 70 years after it was introduced.
Regulations for the performance of the national anthem are set forth in the law signed by President Heydar Aliyev in 1996. While a performance of the anthem may include only music, only words, or a combination of both, the anthem must be performed using the official music and words prescribed by law. Once a performance has been recorded, it may be used for any purpose, such as in a radio or television broadcast.
