New research on ethnic minority media in Azerbaijan. Photo: AMC

“Land of Fires, Azerbaijan! Your sleep is disrupted again. Every day, blood is spilt in battlefields. Every day bad news knocks on so many doors…” In February 1993, at the peak of the Nagorno-Karabakh war, these lines were published in “Tolishi Sado” - a newspaper belonging to Talish ethnic minority of Azerbaijan

Today, they can be found in an anthology prepared by Nasiman Yagublu, the editor-in-chief of “Jurnalist” newspaper and presented at the IMS-funded Azerbaijan Media Centre in Baku to a  broad public.

Compilation of ethninc minority newspapers

“Publications of Ethnic Minorities Living in Azerbaijan” is a slim volume of valuable research about newspapers published by various ethnic groups in living in Azerbaijan – Russians, Polish, Georgian, Armenian, Lezgi, Kurdish and Talish. It also includes selections from four major newspapers – “Samur” of Lezgi, “Tolishi Sado” of Talish, “Denge Kurd” of Kurds and “Shelale” of Georgians.

When the first Azerbaijani newspaper Akinchi (The Cultivator) was published on 22 July 1875 (this day is revered as the National Media Day in Azerbaijan), Azerbaijanis themselves were ethnic minorities in the Russian Empire. And it was possible due to 1865 decree of Emperor Alexander II who allowed ethnic minorities in Russian provinces to have media in their own language.

The research and publication was funded by the Open Society Institute – Azerbaijan and though it is still one of its kind in Azerbaijan, Mr. Yagublu says he will continue to research the topic to bring more publications and more details into the spotlight.

The book is to be donated to journalist and media organisatons, as well as to students of journalism.

For more news about events at the Azerbaijan Media Centre, click here.