Akhundov Safa Fatulla

He was born in 1958, June 19 in Masalli region. But he went to a secondary school in Saatli region in 1965. After a year, his family moved to Jelilabad region and therefore he continued his secondary education in Jelilabad School #2. He finished his secondary education in Gubadli region in 1975. Safa, even when he was a schoolboy had a dream of becoming a pilot one day. His dream brought him to Baku Airport. After working there for a year, he entered the Orenburg Academy of Civil Aviation.

     There he completed his education in 1979 and returned to his Motherland. He was assigned as a pilot of the plane AN – 2 in Yevlakh town. But Safa continued his education by entering the correspondence department of Kiev Institute of Civil Pilots.  He moved to Riga in 1987 and started working there as a teacher in the Technical Institute and at the same time he was working as a civil engineer in the shipyard. When Garabagh war emerged, his peace as all of the patriot children of Azerbaijan was destroyed.

     He was constantly thinking about Azerbaijan’s freedom and territorial integrity.  Sefa, created a society called “Azeri” for the first time in Latvia, in order to show the world the truth about Azerbaijan and its history and unite all then Azerbaijani people. The Society’s scope of work continued expanding.

     Safa was going everywhere in Latvia and was trying to involve his compatriots in this society. As result of expansion of the society, Azerbaijanis gained 3 deputy seats in the Latvian Saeima. And after this success, they were able to create in Latvia, a league called “Muslim” in order to unite all the Muslims of the area. The League was playing a huge role in the lives of all the Muslims. They were restoring the ancient mosques in Riga and helping the poor as well. 

     The hypocritical policy of the Soviet Empire was making it more and more difficult for Azerbaijan to survive.

      Armenian gangsters by taking advantage of the situation were often vandalizing Azerbaijani settlements.

     The frantic behavior of Armenians forced Safa to return back to Azerbaijan. He was assigned as a second pilot of MI – 8 helicopter of Azal – aero Company, after his return to Baki in 1989.

     Safa was using the route Baki – Aghdam. His heart was beating with the hatred towards the enemy and the love towards his own nation.

     In 1992 of January 28th, he had two successful flights towards Shusha. He took off the land again. And as he was approaching Shusha, the missile from Khankendi’s direction tore the helicopter into the pieces. The three members of the crew that were controlling the helicopter and 47 passengers were tragically killed. 

     He was married. He had two sons left as a memory of him.

     Akhundov Safa Fatulla was posthumously awarded the title of "National Hero of Azerbaijan" by the decree # 337 of the president of the Azerbaijan Republic dated November 25, 1992.

     He was buried in the Martyrs Alley in Baki. His statue was put in the center of Jalilabad city. The Cultural House and one of the main streets of the region is named after him. 

Source: Milliqahramanlar.az