July 22, the first day of publishing the "Akinchi" newspaper, founded by Hasan Bey Zardabi in1875, has been marked as the National Press Day in Azerbaijan.

The formation of the national press, which is one of the most important events in the public life of Azerbaijan, falls on the middle of the 19th century. The appearance of the press was a completely new political, cultural and scientific means of interaction for Azerbaijan and the entire Eastern world, and was closely connected with the important socio-political, economic and cultural processes taking place in the country, including the formation of the educational movement, secular theater and the school of the new type.

The first steps towards the development of the national press were the supplement to the newspaper "Tiflisskie Vedomosti" called "Tiflis Akhbari", which began to be published in the Azerbaijani language from 1832, and then from 1845, the supplement to the newspaper "Transcaucasian Bulletin" called "News of this side of the Caucasus "("Qafqazın bu tərəfinin xəbəri"). Those publications that bore the character of an official bulletin could not yet be called newspapers in the proper sense of the word.

The foundation of our national press was laid on July 22, 1875, by the publication of the first issue of the Akinchi newspaper. The publisher, editor and proofreader of this newspaper, which caused a great resonance throughout the Caucasus, was one of the founders of the Azerbaijani national enlightenment movement, natural scientist Hasan-bek Zardabi. A great contribution to the creation of the newspaper was made by Mirza Fatali Akhundov, Seyid Azim Shirvani, Najaf bey Vazirov, Asker agha Gorani and other representatives of the intelligentsia.

After the closure of the newspaper "Akinchi" in 1877, despite various efforts, for some time there was no printed organ in the Azerbaijani language in our country.

Social processes and topical issues taking place in the country were reflected for some time in the local Russian-language press. The first Russian-language newspaper in Baku was the “Baku Leaflet”, the first issue of which was published in March 1871. In 1876, the second Russian-language newspaper “Baku News” was published. In 1897, the famous Azerbaijani philanthropist Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev acquired the Russian-language edition of “Kaspi”. “Kaspi” was the longest-lived Russian-language newspaper, and its editors were Alimardan bey Topchubashev and then Alibey Huseynzade. Newspapers published in Russian took the initiative to create a press in the Azerbaijani language, but failed to put it into practice.

In 1879, Haji Said Efendi Unsizade succeeded in publishing the “Ziyai-Kafkaziyya” newspaper in Tiflis. After only 104 issues of the newspaper appeared in 1880, it ceased to be printed. In 1883-1891, the newspaper and magazine "Kashkul" were published in Tiflis, continuing the style of "Akinchi".

The first newspaper in the Azerbaijani language of the 20 century was the socio-political, economic, scientific and literary newspaper Shargi-rus, published by Mammadaga Shakhtakhtinsky in 1903 in Tiflis. The newspaper occupied a special place in the history of the development of public opinion in Azerbaijan. The newspaper reflects progressive ideas about secular sciences, native language, and women's freedom. The “Sharki-Rus” newspaper was able to unite great intellectuals such as Jalil Mammadguluzade, Mirza Alekper Sabir, Abbas Sahhat, Omar Faig Nemanzade, Huseyn Javid, Mammad Said Ordubadi, Aligulu Gamkusar, Ali Nazmi.

The creative team formed around the “Sharki-Rus” newspaper created the basis for the start of a new stage in the development of the periodicals in Azerbaijan. On the initiative, under the editorship and publishing house of Jalil Mammadguluzade, on April 7, 1906, the first illustrated weekly Azerbaijani satirical magazine, Molla Nasreddin, was published in Tiflis. The magazine, published in Tiflis until 1918, was published in Tabriz in 1921, and in Baku in 1921-1931.

Also noteworthy was the publication in Azerbaijan of magazines for children and parents, such as “Dabistan”, “Rahbar”, “Maktab”. An important role in the development of our press was played by such newspapers and magazines as “Hayat”, “Fuuzat”, “Taza Hayat”, ‘Shalala”, “Achyg Soz”, “Dirilik”, published with the active participation of the Azerbaijani intelligentsia.

The national press played an important role in Azerbaijan gaining independence on May 28, 1918. The newspaper "Azerbaijan", published by the brilliant composer and public figure Uzeyir bey Hajibeyov during the period of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, broadcasting from a national platform, was the clearest example of the interconnection of socio-political processes with   the development of the national culture.

In fact, the activities of the press of the era of the Democratic Republic was a new and very important stage in the implementation of the ideas of Hasan bey Zardabi and the principles of "akinchi". Unfortunately, this stage was short-lived.

The years of activity of the Soviet press, which is more than 70 years, falls into the period of the 20th century. This period also occupies a special place. It was during these years that the network of newspapers and magazines expanded, the press was enriched by new types of mass media. Various types of journalism have appeared. Although the press was more partisan and class-oriented, our patriotic journalists have always used their pens in the service of the people and have sometimes been harassed along the way.

After the establishment of Soviet power in Azerbaijan, the development of the press was mainly associated with party ideology. These are newspapers - "Kommunist" (the first issue was published in 1919), "Bakinskiy Rabociy" (published in 1906), "Vyshka" (published in 1928), "Azerbaijan Gandjlari", "Youth of Azerbaijan" (the first numbers in 1919 in 1958), "Baku" (1958), "Literature and Art" (1934) and many others. In these publications, along with issues related to communist ideology, the economic and scientific development of the republic, cultural issues were also reflected. The articles of these newspapers, dedicated to the language, literature and culture of our people, serving the idea of Azerbaijanism, remain relevant today and demonstrate the position of Azerbaijani journalism even under the conditions of a totalitarian regime.

The development of our national press is connected with the name of national leader Heydar Aliyev. At the insistence of the people, the return of the Great Leader to power in 1993 opened a new stage in the history of the development of our media. In 1998, national leader Heydar Aliyev abolished state censorship of the Azerbaijani press, and the foundations of freedom of speech and press were laid in our country, which gave a serious impetus to the development of the press. Numerous measures were implemented by decrees and orders of the national leader Heydar Aliyev to strengthen the material and technical base and economic independence of the press, create favorable conditions for the free activity of journalists, and the foundations of advanced traditions of the relationship between the press and the state were laid.

The attention and care shown by the Great Leader to the press and its representatives is continued by the President Ilham Aliyev, a worthy successor to the National Leader. Freedom of speech and press is fully guaranteed in our country. It is no coincidence that a large number of various newspapers and magazines are published in the republic, and Internet journalism is developing. In the modern era, the development of information technologies has made the press of Azerbaijan part of the global information network.

During the Second Karabakh War and in the post-war period, the role of the press and the activities of journalists was indisputable in bringing the whole truth about Azerbaijan to the world. Thanks to their professionalism, dedication and flexibility, the world community received full information about the war, including the war crimes committed by official Irevan.

At present, in Azerbaijan, hundreds of press organs, news agencies, television and radio companies, rapidly developing Internet resources play an important role in meeting the information needs of our society, becoming active participants in the construction of civil society.

The Azerbaijani press, which played an exceptional role in the development of national self-consciousness, the education of patriotic feelings, the promotion of national and universal values, made a great contribution to the struggle of our people for freedom and independence.

Recommended literature:

1. Azərbaycan mətbuatı tarixi : dərslik / tərt.-red. A. Şahverdiyev. - Bakı : Təhsil EİM, 2006. - 252 s.
2. Ağayev, İslam Məmməd oğlu. Ədəbiyyat, mətbuat və publisistika problemləri : seçilmiş məqalələr / İ. M. Ağayev ; elmi red. A. H. Rüstəmli ; AMEA Nizami adına Ədəbiyyat İnstitutu. - Bakı: Elm, 2008. - 504 s.
3. Aşırlı, Akif. Azərbaycan mətbuatı tarixi / A. Aşırlı ; red. A. Bayramoğlu. I hissə 1875-1920. - Bakı : Elm və təhsil, 2009. - 296 s.
4. Aşırlı, Akif. Azərbaycan mətbuatı tarixi / A. Aşırlı. II hissə : 1920-1990 / elmi red. C. Məmmədli. - Bakı : Elm və təhsil, 2010. - 227 s.
5. Rəhimzadə, Vüqar Gəncəli oğlu. Söz və mətbuat azadlığı demokratik inkişafın əsası kimi : Azərbaycan təcrübəsi: monoqrafiya / V. G. Rəhimzadə. - Bakı : Mars-Print NPF, 2016. - 304 s.
6. Azərbaycan mətbuatı tarixi : dərslik / tərt.-red. A. Şahverdiyev. - Bakı : Təhsil EİM, 2006. - 252 s.
7. Azərbaycan çap mətbuatı tarixinin inciləri : 1875-1920 = Historical Gems of Azerbaijani Press : 1875-1920. - Bakı : Şərq-Qərb, 2020. - 160 s.
8. Şuşa ABŞ və Böyük Britaniya mətbuatında : 1827-1915-ci illərə aid qəzet materialları əsasında / Azərbaycan Respublikası Mədəniyyət Nazirliyi, Azərbaycan Milli Kitabxanası ; layihənin rəh., ön sözün müəl. K. M. Tahirov; tərc.: E. Nəciyev, Ə. İsmayılova; red. G. Nəciyeva. - Bakı : Zərdabi Nəşr MMC, 2022. - 84 s.
9. Həsən bəy Zərdabi və "Əkinçi" : bioqrafik məqalələr, məktublar, xatirələr, tədqiqatlar / Azərbaycanda Vətəndaş Cəmiyyətinin İnkişafına Yardım Assosiasiyası, Söz Azadlığını Müdafiə Fondu ; red. heyəti: M. Yaqub [et al.]. - Bakı : [n. y.], 2010. - 225 s.