No school today because of another mystifying Azerbaijan national holiday: Martyrs' Day, though not that mystifying once I learned about it. On January 20, 1990, citizens in Baku were in the streets protesting Soviet policies and agitating for Azerbaijan autonomy. Soviet tanks rolled in, and about 180 civilians were killed. This day is commemorated as the beginning of Azerbaijan's road to independence, which finally officially took place in October 1991.
I happened to have "primary source" material for Martyrs' Day, a copy of the Washington Post dated 20 Jan. 1990, for quite another reason.
In the wee hours of Jan. 19, 1990, ex-mayor-for-life Marian Barry was finally nabbed for coke possession, the famous (among those of a certain age) "bitch set me up" arrest.
So this summer, clearing out boxes in preparation for the move to Baku, I found dozens of newspapers documenting historic events, or what I considered historic events. The Pope's 1979 visit, John Lennon's 1980 murder, the 1981 release of the hostages, 1986 Challenger crash--and 1990, Marian Barry's arrest.
Under the fold on that day--news of the Baku uprising and Soviet response. It meant nothing to me at the time. I probably didn't even read it.
I threw out the other newspapers, but kept this one.
How uncanny that you kept that newspaper. Kismet? And that you kept the one about Barry but threw out the rest. Pretty funny.
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