Azerbaijan Republic Day 2026
nationalFriday, May 28, 2027
255 days from today · next occurrence
About Azerbaijan Republic Day
Azerbaijan Republic Day, celebrated every year on May 28, commemorates the founding of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918, the first secular democratic republic in the Muslim world. The new state, proclaimed in Tiflis by the National Council led by Mahammad Amin Rasulzade, granted women the vote before many Western nations, established a parliament, and adopted a tricolor flag of blue, red, and green that independent Azerbaijan uses again today.
The republic lasted only twenty-three months before Soviet Russia absorbed it in 1920, but those months left a durable legacy of statehood, parliamentary tradition, and national identity. When Azerbaijan restored its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, it deliberately revived May 28 and the symbols of 1918 as proof that modern statehood was a restoration, not a beginning.
Today the holiday brings parades in Baku, fireworks over the Caspian, concerts, and speeches that link the 1918 republic to the modern state. Schools hold lessons on the republic's founders, and the flag and the anthem sit at the center of official observances.
When is Azerbaijan Republic Day?
| Year | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | May 28, 2026 | Thursday |
| 2027 | May 28, 2027 | Friday |
| 2028 | May 28, 2028 | Sunday |
| 2029 | May 28, 2029 | Monday |
| 2030 | May 28, 2030 | Tuesday |
History of Azerbaijan Republic Day
After the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917, the peoples of the South Caucasus formed a short-lived federation, and on May 28, 1918, the Azerbaijani National Council proclaimed the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in Tiflis, now Tbilisi. The young republic moved its capital to Ganja, then Baku, and achieved remarkable firsts: universal suffrage that included women from the start, a national university, and a functioning coalition parliament that seated multiple parties and ethnic groups. It survived internal unrest, war with Armenia, and British occupation of Baku before Bolshevik forces took the city in April 1920, ending the republic after less than two years. During seven decades of Soviet rule, the memory of May 28 was kept alive by the émigré community, which preserved the flag and the legacy of Rasulzade. With independence restored in October 1991, Azerbaijan reinstated May 28 as a national holiday, framing the modern state as the heir of the 1918 republic.
How to Celebrate Azerbaijan Republic Day
- Watch the parade and fireworks in Baku, broadcast live on Azerbaijani television.
- Read about the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic's parliament and its early women's suffrage.
- Visit the National Flag Square in Baku if you are in the city for the holiday.
- Learn the meaning of the tricolor flag — blue for Turkic heritage, red for progress, green for Islam.
- Explore Azerbaijani music, from mugham to modern pop, shared widely around the holiday.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When is Azerbaijan Republic Day?
- Azerbaijan marks Republic Day every year on May 28, the date in 1918 when the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the first secular democratic republic in the Muslim world, was proclaimed.
- Is Azerbaijan Republic Day a public holiday?
- Yes. It is a national public holiday in Azerbaijan. Offices, schools, and most businesses close, and the capital hosts official parades and fireworks.
- How do people celebrate Azerbaijan Republic Day?
- Azerbaijanis celebrate with parades in Baku, concerts and flag-raising ceremonies, television documentaries about the 1918 republic, and family gatherings; schools run lessons on the republic's founders.
- What was the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic?
- It was the independent Azerbaijani state proclaimed on May 28, 1918, notable for granting women the vote and building a parliamentary system, until it was absorbed by Soviet Russia in 1920.