Access to the materials of the Archive of political documents of the Office of Presidential Affairs is limited. This is stated in the article by the Doctor of History, Professor Jamil Hasanly.

This institution was created in 1921 by the decree of Nariman Narimanov, reminds the scientist. In subsequent years, the archive was called differently, but the function of the institution was to store documents on the history of the Communist Party, the labor movement, and the liberation movements in the Middle East.

The Foundation has millions of materials also on the history of the 70-year rule of the Communist Party in Azerbaijan. Some materials during the Soviet era were closed to researchers. These were mainly documents relating to the People"s Republic of Azerbaijan and the events of March-April 1918 concerning national problems.

After the restoration of independence of Azerbaijan, all these documents were declassified. However, now again they have become secret. Even those documents that were opened during the Soviet era are classified as secret.

"Recently, in the Archive of Political Documents, someone has decided to introduce a secrecy for personal affairs of all leaders of the Bolshevik Communist Party, leaders of the Soviet state and government, starting from 1898.

How can you write the history of Azerbaijan for more than 100 years, without researching the personal affairs of the leaders of that period? Is it possible to create a complete picture of the events without studying individual cases of those who headed Azerbaijan in 1920 - Narimanov, Kirov, Aliheydar Garayev, Mirza Davud Huseynov, Levon Mirzoyan, Levon Sargsyan, Sergo Ordzhokinidze, Ruhulla Akhundov, Eyub Khanbudagov, Serebrovsky, Kaminsky, Polonsky, Ruben, Mirdjafar Baghirov and dozens of others?

The biographies they wrote with their own hands, the characteristics given to them, decisions about repression and rehabilitation, orders, and other documents are stored in their personal archives," Hasanli writes.

The historian notes the immense importance of these documents, many of which he personally met while working on books on the history of the country.

The ban imposed is a harmful arbitrariness, a heavy blow to the development of historical science.

Hasanly recalled that according to the Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 32 of March 6, 2000, the Regulation on the use of the National Archival Fund (paragraph 4.7) allows the use of archival documents on the personal or family life of citizens, unless otherwise provided by law, 75 years after their creation or 30 years after the death of the person concerned, or if the fact of death is not established 110 years after the date of birth.

Given this, the restriction of access to the above materials is illegal.

Hasanly draws attention to the fact that for the first time since the creation of this archive in 1921, the institution is headed not by a historian, but by a biologist by profession - Elmira Alekperova, sister of the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Oktay Asadov.

The scientist believes the ban on the use of archival documents is aimed at depersonalizing history.

First published on: www.turan.az/