Albert Agarunov received the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan posthumously and was buried at Martyrs’ Avenue in Baku.
By Shula Rosen
Thirty-four years after the death of Albert Agarunov during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, Azerbaijan held memorial events this week honoring the Jewish tank commander, who remains one of the country’s most celebrated national heroes.
Ceremonies took place at Baku’s Alley of Martyrs, where Agarunov is buried among prominent Azerbaijani figures under both Israeli and Azerbaijani flags.
Rabbi Zamir Isayev participated in the commemorations together with students and members of Azerbaijan’s Jewish community, who gathered at the gravesite for prayers and remembrance events.
Jewish community leaders and participants at the ceremony said Agarunov continues to represent courage, national service and loyalty to Azerbaijan more than three decades after his death.
Agarunov was 23 when he was killed on May 9, 1992, during fighting in Shusha.
He later received the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan posthumously and was buried at Martyrs’ Avenue in Baku.
Born into a Jewish family, Agarunov grew up in the village of Amirjan near Baku after his family relocated there from Qirmizi Qasaba in the Quba region.
Before the war, he worked and studied in Azerbaijan and later served in a tank unit in Akhalkalaki, Georgia, according to accounts published about his life.
During the war, Agarunov became known among fellow Azerbaijani fighters as a skilled tank commander.
Former comrades recalled that the crew of tank No. 533 participated in battles around Shusha and destroyed multiple enemy armored vehicles during combat operations.
Accounts from fellow soldiers state that Armenian forces reportedly placed a bounty on Agarunov during the conflict because of his battlefield reputation.
In one interview cited in published recollections, Agarunov said: “I’m fighting for my homeland where I was born and where I grew up. My wish is to restore peace and freedom to the territory of sovereign Azerbaijan.”
Published accounts state Agarunov was killed by sniper fire while defending positions around Shusha during intense fighting in May 1992.
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