Marneuli: The memory of Ismayil Mursagulov, one of the January 20 martyrs of Georgian origin, is being honored by relatives who are seeking to restore his name to a school in his native village of Gizilhajili in Georgia’s Marneuli district. Previously, both a street and Secondary Incomplete Azerbaijani-Language School No. 2 were named after him. While the street still bears his name, the school no longer does, a change that occurred in the early 2000s.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Farid Mursagulov, a close relative of the martyr, explained that in the years following the January 20 tragedy, the school was named in Ismayil Mursagulov’s honor. Despite not having been a student there, the school’s location in Gizilhajili, on the ancestral land of the Mursagulov family, made the naming significant. Farid Mursagulov submitted an appeal to the Marneuli mayor’s office and the municipal council on April 28 of last year, backed by nearly 140 signatures from local residents, requesting the restoration of Mursagulov’s name to the school. However, nearly nine months later, there has been no response.
Farid Mursagulov shared that the school administration and teaching staff have verbally supported the idea of restoring the former name to the educational institution. He noted that the school building is in need of repair and expressed hope that restoration work will follow the reinstatement of the name.
Plans are underway for Farid Mursagulov to visit the Marneuli mayor’s office soon to inquire about the status of his appeal. It is worth noting that the practice of naming state schools after individuals was halted in Georgia in 2009. However, since 2019, several schools have been named after distinguished figures by orders from the Ministry of Education, Science, and Youth. Notably, the school in Chaisubani was named for writer Nodar Dumbadze, and the Tetritskaro village school after Tsar David the Builder.
Professor Ismayil Mursagulov was a scientist at the Sumgayit Institute of Polymer Materials and became a victim of the massacre on January 24 while on his way to work. He passed away on February 3 at the age of 50 and was laid to rest at the Alley of Martyrs in Baku.