This is the list of the heads of state of Azerbaijan from 1918 to the present. 25 people have been head of the Azerbaijani state since its establishment in 1918. It includes leaders of short-lived Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918–1920), of Soviet Azerbaijan (1920–1991), and of post-Soviet era.
Multiple terms in office, consecutive or otherwise, are listed and counted in the first column (administration number) and the second column counts individuals.
The youngest head of state by his accession to office was Grigory Kaminsky, at age 25, and the oldest Heydar Aliyev, at age 70.
Leaders of Azerbaijan since 1918 Colour key
Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918–1920) Chairman of the Azerbaijani National Council PresidentTerm of officePolitical partyGovernmentElectedRefPortraitNameTook officeLeft officeTime in office 1Mammad Amin Rasulzade28 May 19187 December 1918Musavat 1. Rasulzade I1918
Chairman of Parliament Chairman of ParliamentTerm of officePolitical partyGovernmentElectedRefPortraitNameTook officeLeft officeTime in office 2Alimardan Topchubashov7 December 191827 April 1920Ittifaq al-Muslimin 2. Topchubashov I1918
Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (1922–1936) and Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (1936–1991) Chairman of the Presidium of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan SSR ChairmanTerm of officePolitical partyGovernmentElectedRefPortraitNameTook officeLeft officeTime in office 3Mirza Davud Huseynov28 April 192023 July 1920Communist (Bolsheviks)3. Hüseynov I — 4Victor Naneyshvili23 July 1920 9 September 1920Communist (Bolsheviks)4. Naneyşvili I — 5Elena Stasova9 September 192015 September 1920Communist (Bolsheviks)5. Stasova I —Lazitch and Drachkovitch, Biographical Dictionary of the Comintern, pg. 444. Shortest serving leader of communist Azerbaijan 6Vladimir Dumbadze15 September 192024 November 1920Communist (Bolsheviks)6. Dumbadze I —
Executive Secretary of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan SSR SecretaryTerm of officePolitical partyGovernmentElectedRefPortraitNameTook officeLeft officeTime in office 7Grigory Kaminsky24 October 192024 July 1921Communist (Bolsheviks)7. Kaminski I —
First Secretary of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan SSR First SecretaryTerm of officePolitical partyGovernmentRefPortraitNameTook officeLeft officeTime in office 8Sergey Kirov24 July 19215 January 1925Communist (Bolsheviks)8. Kirov IGetty, J. Arch, Origins of the Great Purges: The Soviet Communist Party Reconsidered, 1933–38, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987), 207.Enforced Soviet rule over unwilling Azerbaijani nationalists; played an important role in helping to deliver Baku's oil to Soviet Russia. 9Ruhulla Akhundov5 January 192521 January 1926Communist (Bolsheviks)9. Axundov IDuring the Great Purge, he was arrested, accused of plotting against the Soviet state, sentenced to death and executed. 10Levon Mirzoyan21 January 192611 July 1929Communist (Bolsheviks)10. Mirzoyan IPurged Azerbaijani intelligentsia, communist leaders who had sympathized with the opposition or who might have once leaned toward Pan-Turkism. 11Nikolay Gikalo11 July 19295 August 1930Communist (Bolsheviks)11. Gikalo IDuring the Great Purge, he was arrested, accused of plotting against the Soviet state, sentenced to death and executed. 12Vladimir Polonsky5 August 19307 February 1933Communist (Bolsheviks)12. Polonski IDuring the Great Purge, he was arrested, accused of plotting against the Soviet state, sentenced to death and executed. 13Ruben Rubenov7 February 193310 December 1933Communist (Bolsheviks)13. Rubenov IDuring the Great Purge, he was arrested, accused of plotting against the Soviet state, sentenced to death and executed. 14Mir Jafar Baghirov10 December 19336 April 1953Communist 14. Bağırov IFollowed Stalin's orders without question; Purged Azerbaijani intelligentsia, communist leaders who had sympathized with the opposition or who might have once leaned toward Pan-Turkism. 15Mir Teymur Yaqubov6 April 195317 February 1954Communist 15. Yaqubov I 16Imam Mustafayev17 February 195410 July 1959Communist 16. Mustafayev I 17Vali Akhundov10 July 195914 July 1969Communist 17. Axundov IHe is credited in Azerbaijan for rebuffing the Armenian claims for Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast in 1965. 18Heydar Aliyev14 July 19693 December 1982Communist 18. H.Əliyev ILouise I. Shelley. Policing Soviet Society: The Evolution of State Control, Routledge, 1996, , p. 88Temporarily improved economic conditions and promoted alternative industries to the declining oil industry. 19Kamran Baghirov3 December 198221 May 1988Communist 19. Bağırov IHe was strongly criticized for worsening economic conditions in Azerbaijan. 20Abdurrahman Vazirov21 May 198825 January 1990Communist 20. Vəzirov IRobert V. Barylski. "The Russian Federation and Eurasia's Islamic Crescent", Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 46, No. 3. (1994), p. 397 Shared internationalist values and aspirations for political reform but he could not cope effectively with the complex political situation in Azerbaijan. 21Ayaz Mutallibov25 January 199014 September 1991Communist 21. Mütəllibov IBlack January.
Chairperson of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR
Republic of Azerbaijan (1991–present) No.PresidentTerm of officeElectedPolitical partyGovernmentRefPortraitNameTook officeLeft officeTime in office (21)Ayaz Mutallibov18 May 19906 March 19921990Communist 22. Mütəllibov II8 September 19916 March 19921991 —Yagub Mammadov (acting)6 March 199214 May 1992 —None — (21)Ayaz Mutallibov14 May 199218 May 1992 —NoneMütəllibov II —Isa Gambar (acting)18 May 199217 June 1992 —Musavat — 22Abulfaz Elchibey17 June 199224 June 19931992Azerbaijani Popular Front Party23. Elçibəy I "Les liaisons dangereuses de la police turque" , Le Monde diplomatique, March 1997; ; ; ; ; ; ; —Heydar Aliyev24 June 199310 October 1993—New Azerbaijan Party24. H.Əliyev II (18)10 October 19933 October 200319933 October 199831 October 20031998 23Ilham Aliyev31 October 200315 October 20082003New Azerbaijan Party25. İ.Əliyev I15 October 20089 October 201320089 October 201311 April 2018201311 April 20187 February 202420187 February 2024Incumbent2024
Timeline
See also President of Azerbaijan Prime Minister of Azerbaijan
References
External links Republic of Azerbaijan