BAKU, Azerbaijan — Azerbaijan this week marked the 34th anniversary of the death of Albert Agarunov, a Jewish tank commander widely regarded as one of the country’s national heroes following his death during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.

Memorial ceremonies took place at the Alley of Martyrs in Baku, where Agarunov is buried beneath both Azerbaijani and Israeli flags alongside other national figures. Rabbi Zamir Isayev joined students and members of the local Jewish community for prayers and commemorative events near the gravesite.

Community leaders described Agarunov as a symbol of courage, civic duty and loyalty to his country, noting that his legacy continues to resonate across Azerbaijani society decades after his death.

Agarunov was posthumously awarded the title “National Hero of Azerbaijan,” the nation’s highest honor. His funeral drew participation from both Jewish and Muslim religious leaders and was remembered as a display of interfaith respect.

Over the years, Azerbaijan has continued to commemorate Agarunov through memorials and public tributes, including naming a school after him and unveiling a monument in his honor in Baku.

He was killed on May 8, 1992, during fighting over the strategic city of Shusha. Azerbaijani accounts say Agarunov left his tank during combat in an effort to recover the bodies of fallen soldiers before being fatally shot by a sniper.

For many in Azerbaijan, Agarunov’s story represents both national patriotism and the long-standing presence of Jewish life in the country, where Jewish communities have lived for centuries.

More than three decades after his death, Agarunov remains one of Azerbaijan’s most recognized wartime figures and a lasting symbol of unity between the country’s Jewish and Muslim communities.