BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 30. Heydar Aliyev ranks among the greatest global politicians of the 20th century, prominent journalist, radio and television presenter, writer, and public figure, Mikhail Gusman, said at the presentation of Aslan Aslanov's book "Heydar Aliyev's lessons in statehood and diplomacy. Book I," Trend's correspondent reports from the event.
Gusman noted the symbolic significance of Sergei Yesenin's poetic lines "A face can't be seen face to face," emphasizing their connection to the historical and philosophical understanding of memory.
"Yesenin wrote these words in Baku, and he as if knew that if we understand them not geographically, but historically, they would fully relate to how our people will preserve their great memory," the journalist said.
He emphasized that he perceives Heydar Aliyev's role in Azerbaijan's history as exceptional.
"I'm not a religious person, but I have a deep conviction that the Almighty has blessed Azerbaijan by sending it such a great leader," he said.
As Gusman noted, Heydar Aliyev was a politician of global stature, whose name and legacy will remain in history for centuries.
"He was a man of great stature, of global stature; his power, his gigantic human stature will remain forever," he added.
According to him, in the 20th century, only a few leaders could claim to have saved their country. "In my understanding, in the 20th century, only two people, only two politicians, could say of themselves: 'I saved my country.' They were Winston Churchill and Heydar Aliyev," Gusman noted.
Speaking about Aslan Aslanov's book, he emphasized its importance for preserving historical memory. Gusman also praised the author's professional work and recalled the period of their collaboration associated with the development of AZERTAG and its accession to the European Alliance of News Agencies.
"It was very important for people to understand the processes taking place in Azerbaijan and the freedom of speech that exists in the country," he noted.
