The Azerbaijan Higher Naval Academy (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Ali Hərbi Dənizçilik Məktəbi) is an educational institution of the Azerbaijani Naval Forces. It is part of the education system of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan.[1] It was originally founded in 1939, during Soviet times, when it was called the Caspian Higher Naval Red Banner School named after Sergei Kirov (Russian: Каспийское высшее военно-морское Краснознамённое училище имени С. М. Кирова).[2]
History
The school was founded on 9 December 1939 in Baku. On 4 March 1945, on behalf of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, the school was awarded the Battle Banner of the school. Fifteen years after the original founding date, the school was named after Sergei Mironovich Kirov. On 22 February 1968, the school was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. During Yusif Akhundzade's service as director of the school band, it participated in the 1971 and 1983 October Revolution Day Parade on Moscow's Red Square.[3] In June 1992, the last issue of cadets took place. After the collapse of the USSR, by decree of President Abulfaz Elchibey on 3 July 1992, the school was transferred to the jurisdiction of the newly formed Azerbaijani Republic. This order became official on 18 July 1992, after which the school was disbanded by directive of the General Staff of the Navy on 10 September 1992, and the personnel was transferred to other naval schools of Russia. At the same time, most officers and cadets of the navigational faculty continued to serve and study at the Frunze Higher Naval School. On the basis of the school, the Azerbaijan Higher Naval School was created in 1996.[4] Since 2008, cadets from the Kazakh Naval Forces have studied at the school, specializing in naval weapons.[5] By presidential decree of 24 December 2015, the school was abolished and transferred to the Azerbaijan Higher Military Academy with the establishment of the corresponding faculties there.[6]