Jamshid Nakhchivanski Military Lyceum


Jamshid Nakhchivanski Military Lyceum, also known as Military Lyceum named after Jamshid Nakhchivanski, is a state school, specializing in education and training of students in military science and preparing them for professional military service. The lyceum is located in the suburbs of Baku, Azerbaijan.

History

The lyceum was established on July 28, 1971 by the decree No. 331 of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan SSR at initiative of the First Secretary of Azerbaijan Communist Party and later President of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev on the basis of an eight-year Baku boarding school No. 2. The initial name of the school was "Specialized boarding school of the republic". The school was subordinated to the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan SSR. In November 1971, Heydar Aliyev named it after Azerbaijani general, Major General Jamshid Nakhchivanski. Nakhchivanski was a well known military professional who liberated Shusha in 1918 but was the victim of Joseph Stalin's purge of the armed forces officer corps in 1938. From 1976 through 1981, government provided financial and technical assistance to the lyceum to enhance the activities of the school.
In 1986, the school was renamed by the Ministry of Education to 'Boarding School for students studying Russian and increased military training'. On October 28, 1991, the school was transferred from the Ministry of Education to Ministry of Defense by decree No. 65 and on November 18, 1991 was renamed to "Baku secondary school Jamshid Nakhchivanski" by Presidential decree No. 377. It was then renamed again by Heydar Aliyev to 'Jamshid Nakhchivanski Military Lyceum' on November 24, 1997.

Student body

At the time of establishment, there were only 49 cadets from first enrollment in 1971 who graduated in 1974. At present, the lyceum welcomes 800 cadets annually, 600 of which study in Baku and 200 study in the lyceum branch in Nakhchivan.
The lyceum program consists of three year intensive study. Annually hundreds of young military professionals graduate from the lyceum. Many graduates continue their higher education in military schools in Russia, Turkey, Pakistan, and Italy. By 2009, the lyceum had produced 8,909 graduates: 10 of whom became generals and one admiral.
Heydar Aliyev has always paid special attention to this educational military establishment. On April 21, 2003 he collapsed on the stage due to severe drop in blood pressure while addressing the graduates of the lyceum on the occasion of anniversary of the school. Aliyev died a few months later. Every year, the cadets hold events commemorating the founder of their school.