Azerbaijan's ambassador to Ukraine and Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Kostyantin Hryshchenko attended the gala opening on April 25 of a park in Kyiv dedicated to the late president of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, who died in 2003.
The park features a bronze statue of the late leader, who is the father of current Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. It was funded by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR).
It also has free Wi-Fi.
Azerbaijan's ambassador in Kyiv, Einulla Madatli, described the park as Azerbaijan's gift to the Ukrainian people.
It is just the latest move in Azerbaijan's apparent campaign to export the cult of personality of its former leader. From Belgrade to Tashkent to Mexico City, Heydar Aliyev's likeness is seeking out new venues to advance Azerbaijan's interests abroad.
In fact, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service has created an interactive map of Heydar Aliyevs around the world:
"Special courses and special lectures could be established in universities to study the Heydar Aliyev phenomenon," says Adalet Qasimov, the head of the Department of AliyevScience in the History Institute of the Academy of Sciences.
"To me, Aliyev always served his nation. Compared to other leaders of Azerbaijan, there is nothing you could criticize him for. During our investigations, we came across nothing of the sort."
PHOTO GALLERY of Heydar Aliyev statues around the world:
Heydar Aliyev: Immortalized In Stone Around The World
1/8A statue of Heydar Aliyev was unveiled in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 4, 2004.
At present, there are more than a dozen statues of the late Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev in cities around the world. The latest one was unveiled in Mexico city on August 23.
2/8There's also a Heydar Aliyev statue in Istanbul, Turkey.
At present, there are more than a dozen statues of the late Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev in cities around the world. The latest one was unveiled in Mexico city on August 23.
3/8Heydar Aliyev's son and current Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev attended the opening of the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, on September 27, 2010.
At present, there are more than a dozen statues of the late Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev in cities around the world. The latest one was unveiled in Mexico city on August 23.
4/8A Heydar Aliyev statue in Bucharest, Romania.
At present, there are more than a dozen statues of the late Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev in cities around the world. The latest one was unveiled in Mexico city on August 23.
5/8A monument to Aliyev has also been erected in Astrakhan, Russia.
At present, there are more than a dozen statues of the late Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev in cities around the world. The latest one was unveiled in Mexico city on August 23.
6/8Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (left) and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili (right) in front of the Heydar Aliyev statue in Tbilisi.
At present, there are more than a dozen statues of the late Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev in cities around the world. The latest one was unveiled in Mexico city on August 23.
7/8This statue of Heydar Aliyev was unveiled in Belgrade, Serbia, in June 2011.
At present, there are more than a dozen statues of the late Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev in cities around the world. The latest one was unveiled in Mexico city on August 23.
8/8Heydar Aliyev's latest statue was unveiled in Mexico City on August 23, 2012.
At present, there are more than a dozen statues of the late Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev in cities around the world. The latest one was unveiled in Mexico city on August 23.
