When is Khojaly Remembrance Day?
In 2026, Khojaly Remembrance Day falls on Thursday, February 26, 2026. It is an observance rather than a federal holiday, so federal offices and most businesses follow their normal schedules.
History of Khojaly Remembrance Day
February 26 is observed in Azerbaijan as the Day of the Khojaly Genocide, following a 1994 Milli Majlis resolution. It remembers civilians killed in Khojaly during the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh on the night of February 25–26, 1992. Azerbaijan officially characterises the events as genocide; international legal and political descriptions of the conflict have varied, so this page uses the Azerbaijani official designation while keeping the focus on civilian remembrance.
Wreath-laying, public exhibitions and moments of silence place victims and survivors at the centre of the observance. It is not a statutory public holiday, and ordinary work schedules normally continue, but it is one of the most solemn dates in Azerbaijan's national memory.
Azerbaijan’s official designation follows the Milli Majlis resolution of February 1994. Other international institutions and scholars have used terms including massacre and mass killing, and legal recognition as genocide is not universal. The guide therefore attributes the official terminology and centres documented civilian loss rather than presenting a contested legal characterisation as uncontested global fact. February 26 is a working remembrance day outside Article 105, with no automatic rest-day transfer or shortened pre-holiday workday.
How Khojaly Remembrance Day is observed
A national remembrance observance on February 26, not a statutory nationwide day off. Memorial ceremonies and educational programmes are commonly held.
Traditions of Khojaly Remembrance Day
Wreath-laying
Officials, bereaved families and community representatives lay flowers at Khojaly memorials and honour named civilian victims of the 1992 violence.
Public remembrance
Azerbaijani museums, schools and cultural centres present survivor testimony, documentary exhibitions and quiet ceremonies dedicated to historical memory.
Solidarity
Commemorations emphasise practical and emotional support for survivors, displaced households and bereaved families affected by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Dates and observance rules are checked against the official Azerbaijani legal and official guidance. Lunar-date planning estimates and annual non-working-day schedules should be confirmed against official notices.
History sources: Office of the President: Bloody Memory and the Khojaly remembrance date, Office of the President: Holidays of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Cabinet of Ministers: current Labour Code Article 105 excerpt, Cabinet of Ministers: 2026 Novruz, Ramadan and Qurban dates, Ministry of Labour: official 2026 production calendar.
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