List of heads of state of Azerbaijan

This is the list of the heads of state of Azerbaijan from 1918 to the present. 25 people have been head of the Azerbaijani state since its establishment in 1918. It includes leaders of short-lived Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918–1920), of Soviet Azerbaijan (1920–1991), and of post-Soviet era.

Multiple terms in office, consecutive or otherwise, are listed and counted in the first column (administration number) and the second column counts individuals.

The youngest head of state by his accession to office was Grigory Kaminsky, at age 25, and the oldest Heydar Aliyev, at age 70.

Leaders of Azerbaijan since 1918

Colour key (for political parties)
None   Musavat   Ittifaq al-Muslimin   Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Bolsheviks)   Communist Party of the Soviet Union   New Azerbaijan Party   Azerbaijani Popular Front Party

Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918–1920)

Chairman of the Azerbaijani National Council

No.	President (birth–death)		Term of office			Political party	Government	Elected	Ref
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Mammad Amin Rasulzade Məmməd Əmin Rəsulzadə (1884–1955)	28 May 1918	7 December 1918	193 days	Musavat	1. Rasulzade I	1918	[1]
			Regarded as the first President in the modern sense; won the Battle of Baku; remained neutral on the Russian Civil War; established Azerbaijani Armed Forces.

Chairman of Parliament

No.	Chairman of Parliament (birth–death)		Term of office			Political party	Government	Elected	Ref
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Time in office
2		Alimardan Topchubashov Əlimərdan Topçubaşov (1862–1934)	7 December 1918	27 April 1920	1 year, 142 days	Ittifaq al-Muslimin	2. Topchubashov I	1918	[2]
			Achieved the de facto recognition of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.

Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (1922–1936) and Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (1936–1991)

Chairman of the Presidium of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan SSR

No.	Chairman (birth–death)		Term of office			Political party	Government	Elected	Ref
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Time in office
3		Mirza Davud Huseynov Mirzə Davud Hüseynov (1894–1938)	28 April 1920	23 July 1920	86 days	Communist (Bolsheviks)	3. Hüseynov I	—	[3]
			During the Great Purge, he was arrested, accused of plotting against the Soviet state, sentenced to death and executed.
4		Victor Naneyshvili Viktor Naneyşvili (1878–1940)	23 July 1920	9 September 1920	48 days	Communist (Bolsheviks)	4. Naneyşvili I	—	[4]
			During the Great Purge, he was arrested, accused of plotting against the Soviet state, sentenced to death and executed.
5		Elena Stasova Yelena Stasova (1873–1966)	9 September 1920	15 September 1920	6 days	Communist (Bolsheviks)	5. Stasova I	—	[5]
			Shortest serving leader of communist Azerbaijan
6		Vladimir Dumbadze Vladimir Dumbadze (1879–1934)	15 September 1920	24 November 1920	70 days	Communist (Bolsheviks)	6. Dumbadze I	—	[6]
			During the Great Purge, he was arrested, accused of plotting against the Soviet state, sentenced to death and executed.

Executive Secretary of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan SSR

No.	Secretary (birth–death)		Term of office			Political party	Government	Elected	Ref
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Time in office
7		Grigory Kaminsky Qriqori Kaminski (1895–1938)	24 October 1920	24 July 1921	273 days	Communist (Bolsheviks)	7. Kaminski I	—	[7]
			During the Great Purge, he was arrested, accused of plotting against the Soviet state, sentenced to death and executed.

First Secretary of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan SSR

No.	First Secretary (birth–death)		Term of office			Political party	Government	Ref
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Time in office
8		Sergey Kirov Sergey Kirov (1886–1934)	24 July 1921	5 January 1925	3 years, 165 days	Communist (Bolsheviks)	8. Kirov I	[8]
			Enforced Soviet rule over unwilling Azerbaijani nationalists; played an important role in helping to deliver Baku’s oil to Soviet Russia.
9		Ruhulla Akhundov Ruhulla Axundov (1897–1938)	5 January 1925	21 January 1926	1 year, 16 days	Communist (Bolsheviks)	9. Axundov I	[9]
			During the Great Purge, he was arrested, accused of plotting against the Soviet state, sentenced to death and executed.
10		Levon Mirzoyan Levon Mirzoyan (1887–1939)	21 January 1926	11 July 1929	3 years, 171 days	Communist (Bolsheviks)	10. Mirzoyan I	[10]
			Purged Azerbaijani intelligentsia, communist leaders who had sympathized with the opposition or who might have once leaned toward Pan-Turkism.
11		Nikolay Gikalo Nikolay Gikalo (1897–1938)	11 July 1929	5 August 1930	1 year, 25 days	Communist (Bolsheviks)	11. Gikalo I	[11]
			During the Great Purge, he was arrested, accused of plotting against the Soviet state, sentenced to death and executed.
12		Vladimir Polonsky Vladimir Polonski (1893–1937)	5 August 1930	7 February 1933	2 years, 186 days	Communist (Bolsheviks)	12. Polonski I	[12]
			During the Great Purge, he was arrested, accused of plotting against the Soviet state, sentenced to death and executed.
13		Ruben Rubenov Ruben Rubenov (1894–1937)	7 February 1933	10 December 1933	306 days	Communist (Bolsheviks)	13. Rubenov I	[13]
			During the Great Purge, he was arrested, accused of plotting against the Soviet state, sentenced to death and executed.
14		Mir Jafar Baghirov Mir Cəfər Bağırov (1896–1956)	10 December 1933	6 April 1953	19 years, 117 days	Communist	14. Bağırov I	[14]
			Followed Stalin's orders without question; Purged Azerbaijani intelligentsia, communist leaders who had sympathized with the opposition or who might have once leaned toward Pan-Turkism.
15		Mir Teymur Yaqubov Mir Teymur Yaqubov (1904–1970)	6 April 1953	17 February 1954	317 days	Communist	15. Yaqubov I	[15]
16		Imam Mustafayev Imam Mustafayev (1910–1997)	17 February 1954	10 July 1959	5 years, 143 days	Communist	16. Mustafayev I	[16]
			Restored Azerbaijani language as the official language of the Azerbaijan SSR.
17		Vali Akhundov Vəli Axundov (1916–1986)	10 July 1959	14 July 1969	10 years, 4 days	Communist	17. Axundov I	[17]
			He is credited in Azerbaijan for rebuffing the Armenian claims for Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast in 1965.
18		Heydar Aliyev Heydər Əliyev (1923–2003)	14 July 1969	3 December 1982	13 years, 142 days	Communist	18. H.Əliyev I	[18]
			Temporarily improved economic conditions and promoted alternative industries to the declining oil industry.
19		Kamran Baghirov Kamran Bağırov (1933–2000)	3 December 1982	21 May 1988	5 years, 170 days	Communist	19. Bağırov I	[19]
			He was strongly criticized for worsening economic conditions in Azerbaijan.
20		Abdurrahman Vazirov Əbdürrəhman Vəzirov (1930–2022)	21 May 1988	25 January 1990	1 year, 249 days	Communist	20. Vəzirov I	[20]
			Shared internationalist values and aspirations for political reform but he could not cope effectively with the complex political situation in Azerbaijan.
21		Ayaz Mutallibov Ayaz Mütəllibov (1938–2022)	25 January 1990	14 September 1991	1 year, 232 days	Communist	21. Mütəllibov I	[21]
			Black January.

Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR

Main article: Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic

Republic of Azerbaijan (1990–present)

No.	President (birth–death)		Term of office			Elected	Political party	Government	Ref
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Time in office
(21)		Ayaz Mutallibov Azerbaijani: Ayaz Mütəllibov (1938–2022)	18 May 1990	6 March 1992	1 year, 293 days	1990	Communist	22. Mütəllibov II
			8 September 1991	6 March 1992		1991
			First Nagorno-Karabakh War; Khojaly Massacre; Capture of Shusha; 1991 Azerbaijani Mil Mi-8 shootdown. Forced to submit his resignation after pressure from Azerbaijan Popular Front.
—		Yagub Mammadov (acting) Azerbaijani: Yaqub Məmmədov (born 1941)	6 March 1992	14 May 1992	69 days	—	None	—	[22]
			Ousted by the armed revolt led by Azerbaijan Popular Front.
(21)		Ayaz Mutallibov Azerbaijani: Ayaz Mütəllibov (1938–2022)	14 May 1992	18 May 1992	4 days	—	None	Mütəllibov II
			Deposed from his duty after takeover by Azerbaijan Popular Front.
—		Isa Gambar (acting) Azerbaijani: İsa Qəmbər (born 1957)	18 May 1992	17 June 1992	30 days	—	Musavat	—	[23]
			Took temporary duties of president until the national elections in 1992.
22		Abulfaz Elchibey Azerbaijani: Əbülfəz Elçibəy (1938–2000)	17 June 1992	24 June 1993	1 year, 7 days	1992	Azerbaijani Popular Front Party	23. Elçibəy I	[24]
			Among the Soviet republics the Russian army was first withdrawn from Azerbaijan; The national currency of Azerbaijan was put into circulation; State Treasure Foundation was established; Entrance examinations to the high and vocational educational was held with test method for the first time; The foundation of private institutions in the education field was permitted; The passage to the Latin alphabet; Founded the SOCAR; Re-established Azerbaijani Armed Forces; Operation Goranboy.
—		Heydar Aliyev Azerbaijani: Heydər Əliyev (1923–2003)	24 June 1993	10 October 1993	10 years, 129 days	—	New Azerbaijan Party	24. H.Əliyev II	[25]
(18)			10 October 1993	3 October 2003		1993
			3 October 1998	31 October 2003		1998
			Founded the YAP; Heydar Aliyev's cult of personality; Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline; South Caucasus Pipeline; 1994 Baku Metro bombings. Survived coup attempt in 1995.
23		Ilham Aliyev Azerbaijani: İlham Əliyev (born 1961)	31 October 2003	15 October 2008	21 years, 283 days	2003	New Azerbaijan Party	25. İ.Əliyev I	[26]
			15 October 2008	9 October 2013		2008
			9 October 2013	11 April 2018		2013
			11 April 2018	7 February 2024		2018
			7 February 2024	Incumbent		2024
			Azerbaijan was elected as a non-permanent member to United Nations Security Council; foiled 2007 Baku terrorist plot; Azerbaijan State Oil Academy shooting; 2010 Mardakert skirmishes; 2011 Azerbaijani protests; Eurovision Song Contest 2012; 2013 Baku protests; 2014 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes; 2014 Nagorno-Karabakh Mil Mi-24 shootdown; 2015 European Games; 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh clashes; Baku City Circuit; 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games; 2020 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes; 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Timeline

See also

• President of Azerbaijan
• Prime Minister of Azerbaijan