„Der Staat ist der Präsident“

Ingiloer und öffentliche Zeremonien in Aserbaidschan

Abstract

This article deals with the Ingiloys, a Georgian-speaking minority, part-Christian, part-Muslim, living in north-west Azerbaijan, in the border area between Georgia and Dagestan. The article describes public ceremonies in Azerbaijan by means of two examples: the commemoration ceremony for the sixth anniversary of the death of the former President Heydar Əliyev in Zaqatala District, and a school festival in the village of Mosul. The analysis shows how the Azerbaijani state propagates the presidential cult through such ceremonies, memorials and pictures. The focus of the article, however, is on citizens’ perspectives on state policy. It asks what citizens think of the state’s strategies in Azerbaijan and what policy positions the state is adopting in response.