Since regaining independence in 1991, Azerbaijan has implemented a series of measures to reject its Soviet heritage. The first steps referred to the modification of state symbols and toponymy.
By 2025, there was no monument left in Azerbaijan from the USSR era.
The Terminology Commission of Azerbaijan has imposed restrictions on giving children names of Soviet or strongly Russian origin, according to rupor.md. The position of the Azerbaijani authorities is that citizens should not give their children names that are perceived as a legacy of the Soviet past.
The issue of studying the Russian language in Azerbaijan is still disputed, but not radically rejected. Russian schools operate and are free, but students take state language proficiency exams at admission, to prevent situations where parents opt for these institutions due to prestige.
Starting with 2025, there were about 340 schools with Russian in the country, where over 150,000 students were studying. In addition, approximately 800,000 young people study Russian as a second foreign language. Education in Russian remains free in public schools. Fees are charged in schools teaching in English or French.
Although Russian schools continue to exist, the Azerbaijani authorities intend to revise the school curriculum and abandon textbooks inspired by Moscow or imported from Russia, in order to focus on national interests.