On June 23, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov viewed the bullet-riddled busts of Azerbaijan’s prominent figures – Natavan, Bulbul, and Uzeyir Hajibeyli – in Shusha.

The President of Turkmenistan was informed that during the occupation period, these busts were subjected to Armenian vandalism. They were looted, taken to Armenia, and an attempt was made to melt them down as scrap metal. Thanks to the personal intervention of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, the monuments were rescued and returned to Azerbaijan. After being kept for some time in the courtyard of the Azerbaijan National Art Museum in Baku, the busts were returned to their original places following the liberation of Shusha.