A flag pole extending from the state budget

Again after 5 years Azerbaijan flag will fly on the coast of the Caspian Sea. This time on top of the tallest flagpole in the world. Although it is not known how much funds were spent from the state budget for this, it is reported that the pole was manufactured by the Turkish company “Çimtaş”. Already To Azerbaijan the process of installing the imported 191-meter pole is underway.

The mast consists of 9 steel conical tube segments with a diameter of 5.7m to 2m from base to top, weighing between 230 tonnes and 13 tonnes, and a rotating segment to be placed on top, the official said.

Exactly 12 years have passed since the ceremonial opening of the Flag Square. According to the official news, the construction of the project costing 30 million manat state funds took 3 years. This means 20 million manats from the President’s Reserve Fund, 10 million manats were allocated directly from the state budget.

At that time, the length of the flagpole was 162 meters. The project developed by the American “Trident Support” company Azerbaijan It was realized by “Azenko” construction company. According to a 2012 investigation by RFE/RL’s Organized Crime and Corruption Research Project, Azenko has ties to the president’s family.

At that time, it was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as the tallest flagpole in the world Azerbaijan it lost this status a few months later. Tajikistan broke this record with a flagpole 165, i.e. 3 meters long. In 2014, he became the first by pinning the flag of Saudi Arabia on the 171-meter pole.

In fact, having the title of the longest flag in the world was not easy for the government, the relocation of the residents of the high-rise building in the area caused serious dissatisfaction. More than 70 families living here were relocated for the “construction of the road around the Flag Square”. Dissatisfaction of families that the government gives them for every square meter of their house offer it was related to the funds of 1500 manats.

There were frequent cases of tearing of the flag held by the 162-meter pole, which had been flying the flag for only 7 years. The flag was finally taken down in 2017 and there have been talks of its restoration ever since.

Now, although in some sources the name of Egypt is written first, since the length of the pole is not specified precisely Azerbaijan it can be thought that he broke the record. But it is difficult to say how much the new record has removed from the state budget, as the amount of the expenditure has not been disclosed. It seems that the competition of countries that fall in love with the “longest pole”. To Azerbaijan it will still be very expensive.