The Azeri authorities’ attempt to implement their idée fixe, hoisting of a giant national flag of Azerbaijan to a record height in Baku, proved an ignominious failure. It was not until late in the evening, September 1, that President Ilham Aliev solemnly opened National Flag Square. The hoisting of the Azerbaijani flag was marked by a big firework show, enthusiasm of all the Baku-based media outlets, which provided coverage of the event, while Azerbaijanis throughout the world were enthusiastically expecting the hoisting ceremony for two days.

No such luck! The AZE.az news website reports that the giant flag, its square being 2,450sq meters, with a flagpole in the Guinness Book of Records, was damaged by the strong wind and lowered. “The problem might have been seen in advance. The first flag hoisted so high can be museum piece at the Flag Museum opened in the same square. It would be an interesting story to tell the tourists. The problem of the giant flag waving high in a windy city has to be settled as soon as possible. The edges of the flag could be stiffened, special cloth could be used or tiny holes could be made in the cloth to reduce the air pressure,” Azeri journalists say ironically.

As usual, the Azerbaijani President’s favorite media outlet, Aztv, found itself in a really idiotic situation. Although everyone already knows that Aliev’s idea to have a giant flag hoisted over Baku proved a failure – the city residents can see the absence of the “great work” by the “national leader’s” son – the State Television of Azerbaijan, in its news program at 5:00 p.m., Baku time, enthusiastically informed the viewers that foreign media outlets had provided coverage of the opening ceremony of National Flag Square. Of course, not a single word was said about a complete fiasco of the hyped-up propaganda campaign. We wonder if Euronews and BBC will show new reports or the previously prepared news about “outstanding” achievements of the Aliev clan.