It was 10-15 years ago, our late colleague Səbuhi Məmmədli had returned from a usual trip around Moscow and was sharing his impressions, saying that it is not like before, the attitude of Russians towards us has worsened considerably.
Another colleague rhetorically responded to his words that, God forbid, when have they ever had a good attitude towards us. Our friend, partially agreeing after his trip, added that it is now completely bad, and our exploitative compatriots have completely tarnished our name.
Then he went into details and said, for example, it has become quite difficult for Azerbaijanis to find rental housing, those who rent to our people regret it because the apartment is either wrecked, turned into a den, or sold with fake documents and they disappear, etc.
Even a babulya said to our colleague, "Look what your local people have done." He looked and it turned out that our compatriots, who had a heart for kebab, bought coal, made a grill in the steamed bath's lacquered bathtub, cooked kebabs, and filled the bath, kitchen, and entire apartment with smoke and smell.
Because of that, he was complaining about those fellow countrymen who "tarnish the nation's name" and said that when a person leaves the country, he should also think about his people, so that harsh words are not said about us in other countries.
Here, our compatriot named Rəşxan has disgraced Azerbaijanis in front of a foreign woman who came to Azerbaijan as a tourist from Poland.
It turns out that the Polish woman Olga Chernovska, who came to Azerbaijan in 2024 for vacation, met our Rəşxan. A rapprochement took place between them. They discussed not only Poland-Azerbaijan relations but also Rəşxan-Olga relations and established mutually beneficial cooperation and partnership relations.
The Polish lady achieved her real goal, found the comfort she wished for in our country, rested as she wanted, and returned to her country happily. She probably praised our country and its hospitable children to the skies in Poland. Until unpleasant situations arose.
In short, however Rəşxan treated Olga here, after she returned to her country, she sent him money at different times at his request. One, two, five times, a total contribution of 25 thousand dollars entered our country's economy: Olga sent, Rəşxan spent. The woman thought that once Rəşxan set up a business and solved his problems, he would return her money. But it did not happen; when Olga asked for her money back, it became clear that our compatriot, to put it mildly, delays the return of the money. The woman concluded "our love was only this much," understood that there was an issue of trust abuse. Therefore, she appealed to law enforcement agencies.
The talk of "I'll take, throw, and disappear" does not work with foreigners. At the slightest issue, they rush to the consulate.
In short, after the case was investigated, Rəşxan was found and said he did not appropriate Olga's money but borrowed it and is slowly paying it back in installments. He allegedly has a relative in Poland through whom he delivers the money to the victim.
Since the matter reached this extent, with our name "being dirtied" next to the Poles, God forbid that the debt will be paid back. Even if the money is fully repaid to Olga, she will never come to our country again, will not trust any Azerbaijani, and will speak against us everywhere.
If you look closely, Rəşxan's actions contain elements of a devastating blow to the country's tourism sector. If each of us cheats a foreigner, will tourists come to our country afterwards?
I have also written about this once, 5-6 years ago a taxi driver spun a foreigner who wanted to go from "20 January" metro station to "İnşaatçılar" via "Shamakinka," "Ecology post," Sulutipa, Khodjasan, "Fruit" market, roundabout, Yeni Yasamal, "Günəş-petrol," Sharifzadeh street, stopped in front of "White Lily," and said: "25 dollars." It turns out a local was waiting for that foreigner there and often called asking "What happened? Are you arriving? It's a 3-4 minute road." When they reached the apartment, that local said to the driver, "You heartless person, you have been driving this man for an hour, why 25 dollars for a 3 manat fare." Eventually, there was a fight and scandal.
Twenty years ago, Russian satirist Mikhail Zadornov wrote in detail about what he saw and his impressions after returning from Egypt, the land of pyramids, and how Egyptians deceive tourists, and after reading those writings thousands of Russians refused to travel to Egypt.
We should not act like that. Our reputation so far has been that Azerbaijani men are generous, brave, and hospitable, but now it turns out that those old men are no longer here, today's men demand money to show an address to guests, make women spend money, and then end up in the police.
Rəşxan did wrong. No one should behave like him. It contradicts our alfons mentality.
**
The world is old, but the approach to foreign guests is new.
Samir SARI