Postcard from Azerbaijan, 1981, with a picture of the Baku Goverment House. Baku is the capital of Azerbaijan. The Government House of Baku, also known as the House of Government, is a government building housing various state ministries of Azerbaijan. The Government House was designed for 5,500 people.
In 1934, the Soviet authorities announced a tender for the construction of the Baku Soviet Palace (later renamed the Government House).
The building was built between 1936 and 1952. The construction of the building also led to the construction of Lenin Square (later renamed Azadliq Square) in front of the Government House. In 1955, a monument to Vladimir Lenin facing Azadliq Square sculpted by Jalal Garyaghdi was installed in front of the building. Lenin’s statue was later removed during the Azerbaijani independence movement in the aftermath of bloody Black January. An Azerbaijan flag now stands where Lenin’s statue stood. Lenin square was renamed Azadliq Square (Freedom Square).