Encyclopedia >> Encyclopedia of Armenian Genocide >> Kirovabad Self-defense

 SELF-DEFENSE OF KIROVABAD. Self-defense of the Armenian population of Kirovobad against the Azerbaijani pogromists from November 10 to December 21, 1988.  After the Armenian-Tatar clashes in 1905 and 1918-1920 Kirovobad was divided into Armenian and Azeri districts. In 1988, the city was populated by 230 thousand Azerbaijanis and 45 thousand Armenians, 13 thousand of whom lived in the Azerbaijani district. On February 28, 1988 a mob armed with iron bars chanting anti-Armenian slogans invaded the Armenian district, but receded after strong resistance of the Armenians. 

After careful preparation at the state level, on November 21, 1988, the program for the mass destruction of the Armenians, ethnic cleansing, pogroms and massacres began in all the Armenian populated regions of Azerbaijan, including Kirovabad. On November 21, self-governing body for resistance was formed in Kirovabad - the committee "Gandzak" (leaders Ter Sahak Sahakyan, G.Oganezov, Kh.Sargsyan, S. Hakopyan, N.Minasyan, Dz.Verdyan, K. Khachatryan, A.Balasanyan V. Asryan, M.Esayan, V.Baytalov etc.). Representatives of the committee "Gandzhak" put up positions in the Armenian districts, provided the residents of neighboring areas with food, organized the transfer of Armenians in the Azerbaijani district to the Armenian districts, negotiated with the military and political authorities of the city, organized daily demonstrations, gave instructions to the heads of posts.

The self-defense directions of Kirovabad were headed  by A. Shahnazaryan, Dz. Zakaryan, V. Matevosyan, Y. Dashyan, T. Bayanduryan, Z.Shahinyan and others. During the clashes the number of Armenian victims was 3, Azerbaijani victims were 27. Azerbaijanis took hostage 12 elderly people from nursing homes of Kirovabad and brutally killed them. Their dismembered bodies were found in the summer of 1990 near Kirovobad.

Self-defense of Kirovobad stopped on December 10 due to the encirclement of the Armenian district by the Soviet troops. From the 14th December, 1988 to February, 1989, the Committee "Gandzak" acted secretly. Thanks to self-defense of Kirovobad many Armenians were saved from physical annihilation, and the residents of Armenian villages of Shamkhor, Dashkesan and Khanlar were able to safely move to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

L. Melik-Shahnazaryan

Source – Encyclopedia “Liberation War of Kharabakh 1988-1994”, Yerevan, 2004 

 
 

 

RA, Yerevan, Alex Manoogian 1, YSU 2nd annex
the 5th floor,
Tel.: + 37460 71 00 92
E-mail: info@armin.am

© Institute for Armenian Studies of YSU
All rights are reserved. In case of full or partial use of the web-site materials or the citation the reference to www.armeniansgenocide.am is compulsory.