MIRVARI QURBANOVA
PhD Student, Faculty of History, Baku State University
Teacher at C. Nakhchivanski Military Lyceum
ETHNIC CLEANSING AGAINST THE AZERBAIJANI POPULATION
IN THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN REGIONS OF THE ARMENIAN SSR (1988–1990):
MAIN FORMS AND METHODS
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36719/2708-065X/110/191-198
This article examines the policy of ethnic cleansing carried out in the Armenian SSR between 1988 and 1990, particularly targeting Azerbaijanis living in the northern and western regions. Drawing on archival documents, eyewitness testimonies, and local sources, the analysis demonstrates that these actions were not spontaneous but rather premeditated and implemented with both direct and indirect support from state authorities. The study highlights key aspects of the campaign, including violence, forced deportations, the destruction of cultural heritage, and the renaming of settlements in Amasya, Zangibasar, Kalinino, Hamamli, and other areas. It also notes that the Spitak (Hamamli) earthquake was used as a means to further suppress the Azerbaijani population, with even humanitarian aid being manipulated for this purpose. Research demonstrates that the events of 1988–1990 were not merely an ethnic conflict, but rather part of a systematic policy of ethnic cleansing and cultural genocide, implemented with the support of both the leadership of the Armenian SSR and the Soviet central authorities.
Keywords: Azerbaijanis, Armenian SSR, ethnic cleansing, deportation, Spitak earthquake, cultural genocide, internally displaced persons, Amasya, Zangibasar, Kalinino, Hamamli.