The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), or Nagorno-Karabakh, in Armenian Artsakh is the first of the self-proclaimed, but not officially recognized states in the post-Soviet space. It was the Karabakh conflict, which entered the active stage back in 1987-1988. served as a trigger for the aggravation of interethnic relations in the republics of the USSR.
Karabakh is the very first our"hot spot", not Afghanistan and not Angola, not Beirut and not Port Said, where, as a rule, already mentally and physically prepared people ended up.
In the mountains of the Lesser Caucasus, victims of a terrible fratricidal war our simple (then) compatriots became.
The proclaimed and actual borders of the NKR do not coincide along their entire length. In 1991, the congress of people's deputies from the Armenian-populated regions of Karabakh proclaimed in Stepanakert a republic consisting of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region and the Shahumyan region of the Azerbaijan SSR. As a result of hostilities in 1991-1994. Azerbaijan controlled 15% of the territory of the proclaimed NKR (the entire Shahumyan region, parts of the Mardakert and Martuni regions). At the same time, five regions of Azerbaijan (Kelbajar, Lachin, Kubatli, Zangelan, Jabrail) and parts of two more regions (Agdam and Fizuli) are currently under the control of the NKR defense forces, totaling 8% of the territory of Azerbaijan. The nominal (proclaimed) territory of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is 5 thousand km 2 , the actual (under the control of Stepanakert) is more than twice as much - 11.3 thousand km 2 .

mountain citadel

Karabakh is a cultural and historical region between the Kura and Araks rivers, its western border is formed by the Zangezur Range. The eastern, low-lying parts of this region were called Plain Karabakh, and the name of Nagorno-Karabakh stuck behind the elevated parts of the ridges and uplands of the Lesser Caucasus. The rugged terrain, impenetrable river valleys, passes inaccessible for all-season action allowed the population of this land to repel the raids of the surrounding lowland inhabitants.
The NKR is located in the southeastern part of the Lesser Caucasus. In its north, the Murovdag ridge extends with a maximum height of 3724 m (Gyamysh). It separates the Mardakert region from the former Shaumyan region, which was included in the NKR in 1991, but fell under the control of Azerbaijan as a result of military operations. The western border of the NKR is formed by the Karabakh ridge, which rises to a height of more than two kilometers. Almost the entire territory of the NKR is occupied by the spurs of these two ranges. Plain areas are found only on the easternmost outskirts of the territory of the republic, where the arid Karabakh plain begins, stretching to the riverbeds of the Kura and Araks. and non-metallic minerals and rocks (marble, granite, asbestos, tuff). Springs are widespread in the mountainous part of Karabakh. mineral waters different composition and origin.
A moderately warm climate prevails over most of the territory of the NKR, with dry, relatively cool winters for Transcaucasia and hot summers. The rivers of Karabakh flow down from the most elevated parts of the region (the ridges of Karabakh and Murovdag) in a northeast direction to the Kura valley or in a southeast direction to the Araks valley. The largest rivers have Turkic names - Terter, Khachinchay, Karkarchay, Kendelanchay, Ishkhanchay (from Turkish and Azerbaijani tea- "river"). The rivers flow in deep gorges and are used for irrigation and as a source of electricity. A large Sarsang reservoir was built on the Terter River. In the Karabakh plain, already outside the NKR, the rivers are almost completely taken up for irrigation and practically disappear among the fields of the right bank of the Kura and the left bank of the Araks. Natural vegetation in many places has been replaced by agricultural landscapes (fields, orchards, vineyards, melons). However, forests and alpine meadows managed to survive in the mountainous regions. Forests dominated by oak, beech, hornbeam, wild fruit trees occupy about a third of the territory of the republic.

Historical mission - frontier

Armenian historians claim that Artsakh ( Armenian name Nagorno-Karabakh is translated as "wooded mountains") - a primordially Armenian territory that never belonged to Azerbaijan. Myself geographical term"Azerbaijan", going back to the name of the ancient kingdom of Atropatene, they consider artificial for the space located north of the Araks River. For the first time, the name "Azerbaijan" in relation to the territories located in the Transcaucasus was heard only at the beginning of the 20th century. Since that time, the historical lands of Eastern Transcaucasia, formerly called Shirvan, Karabakh, Absheron, Mugan, Talysh, became Azerbaijan, giving the name of the regions of northeastern Iran.
According to the official and generally accepted history of Transcaucasia, Artsakh was part of the ancient Armenian state of Urartu (VIII-V centuries BC). After the division of ancient Armenia between Byzantium and Persia in 387, the territory of Eastern Transcaucasia (including Artsakh) passed to Persia. At the beginning of the 8th century Artsakh was conquered by the Arabs, who brought Islam with them (before that, Christianity of the Gregorian rite had spread among the population of the region). In the middle of the XI century. the territory was invaded by the Seljuk Turks, who were liberated a century later. In the 30s of the XIII century. Artsakh was conquered by the Mongols; most of its territory became known as Karabakh (from the Turkic words Kara- "black" and bug- "garden") .

In the XVII - the first half of the XVIII century. Karabakh became the scene of continuous wars between Iran and Turkey. But the melikdoms (principalities) of Nagorno-Karabakh for a long time retained relative independence. In the middle of the XVIII century. The Karabakh Khanate was founded, with Shusha as its capital. In the XVII-XVIII centuries. Karabakh meliks corresponded with the Russian autocrats Peter I, Catherine II and Paul I. In 1805, the territory of the Karabakh Khanate, together with the vast regions of Eastern Transcaucasia, “forever and ever” passed to the Russian Empire, which was secured by Gulistan (1813) and Turkmanchay (1828) agreements between Russia and Persia. The peace of Gulistan was concluded on the territory of Karabakh, in the fortress of Gulistan, which still exists (located on the no man's land delimiting the armed formations of the NKR and Azerbaijan).
As a result of the collapse of the Russian Empire, in the process of formation of national states in Transcaucasia, Nagorno-Karabakh in 1918-1920. became the scene of a brutal war between newly independent Armenia and Azerbaijan. Turkish army and Azerbaijani armed formations in continuation Turkish genocide Armenians in 1915 burned hundreds of Armenian villages in Karabakh.
In March 1920, Shusha was plundered, after which this city remained without an Armenian community for many decades. The old quarters of Shushi remained in a desolated and ruined state until the 60s of the 20th century. In June 1921, after the establishment of Soviet power throughout the Transcaucasus, Armenia declared Nagorno-Karabakh its integral part.
At the same time, the newly formed Azerbaijan SSR refused to transfer this region to the neighboring republic. Armed clashes between Armenians and Azerbaijanis in Karabakh lasted until 1923, when, at the insistence of the Moscow authorities, the Azerbaijani authorities were forced to grant autonomous status to parts of the historical region of Karabakh - with the largest concentration of the Armenian population. At the same time, tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians remained outside the autonomy.
In 1923-1936. the autonomy was called the Autonomous Region of Nagorno-Karabakh and a common border with Soviet Armenia, then the autonomy was renamed the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region. In Soviet times, the party and economic elite of Nagorno-Karabakh, which consisted mainly of ethnic Armenians, repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with their position in the Azerbaijan SSR. The reason for dissatisfaction is the policy of the Azerbaijani authorities on the assimilation of Karabakh Armenians, which was achieved by encouraging the migration of Azerbaijanis to Nagorno-Karabakh, while the inhabitants of Armenia were received extremely reluctantly. As a result, the ethnic structure of the population of the autonomous region has undergone changes: if in 1970 the share of Azerbaijanis in the population was 18%, then in 1989 it exceeded 21%. Especially strong pressure on the Armenians occurred in the 70s, when the party leadership of the Azerbaijan SSR was headed by Heydar Aliyev, the future president of independent Azerbaijan.
The situation finally got out of control after the liberalization of the Soviet regime in the late 1980s. Karabakh became the first sign in the "parade of sovereignties" that affected all the republics of the Union. In February 1988, an extraordinary session of the Council of People's Deputies of the Autonomous Region adopted an appeal to withdraw from Azerbaijan and join Armenia. This step heated up the situation and led to mass inter-ethnic clashes, which ended with the expulsion of Armenians from most cities and regions of Azerbaijan. About 450,000 Azerbaijani and Karabakh Armenians became refugees, hiding from persecution, primarily in Armenia and Russia.
Already actually in a state of war, on September 2, 1991, the Armenian deputies of the councils of different levels from Karabakh proclaimed an independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR). In response, on November 26 of the same year, the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan adopted a law on the abolition of the Nagorno-Karabakh autonomy.
Initial period Karabakh conflict passed under the conditions strategic initiative Azerbaijan, which used weapons and ammunition of the units Soviet army. During this period, the NKR was under the threat of complete destruction, communication with Armenia, which provided assistance to the Karabakh Armenians, was interrupted, about 60% of the territory of the republic came under the control of Azerbaijani forces. The capital of the NKR, Stepanakert, was subjected to regular air raids and artillery shelling from the direction of Agdam and Shushi.
The turning point in hostilities occurred at the beginning of 1992, which was associated both with the strengthening of Armenia and with internal strife in the leadership of Azerbaijan, which led to a regime change in this country. On May 9, 1992, the NKR self-defense forces managed to take Shusha, the citadel of the Karabakh Azerbaijanis. This day, which coincided with the Victory Day of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, is celebrated in modern Karabakh as a national holiday. The capture of Shusha, the ancient fortified city, the historical center of Karabakh, dominating the lower Stepanakert and Armenian villages, radically changed the entire subsequent course of hostilities. In mid-May, units of the Karabakh army entered Lachin, thus breaking the blockade around the NKR. At the beginning of the summer of 1993, the NKR Defense Army set about liberating Mardakert, which had been under the control of Azerbaijan for almost a year. On July 23, 1993, the Karabakh troops, having broken the resistance of the enemy, entered Agdam, which blocked the exit from Karabakh to the plain.
As a result of this operation, the threat of shelling of Stepanakert and the likelihood of a breakthrough into the Askeran region were removed.
After the defeat in the central sector of the front, the Azerbaijani troops attempted to break through the Armenian defenses on the southern flank. This maneuver ended with a counteroffensive by the NKR army and the loss for Azerbaijan in the second half of 1993 of the Kubatli, Zangilan, Jabrayil and part of the Fizuli regions. In 1994, the entire Kelbajar region also passed under the control of the NKR army. Thus, Nagorno-Karabakh managed to capture the territory of Azerbaijan, which exceeded the size of the former autonomous region.
Military failures forced Azerbaijan to accept the mediation services of Russia and the ceasefire agreement prepared by it. Back in 1992, the OSCE Minsk Group was established to settle the Karabakh conflict, within the framework of which contacts were made between the parties participating in hostilities: Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. The Minsk Group and Russia turned out to be co-sponsors of the Bishkek Protocol, signed on May 5, 1994 in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. On the basis of this document, the parties to the conflict reached an agreement on a ceasefire, which is in force to this day.
At present, the NKR is de facto an independent state, having all the attributes of statehood: a constitution and laws, governing bodies, armed and police forces, state symbols, representations in other countries of the world. In terms of its state structure, Nagorno-Karabakh is a highly centralized presidential republic. The President of the NKR is elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term. The same person cannot be elected for more than two consecutive terms. Under current law, the president is the head of the executive branch. He appoints the prime minister, approves the structure and composition of the government. Robert Kocharyan, the current president of the Republic of Armenia, was elected the first president of the NKR. After his voluntary resignation from the post and moving to Yerevan, Arkady Ghukasyan, who was already twice (in 1997 and 2002) elected to this position by the people, performs the presidential duties. The highest legislative power in the republic belongs to the unicameral parliament - the National Assembly.
According to the law on administrative-territorial division, the NKR is divided into 6 administrative regions, 5 of which were previously part of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (Askeran, Hadrut, Mardakert, Martuni, Shusha). The Shahumyan region, which became part of the NKR in 1991, was occupied by the government armed forces of Azerbaijan a year later and abolished (included in the Goranboy region). Currently, the occupied Azerbaijani regions located outside the former autonomous region are referred to as "security zones" and are governed by a special military administration. The exception is the Lachin region, on the territory of which the Kashatag region of the NKR was formed in December 1993, its center was Lachin, renamed Berdzor.
Like all existing unrecognized states that defended their actual independence in armed struggle, the NKR is heavily militarized. The army leadership is the basis of the ruling elite of the republic. The Defense Army numbers about 15 thousand people, that is, every tenth inhabitant of the country is under arms in the NKR. At the same time, it is especially emphasized that there is not a single citizen of the Republic of Armenia among the military (Azerbaijani funds mass media argue otherwise). All military observers who visited Karabakh testify to the high fighting spirit and skill of the local armed formations. Karabakh people are distinguished by high moral and strong-willed qualities and discipline. Every young man is obliged to serve in the army here, there are no deferrals from conscription. This is understandable: the republic lives in conditions of a fragile truce, and the leadership of Azerbaijan does not tire of repeating that it intends to return the lost territories by force. The Karabakh Armenians have rich military traditions: for many centuries they defended their right to freedom in wars with conquerors. It is no coincidence that two famous Soviet marshals - Baghramyan and Babajanyan - came out of one of the northern Karabakh villages (Chardakhlu, now it is located on the territory of the Shamkhor region of Azerbaijan).

Highlanders of Transcaucasia

Crimean journalist Sergei Gradirovsky, who visited Karabakh several years ago, defines the character of the local residents as follows: “Karabakh is a pan-Armenian forge of personnel. Not thanks to the system of educational institutions, but only due to the character that almost all Karabakh people are endowed with. The attitude towards the Karabakh people in Yerevan is reminiscent of the attitude of the Parisians towards the Gascons: they are ambitious and courageous, impudent and stubborn, in a word - highlanders.”
According to the data, as of April 1, 2004, the population of the NKR was 145.7 thousand people, which is significantly less than lived in the region before the armed conflict. According to the official data of the last Soviet census in 1989, the population of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region was 189 thousand people, of which 76.9% were Armenians, 21.5% were Azerbaijanis, the rest were Russians, Ukrainians, Kurds, Greeks. Outside of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenians made up the majority (80%) in only one region of the Azerbaijan SSR - Shaumyanovsky, which also became part of the NKR. At the same time, Azerbaijanis were the predominant ethnic group in the Shusha region of the autonomous region. At present, after many years of bloody war, the NKR has become practically a mono-ethnic entity. The vast majority of the population are Armenians. A small Russian community (300 people) continues to exist. Armenian is recognized as the official language in Nagorno-Karabakh, but Russian is still widely spoken. There are more Russian speakers here than in Armenia itself, and many can speak it almost without an accent. The wide spread of Russian-speaking is the protest of the Karabakh Armenians against the forced Turkization of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region in the last Soviet years. The study of the Armenian language was declining at that time, but even the big party bosses from Baku could not narrow down the use of the Russian language. Until now, the Karabakh origin of an Armenian can be reminded of a name that is common in the Russian tradition: Mikhail, Leonid, Arkady, Oleg, Elena.

Monument "We and our mountains" (sculptor S. Baghdasaryan, 1967) at the entrance to Stepanakert from Agdam. Popularly called "Papi" k and tati "k" ("Grandmother and grandfather" in Russian). This sculptural the composition has become a real symbol not only of Stepanakert, but also Karabakh statehood, it adorns the coat of arms, awards, postage stamps of the NKR, and is also widely used in souvenirs. Photo by S. Novikov

The population of the NKR is increasing due to natural and migration growth. According to the NKR Statistical Service, in 2002 alone, the number of people who entered Nagorno-Karabakh was 1,186, those who left - 511. The arrivals are mainly Azerbaijani Armenians who left their places of residence due to ethnic cleansing and spent years as refugees in Armenia or Russia. The NKR migration service settles them in the empty houses of Azerbaijanis in the Shusha region or in the "security zones" - the occupied regions outside of Nagorno-Karabakh, which are still practically deserted. The Azerbaijani population, which left the current NKR and the regions occupied by it, ranges from half a million (according to Armenian and Karabakh data) to a million people (according to information from some Azerbaijani sources). The most probable estimate of the number of these refugees is 600-750 thousand. Most of them settled in temporary camps in Plain Karabakh, on the banks of the Araks and in the Mugan steppe. Azerbaijani refugees are among the most irreconcilable opponents of the Armenian-Karabakh statehood and call on their government to take tougher and more resolute actions against the NKR.
State religion NKR - Armenian-Gregorian. Its adherents include the vast majority of the population. The Artsakh diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church operates within the borders of Nagorno-Karabakh, headed by an archbishop whose residence is in Shusha.
The oldest monuments of the artistic culture of the Karabakh Armenians date back to the middle of the 3rd - the middle of the 2nd century. BC. (bronze products, painted ceramics, etc.). The most famous types of arts and crafts of the local population are carpet weaving (the most developed in Shusha), silk weaving, gold embroidery. The famous Karabakh carpets are distinguished by a densely saturated pattern, the basis of which is a floral ornament. Surprisingly beautiful and picturesque locations have been preserved in the NKR architectural monuments- Amaras monastery (5th century), temple of Gandzasar monastery (13th century), stone fortresses, churches and chapels, separate old houses, bridges, as well as ancient Armenian stone slabs with crosses (khachkars). Many ancient monuments have been preserved in the oldest city of the region - Shusha. Here you can see the remains of the walls and towers of the fortress, the castle of Ibrahim Khan (XVIII century), residential buildings of the XVIII-XIX centuries, two ancient mosques late XIX in. Shusha suffered greatly as a result of the hostilities of 1991-1994. Only 3,000 inhabitants now live here instead of 12,000 before the war. In recent years, the NKR government has been trying to restore the historical appearance of Shushi and attract foreign tourists. The Ghazanchetsots Cathedral (Church of Christ the Savior, 1868-1887) has already been restored, the repair of one of the mosques has begun, and soon a museum and an art gallery will be located there.

traditional carving on wood

The population of the NKR is approximately equally distributed between urban and rural areas. Many of the settlements of Nagorno-Karabakh have two names. Both Azerbaijanis and Armenians resort to renaming as a method of eradicating the memory of an unfriendly ethnic group. Today's Russian atlases name the Armenian settlements of Karabakh in the Turkic manner: Stepanakert became Khankendi, Mardakert - Agdere, Martuni - Khojavend and others. fictitious, because in reality these territories are controlled by Armenians, who call their settlement centers the same as before. On the territory of Azerbaijan occupied by the NKR defense army, in turn, “armenization” of toponyms took place: in the place of Lachin now Berdzor (“fortress in the gorge” in Armenian), Kelbajar became Karvachar, Fizuli - Vardan, Shusha is pronounced by Armenians as Shushi, the rivers got rid of the Turkic endings - tea, mountains - from - doug, villages - from - lu, -ly, -lar. At present, a decade after the actual withdrawal of Azerbaijanis from these lands, throughout the NKR and the territories controlled by it, you can hardly find road signs or even just inscriptions in the Azerbaijani language. They have been replaced by Armenian, Russian, and in some places English. All toponyms in this article are brought to the norms legalized during the years of the existence of the USSR and thus strengthened in the Russian tradition.

new hotel, built with foreign aid

The largest city of Nagorno-Karabakh is its capital, Stepanakert. Now about 50 thousand inhabitants live in it, which is only 5-6 thousand less than the pre-war population. Stepanakert arose in 1923 on the site of the Armenian village of Khankendy, 12 km from the then only city of Karabakh - Shushi devastated by anti-Armenian pogroms. The city was originally created and built as the administrative center of the Armenian autonomy in Azerbaijan and therefore was named after one of the Baku commissars - the Armenian Stepan Shaumyan (1878-1918). Stepanakert is the only city in Karabakh completely restored after the war. It was by no means easy for the Karabakh builders to carry out this task, because a significant part of the city was destroyed as a result of shelling and bombing. The city is the largest economic, transport and cultural center in the republic. The Artsakh State University, established on the basis of the regional pedagogical institute, operates here, and the Drama Theater named after Vahram Papazyan operates here (it occupies one of the oldest buildings in the city). According to the few Russians who have visited modern Karabakh, Stepanakert is a quiet, neat provincial town, rising in tiers along the spurs of the Karabakh ridge, the course of life here is unhurried, the southern color is rich and flashy.
In addition to Stepanakert, there are 8 more urban settlements on the territory of the NKR: 3 cities (Mardakert, Martuni and Shusha) and 5 urban-type settlements (Askeran, Hadrut, Red Bazaar, Leninavan and Shaumyanovsk, the last two are controlled by Azerbaijan). These are very small settlements, even compared to their own capital, the population of each of them does not exceed 5 thousand inhabitants, the economy is in a neglected state. This is how the regional center of Mardakert seemed to the Russian traveler Sergei Novikov (“Academy of Free Travel”): “A devastated impoverished city without any special sights, which has not recovered from the war to this day. Working enterprises unit. After 10 km to the east - the line of confrontation between the Armenian-Karabakh and Azerbaijani armies.

Features of the unrecognized economy

This is how the famous weave Karabakh carpets

The economy of the NKR suffered greatly from the war and the disruption of traditional economic ties. Only in the last two and a half years has economic growth been observed here, mainly associated with the development of the private sector, which already accounts for more than 75% of industrial production.
A liberal tax regime for foreigners has been formed in the NKR. Many industrial and service facilities are now in the hands of foreign owners, who often represent the Armenian diaspora of the CIS countries, Western Europe, Middle East and North America. Examples are the Stepanakert carpet weaving factory owned by a US citizen of Armenian origin, the Vank woodworking factory built by an American firm, the Karabakh Telecom mobile communication company registered in Lebanon. Over the past couple of years, 20-25 million dollars have been invested in various sectors of the Artsakh economy.
GDP in 2003 was 33.6 billion drams (58.1 million dollars), and GDP per capita - 400 dollars. The NKR leadership has ambitious plans to revive the economy. In the coming years, it is planned to invest 15-20 million dollars in industry alone.
NKR is a member of the customs and monetary union with the neighboring Republic of Armenia. The economy of Nagorno-Karabakh is closely integrated with the Armenian economy into a single complex with common owners and a legal framework. The monetary unit of the NKR is the Armenian dram, but the government of the republic plans to introduce a national currency in the near future.

Sectoral structure of industry
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic,
early 2000s, %

All industry	100
Power industry	58,6
food industry	23,0
Forestry and woodworking industry	5,7
Building materials industry	5,4
Light industry	1,5
Electrical industry	1,5
Printing industry	1,4
Radio-electronic industry	0,4
Other industries	2,5

Power industry is the leading branch of the economy. In 2003, the NKR generated 130.6 million kWh of electricity. Nagorno-Karabakh as a whole satisfies its needs for electricity. The largest source of electricity in the republic is the Sarsang HPP on the Terter River with a capacity of 50 MW, producing 90-100 million kWh per year. with a total capacity of about 140 MW. Since 1994, work has begun in the republic to restore power lines destroyed by the war. As a result, built a large number of new lines, which made it possible to fully electrify the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Industry The NKR is represented mainly by small and medium-sized enterprises, mostly in private hands. Stepanakert produces more than half of the entire industrial output of the republic.
AT Soviet period light and food industries were considered the dominant industries. The largest light industry enterprises were the Karabakh silk factory, the Stepanakert shoe factory, the carpet factories of Stepanakert and Shushi. Currently, these enterprises do not operate at full capacity due to the strong narrowing of the sales market. The food industry is based on enterprises producing alcoholic beverages (wine, vodka, cognac), bread and flour products, canned fruits and vegetables.
The largest enterprise in the industry producing building materials remains the Stepanakert Building Materials Combine, which owns several quarries in the republic for the extraction of building stone and facing materials from granite, felsite, marble, tuff, etc.
The presence in the NKR of rich resources of valuable tree species promises a great future for the timber and woodworking industries. In the pre-war period, the enterprises of the industry worked mainly on imported raw materials. Currently, local reserves of wood are being exploited. The Stepanakert furniture factory and the Vank woodworking factory are focused on them.
The high-tech electrical industry is represented by the Stepanakert Electrotechnical Plant, the former pride of Soviet Karabakh, where the current President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, began his career. The plant has several branches and subsidiaries in the regions of Nagorno-Karabakh. Today, the enterprise operates at only 20% of its existing production capacity. The plant retained the production of household and lighting appliances (electric stoves, heaters, lamps, chandeliers, fluorescent lamps), but for the sake of market conditions, the production of furniture (beds, hangers, tables, chairs, cabinets, garden benches, slate) and consumer goods is becoming increasingly large. Previously, the plant supplied the bulk of its products to the regions of the USSR. Today the consumer market is limited mainly to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Nevertheless, the electrotechnical plant continues to retain highly qualified personnel, which makes it possible to master the production of new types of products; the plant began to produce highly sensitive medical phonendoscopes.
Among the enterprises of the radio-electronic industry of the NKR there is the Stepanakert Capacitor Plant. This enterprise at the moment (for the production of the main type of product) also does not operate at full capacity.
The mining industry was not previously considered a sector of specialization of Nagorno-Karabakh. In Soviet times, deposits of building materials were developed here, but ferrous and non-ferrous metal ores, unlike in the immediate vicinity, were not mined. In 2002, with the involvement of foreign capital (including Armenian), Base Metals LLC was established in the NKR. An agreement was signed with this company to start developing a gold and copper deposit in the village of Drmbon in the Mardakert region. At present, up to 12,000 tons of ore are mined annually at the mines, all of which is processed at the local mining and processing plant. The resulting concentrate is exported to Armenia, where it undergoes metallurgical processing at a large copper smelter in Alaverdi.

The jewelry industry has received unexpected development and dynamic growth in recent years in Nagorno-Karabakh. There are several enterprises for the processing of precious stones and the manufacture of jewelry in the republic. Active negotiations are being held with well-known foreign firms, which are ready to place their production facilities in the NKR. Jewelery has been a traditional craft of Armenians in many parts of the world since the Middle Ages. Foreign firms, by placing their branches on the territory of the NKR and providing their materials (raw gold, silver, precious stones, diamonds), save on low wages for employees (one of them is Andranik-dashk CJSC, opened in 1998, for - a jeweler is paid only about $ 110 per month) and a preferential taxation regime.
Comfortable natural conditions of the NKR are favorable for development Agriculture. In recent years, the process of reforming the agrarian sector has been going on in the NKR. The gratuitous transfer of land to the ownership of the peasants has been fully completed, thus now the farm type of agriculture prevails in the republic.
The agriculture of Nagorno-Karabakh specializes in the production of durum wheat, horticultural crops, grapes, and vegetables. To this end, for several years in a row, the state has been lending loans to peasant farms on preferential terms, trying to restore, first of all, intensive agricultural sectors, such as viticulture and horticulture. The government has developed and is implementing the program "Grapes", its goal is to increase the area of ​​vineyards from 1300 to 4000 hectares.
In recent years, the peasants of the NKR have reached the pre-war level of wheat harvest (75-85 thousand tons), however, this volume was harvested from the territory twice the area of ​​the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region. The yield varies greatly from year to year: in 2003, 25 centner of wheat (the level of Stavropol and Rostov region), in 2004 only 14.2 centners (this is the average yield in the Russian Non-Chernozem region). In conditions when only 5% of land is irrigated in the republic, grain production cannot be stable, as it depends too much on weather conditions. Great expectations are associated with the revival of the irrigation system in the republic, which will allow several times to increase agricultural productivity compared to the pre-war level. The projects of the first three large hydraulic systems are already ready: construction on the Ishkhanchay (Ishkhanaget) river and in the Askeran region, as well as the reconstruction of the Madagiz hydroelectric complex.
The development of animal husbandry in the NKR is associated with the support of small farms. The livestock is dominated by cattle, sheep, pigs (there were more pigs in the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region than in all other regions of Azerbaijan).
Nagorno-Karabakh is traditionally considered one of the centers of sericulture in the Transcaucasus. Much attention is paid to the development of beekeeping, local honey and in old times was of high quality and usefulness. With relatively low costs in this industry, you can count on big profits.
Transport complex Nagorno-Karabakh Republic includes road and air transport. Until 1988, railway transport also operated in Karabakh, but it was blocked during the armed conflict, now the tracks have already been dismantled for a considerable distance. In the building of the former railway station of Stepanakert (located 3 km from the border of the city in the Aghdam direction) there is an army barracks. The segment of the Baku-Nakhichevan railway, which is under the control of the NKR, and runs along the border with Iran, is also not operating.
In the conditions of the semi-blockade existence of the NKR, motor transport acquired special significance. The length of all internal roads of the NKR is 1248 km, but most of them can be traveled with great difficulty. The only highway of European quality connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, and in fact with the entire outside world, can be called the Goris (Armenia)-Lachin-Stepanakert road, reconstructed in the second half of the 90s, with a length of 65 km. It is through this transport artery that almost all external relations of the NKR pass, import products are imported, exports are delivered, migrants arrive, and military assistance is provided. Armenia has opportunities for external communication through Georgian seaports and international airports in Yerevan and Gyumri. In recent years, a second exit from Karabakh to Armenia has been arranged - through the Zod pass (height 2366 m) on the border of the Kelbajar region. The mountain road, on which you could previously meet only shepherds and tourists, is now used for regular transport. Concentrates from the Drmbon Mining and Processing Plant are exported to Armenia through the mountain serpentine, military trucks are moving, so far infrequent Gazelles with passengers are running. This path is difficult and dangerous: the width of the roadway in some sections does not allow oncoming traffic, natural features The pass limits its use only during the warm period of the year and daylight hours. However, there are plans to turn the route through the Zodsky Pass into a more stable and comfortable transport channel.
There are no transport links in the northern, eastern and southern sections of the NKR border. On the line of contact between the armed formations of the Karabakh Armenians and the Azerbaijani armed forces, an "iron curtain of the 21st century" appeared - 250 km of impenetrable concrete fortifications, minefields and barbed wire. Existing transport routes have been cut, their use in the near future is doubtful. The line passing through the Araks, which delimits the regions of Azerbaijan and Iran controlled by the NKR, does not have cross-border ties due to the undeveloped border crossings and the absence of a legal regulation of relations between the NKR and Iran. Armenian-Iranian contacts pass through the Meghri region of the Republic of Armenia.
In 2000, the construction of the main inter-republican highway "North-South" 170 km long began, which is designed to connect all the regional centers of the NKR with Stepanakert. The road is being built in areas with difficult terrain with the money of the Hayastan International Armenian Fund. This transport route is of great military and strategic importance, because the existing roads between Stepanakert, Mardakert, Martuni and Hadrut pass through Aghdam and Fizuli in the "security zones", that is, through the flat Azerbaijani regions, currently controlled by the NKR Defense Army, but the future fate these areas is not clear. At present, the main part of the North-South highway is already open to traffic, it is expected that it will be fully operational by 2006.
The only airport in the NKR is located in Stepanakert. Previously, only small aircraft could land here. After the reconstruction, which is already being completed, the airport will not only increase its throughput, but will also be able to receive wide-body aircraft. In the meantime, the schedule of the capital's airport includes irregular helicopter flights to Yerevan, available only to foreign tourists and those on business trips from peacekeeping organizations.
Pipeline transport It is represented in Karabakh by the Yevlakh-Stepanakert-Goris-Nakhichevan gas pipeline, built in the 80s and providing in Soviet times with "blue fuel" from the Caspian fields not only Nagorno-Karabakh, but also southern Armenia and the Nakhichevan autonomy of Azerbaijan. Since January 1992, after the aggravation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, the passage of gas was stopped and has not been resumed to date.

NKR has a developed service industry. The basis of the banking system is the private "Artsakhbank", as well as the Stepanakert branches of Armenian banks. Through their accounts, Nagorno-Karabakh receives foreign currency from the Armenian diaspora and Karabakh natives working outside their homeland.
All greater value for the economy of the NKR acquires foreign tourism. Not only ethnic Armenians from different parts of the world come here, but also those who want to visit the “extreme” point of the planet, the “non-existent state”, see magnificent cultural and historical monuments, enjoy mountain landscapes and clean air and at the same time pay mere pennies by the standards of enlightened Europe. In different regions of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Swiss company Sircap Armenia has already built several modern hotels for a total investment of $1.5 million.
The range of foreign economic relations of the NKR is narrowly focused and focused mainly on Armenia - the main sponsor of the Karabakh statehood. In this country, Karabakh goods become Armenian and can enter the world market without restrictions. Products of the food industry (wine and wine products, juices, tobacco, fruits), art objects (carpets, jewelry), copper ore of the Drmbon deposit are exported from the NKR. The main import items for the NKR are energy carriers (gasoline passing through Lachin in Armenian fuel trucks), machinery and equipment, consumer goods, weapons and ammunition.

What's next?

Today, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, although not recognized by anyone except Armenia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, actually represents independent state, which is in close, essentially confederal, relations with the Republic of Armenia. The foreign representations of the NKR currently operate, in addition to Yerevan, in Moscow, Washington, Paris, Sydney and Beirut, where they closely coordinate their work with the Armenian embassies.
Nagorno-Karabakh managed to become a specific political entity in the post-Soviet space, even in comparison with other unrecognized states. Firstly, the experience of statehood of the Karabakh Armenians is the longest, it is more reasonable to count it not from 1991, but from 1988, the time of the real secession from Azerbaijan. Secondly, the level of Armenia's involvement in Karabakh affairs is much higher than the degree of interference external forces in other problem regions of the former USSR. It is impossible to imagine a Russian policy similar to the Armenian one in Karabakh in relation to Abkhazia, South Ossetia or Transnistria. Armenia, on the other hand, is deprived of false shame for “incorrect behavior” in the international arena. Feeling the real and tangible support of the ally, in fact, the mother country, the NKR feels more confident in the international arena. Thirdly, in the post-war period, a mono-ethnic composition of the population developed in the NKR space and in the territories controlled by it (this is not the case either in Abkhazia, or in South Ossetia, and even more so in the PMR), which objectively facilitates the consolidation of the “unrecognized” society. Fourth, the NKR has the support of the worldwide Armenian Diaspora - Diaspora, lobbying the interests of Armenians in the international arena, helping with finances and experience, providing information channels to express the Armenian position on Karabakh.
What will happen to Karabakh in the future? It is quite obvious that the Karabakh Armenians will not come to Azerbaijan of their own free will. It is also obvious that Azerbaijan will not give up on Karabakh, knowing full well the difficulties that will have to be faced in the event of a forceful solution of the territorial problem. The stalemate cannot be resolved without international intervention. The first plan for the territorial resolution of the Karabakh conflict was proposed by the American political scientist Paul Gobble back in 1992. According to him, Armenia and Azerbaijan can achieve peace only by exchanging disputed territories. Azerbaijan transfers to Armenia the territory of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (naturally, without the Shahumyan region) and the Lachin region, which connects Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia. Armenia transfers its southernmost Meghri region to Azerbaijan, for which it gets the opportunity to use Turkish ports and communications for transit. By giving up this territory, Armenia will lose access to the Araks and lose the border with Iran. Azerbaijan, on the contrary, will receive a link between the main territory of the country and the enclave Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic. Azerbaijan benefits from such an exchange, restoring the compactness of its territory and letting go of Nagorno-Karabakh, which did not belong to it anyway. Turkey wins by getting a corridor to the Turkic-speaking regions of the former USSR and actualizing the ideas of a pan-Turkic state. The United States wins by increasing pressure on Iran, its old enemy, and gaining the status of a peacekeeper in the geopolitically promising Transcaucasian region. Armenia loses, finding itself in the ring of a tight blockade of unfriendly countries. Iran loses by allowing the Americans to its borders. Russia loses, losing the opportunity to pursue an independent foreign policy in the Caucasus. Gobble's plan was enthusiastically received in Turkey and Azerbaijan. However, after the NKR Defense Army occupied the Lachin corridor and a number of border regions of Azerbaijan, it lost its relevance.
The Karabakh issue may be in limbo for several decades, just as the twin conflict in Kashmir has not been resolved for half a century. There, as in Transcaucasia, spears break because of the fate of a part of the disputed territory, which has not been a part of the state for which it is assigned by the decision of the world community, and the problem itself arose after the collapse and territorial division of the once single political space into national ones ( confessional) fragments. The analogy will be more complete if we recall that Pakistan participating in that conflict, as well as today's Azerbaijan, at the time of the conflict's inception, consisted of two spatial separate parts- West and East Pakistan (since 1971 - an independent state of Bangladesh).

EAT. Pospelov believes that the Turkic Kara here it should be translated as "many", in this case Karabakh - "abundance of gardens".
O Kashmir conflict read S.A. Gorokhov. Kashmir//Geography No. 12.13/2003.

On April 2, 2016, the press service of the Armenian Ministry of Defense announced that the armed forces of Azerbaijan had launched an offensive along the entire area of ​​​​contact with the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army. The Azerbaijani side reported that the hostilities began in response to the shelling of its territory.

The press service of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) stated that Azerbaijani troops went on the offensive in many sectors of the front, using large-caliber artillery, tanks and helicopters. Within a few days, official representatives of Azerbaijan announced the occupation of several strategically important heights and settlements. In several sectors of the front, the attacks were repulsed by the armed forces of the NKR.

After several days of heavy fighting across the front line, military representatives from both sides met to discuss terms for a ceasefire. It was reached on April 5, although, after this date, the truce was repeatedly violated by both sides. On the whole, however, the situation at the front began to calm down. The Azerbaijani armed forces have begun to strengthen the positions conquered from the enemy.

The Karabakh conflict is one of the oldest in the expanses of the former USSR, Nagorno-Karabakh became a hot spot even before the collapse of the country and has been in a state of frozen for more than twenty years. Why did it flare up with renewed vigor today, what are the strengths of the opposing sides and what should be expected in the near future? Can this conflict escalate into a full-scale war?

To understand what is happening in this region today, you should make a short digression into history. This is the only way to understand the essence of this war.

Nagorno-Karabakh: prehistory of the conflict

The Karabakh conflict has very old historical and ethno-cultural roots; the situation in this region has escalated significantly in the last years of the Soviet regime.

In ancient times, Karabakh was part of the Armenian kingdom, after its collapse, these lands became part of the Persian Empire. In 1813 Nagorno-Karabakh was annexed to Russia.

Bloody inter-ethnic conflicts took place here more than once, the most serious of which occurred during the weakening of the metropolis: in 1905 and 1917. After the revolution, three states appeared in Transcaucasia: Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, which included Karabakh. However, this fact absolutely did not suit the Armenians, who at that time made up the majority of the population: the first war began in Karabakh. The Armenians won a tactical victory, but suffered a strategic defeat: the Bolsheviks included Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan.

During the Soviet period, peace was maintained in the region, the issue of transferring Karabakh to Armenia was periodically raised, but did not find support from the country's leadership. Any manifestations of discontent were severely suppressed. In 1987, the first clashes between Armenians and Azerbaijanis began on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which led to human casualties. The deputies of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (NKAO) are asking to be annexed to Armenia.

In 1991, the creation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) was proclaimed and a large-scale war with Azerbaijan began. The fighting took place until 1994, at the front, the parties used aviation, armored vehicles, and heavy artillery. On May 12, 1994, the ceasefire agreement comes into force, and the Karabakh conflict passes into the frozen stage.

The result of the war was the actual obtaining of independence by the NKR, as well as the occupation of several regions of Azerbaijan adjacent to the border with Armenia. In fact, in this war, Azerbaijan suffered a crushing defeat, did not achieve its goals and lost part of its ancestral territories. This situation absolutely did not suit Baku, which for many years built its internal policy on the desire for revenge and the return of lost lands.

Current balance of power

In the last war, Armenia and the NKR won, Azerbaijan lost territory and was forced to admit defeat. Long years the Karabakh conflict was in a frozen state, which was accompanied by periodic skirmishes on the front line.

However, during this period, the economic situation of the opposing countries changed greatly, today Azerbaijan has a much more serious military potential. Over the years high prices on oil, Baku managed to modernize the army, equip it with the latest weapons. Russia has always been the main supplier of weapons to Azerbaijan (this caused serious irritation in Yerevan), and modern weapons were also purchased from Turkey, Israel, Ukraine and even South Africa. The resources of Armenia did not allow it to qualitatively strengthen the army with new weapons. In Armenia, and in Russia, many thought that this time the conflict would end the same way as in 1994 - that is, with the flight and defeat of the enemy.

If in 2003 Azerbaijan spent $135 million on the armed forces, then in 2018 the costs should exceed $1.7 billion. Baku's military spending peaked in 2013, when $3.7 billion was spent on military needs. For comparison: all the state budget Armenia in 2018 amounted to $2.6 billion.

Today, the total strength of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces is 67 thousand people (57 thousand people are ground forces), another 300 thousand are in reserve. It should be noted that in recent years, the Azerbaijani army has been reformed according to the Western model, switching to NATO standards.

The ground forces of Azerbaijan are assembled into five corps, which include 23 brigades. Today, the Azerbaijani army has more than 400 tanks (T-55, T-72 and T-90), and from 2010 to 2014 Russia delivered 100 of the latest T-90s. The number of armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles and armored vehicles and armored vehicles - 961 units. Most of them are products of the Soviet military-industrial complex (BMP-1, BMP-2, BTR-69, BTR-70 and MT-LB), but there are also the latest vehicles of Russian and foreign production (BMP-3, BTR-80A, armored vehicles manufactured Turkey, Israel and South Africa). Some of the Azerbaijani T-72s have been modernized by the Israelis.

Azerbaijan has almost 700 artillery pieces, including both towed and self-propelled artillery, including rocket artillery. Most of them were obtained during the division of Soviet military property, but there are also newer samples: 18 self-propelled guns "Msta-S", 18 self-propelled guns 2S31 "Vena", 18 MLRS "Smerch" and 18 TOS-1A "Solntsepek". Separately, it should be noted the Israeli MLRS Lynx (caliber 300, 166 and 122 mm), which are superior in their characteristics (primarily in accuracy) to Russian counterparts. In addition, Israel supplied the Azerbaijani Armed Forces with 155-mm self-propelled guns SOLTAM Atmos. Most of the towed artillery is represented by Soviet D-30 howitzers.

Anti-tank artillery is mainly represented by the Soviet anti-tank missiles MT-12 "Rapier", also in service are Soviet-made ATGMs ("Baby", "Competition", "Bassoon", "Metis") and foreign production (Israel - Spike, Ukraine - "Skif "). In 2014, Russia delivered several Khrizantema self-propelled ATGMs.

Russia has delivered serious sapper equipment to Azerbaijan, which can be used to overcome the enemy's fortified zones.

Also, air defense systems were received from Russia: S-300PMU-2 Favorit (two divisions) and several Tor-M2E batteries. There are old "Shilki" and about 150 Soviet complexes "Circle", "Osa" and "Strela-10". There is also a division of the Buk-MB and Buk-M1-2 air defense systems transferred by Russia and a division of the Israeli-made Barak 8 air defense system.

There are operational-tactical complexes "Tochka-U", which were purchased from Ukraine.

Armenia has a much smaller military potential, due to its more modest share in the Soviet "legacy". Yes, and with finances, Yerevan is much worse - there are no oil fields on its territory.

After the end of the war in 1994 big money were allocated from the Armenian state budget for the creation of fortifications along the entire front line. The total number of ground forces of Armenia today is 48 thousand people, another 210 thousand are in reserve. Together with the NKR, the country can deploy about 70 thousand fighters, which is comparable to the army of Azerbaijan, but the technical equipment of the Armenian Armed Forces is clearly inferior to the enemy.

The total number of Armenian tanks is just over a hundred units (T-54, T-55 and T-72), armored vehicles - 345, most of them were made at the factories of the USSR. Armenia has practically no money to modernize the army. Russia transfers its old weapons to it and gives loans to buy weapons (of course, Russian ones).

The air defense of Armenia is armed with five divisions of S-300PS, there is information that the Armenians maintain the equipment in good condition. There are also older examples. Soviet technology: S-200, S-125 and S-75, as well as Shilki. Their exact number is unknown.

The Armenian Air Force consists of 15 Su-25 attack aircraft, Mi-24 (11 units) and Mi-8 helicopters, as well as multi-purpose Mi-2s.

It should be added that in Armenia (Gyumri) there is a Russian military base, on which the MiG-29 and the S-300V air defense division are deployed. In the event of an attack on Armenia, according to the CSTO agreement, Russia must help its ally.

Caucasian knot

Today, the position of Azerbaijan looks much more preferable. The country has managed to create a modern and very strong armed forces, which was proven in April 2018. It is not entirely clear what will happen next: it is beneficial for Armenia to preserve current situation, in fact, it controls about 20% of the territory of Azerbaijan. However, this is not very beneficial for Baku.

Attention should also be paid to the domestic political aspects of the April events. After the fall in oil prices, Azerbaijan is experiencing economic crisis, and the most The best way to pacify the dissatisfied at such a time - to unleash a "small victorious war." In Armenia, things in the economy are traditionally bad. So for the Armenian leadership, the war is also a very suitable way to refocus the attention of the people.

In terms of numbers, the armed forces of both sides are roughly comparable, but in terms of their organization, the armies of Armenia and the NKR are decades behind the modern armed forces. Events at the front clearly showed this. The opinion that the high Armenian fighting spirit and the difficulties of waging war in mountainous areas will equalize everything turned out to be erroneous.

Israeli MLRS Lynx (caliber 300 mm and range 150 km) surpass in their accuracy and range everything that was made in the USSR and is now being produced in Russia. In combination with Israeli drones, the Azerbaijani army got the opportunity to inflict powerful and deep strikes on enemy targets.

The Armenians, having launched their counteroffensive, could not dislodge the enemy from all their positions.

With big share probability can be said that the war will not end. Azerbaijan demands to liberate the regions surrounding Karabakh, but the leadership of Armenia cannot agree to this. It would be political suicide for him. Azerbaijan feels like a winner and wants to continue fighting. Baku has shown that it has a formidable and combat-ready army that knows how to win.

The Armenians are angry and confused, they demand to recapture the lost territories from the enemy at any cost. In addition to the myth of the superiority of its own army, another myth has been shattered: that of Russia as a reliable ally. Azerbaijan has been receiving the latest Russian weapons, and only the old Soviet was supplied to Armenia. In addition, it turned out that Russia is not eager to fulfill its obligations under the CSTO.

For Moscow, the state of the frozen conflict in the NKR was an ideal situation that allowed it to exert its influence on both sides of the conflict. Of course, Yerevan was more dependent on Moscow. Armenia has practically found itself surrounded by unfriendly countries, and if opposition supporters come to power in Georgia this year, it may find itself in complete isolation.

There is another factor - Iran. AT last war he sided with the Armenians. But this time the situation may change. A large Azerbaijani diaspora lives in Iran, whose opinion the country's leadership cannot ignore.

Recently, talks were held in Vienna between the presidents of the countries mediated by the United States. The ideal solution for Moscow would be to introduce its own peacekeepers into the conflict zone, this would further strengthen Russian influence in the region. Yerevan will agree to this, but what should Baku offer to support such a move?

The worst-case scenario for the Kremlin would be the start of a full-scale war in the region. With the Donbass and Syria on the sidelines, Russia may simply not pull another armed conflict on its periphery.

Video about the Karabakh conflict

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Here arose military clash, since the overwhelming majority of the inhabitants inhabiting the Armenian roots have the essence of the conflict that Azerbaijan makes quite reasonable demands on this territory, however, the inhabitants of the region gravitate more towards Armenia. On May 12, 1994, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh ratified a protocol that established a truce, which resulted in an unconditional ceasefire in the conflict zone.

Excursion into history

Armenian historical sources claim that Artsakh (the ancient Armenian name) was first mentioned in the 8th century BC. According to these sources, Nagorno-Karabakh was part of Armenia in the early Middle Ages. As a result of the aggressive wars of Turkey and Iran in this era, a significant part of Armenia came under the control of these countries. The Armenian principalities, or melikdoms, at that time located on the territory of modern Karabakh, retained a semi-independent status.

Azerbaijan has its own point of view on this issue. According to local researchers, Karabakh is one of the most ancient historical regions of their country. The word “Karabakh” in Azerbaijani is translated as follows: “gara” means black, and “bag” means garden. Already in the 16th century, together with other provinces, Karabakh was part of the Safavid state, and after that it became an independent khanate.

Nagorno-Karabakh during the Russian Empire

In 1805, the Karabakh khanate was subordinated to the Russian Empire, and in 1813, under the Gulistan peace treaty, Nagorno-Karabakh also became part of Russia. Then, according to the Turkmenchay Treaty, as well as an agreement concluded in the city of Edirne, Armenians were resettled from Turkey and Iran and settled in the territories of Northern Azerbaijan, including Karabakh. Thus, the population of these lands is predominantly of Armenian origin.

As part of the USSR

In 1918, the newly created Azerbaijan Democratic Republic gained control over Karabakh. Almost simultaneously, the Armenian Republic puts forward claims to this area, but the ADR claims these claims. In 1921, the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh with the rights of broad autonomy is included in the Azerbaijan SSR. Two years later, Karabakh receives the status (NKAR).

In 1988, the Council of Deputies of the NKAO petitioned the authorities of the AzSSR and the ArmSSR of the republics and proposed to transfer the disputed territory to Armenia. was not satisfied, as a result of which a wave of protest swept through the cities of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region. Solidarity demonstrations were also held in Yerevan.

Declaration of Independence

In the early autumn of 1991, when the Soviet Union had already begun to fall apart, the NKAO adopted a Declaration proclaiming the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Moreover, in addition to the NKAO, it included part of the territories of the former AzSSR. According to the results of the referendum held on December 10 of the same year in Nagorno-Karabakh, more than 99% of the population of the region voted for complete independence from Azerbaijan.

It is quite obvious that the referendum was not recognized by the Azerbaijani authorities, and the act of proclamation itself was designated as illegal. Moreover, Baku decided to abolish the autonomy of Karabakh, which it enjoyed in Soviet times. However, the destructive process has already been launched.

Karabakh conflict

For the independence of the self-proclaimed republic, Armenian detachments stood up, which Azerbaijan tried to resist. Nagorno-Karabakh received support from official Yerevan, as well as from the national diaspora in other countries, so the militia managed to defend the region. However, the Azerbaijani authorities still managed to establish control over several regions, which were initially proclaimed part of the NKR.

Each of the opposing sides cites its own statistics of losses in the Karabakh conflict. Comparing these data, we can conclude that 15-25 thousand people died in the three years of sorting out the relationship. At least 25,000 were wounded, more than 100,000 more civilians were forced to leave their places of residence.

Peace settlement

Negotiations, during which the parties tried to resolve the conflict peacefully, began almost immediately after an independent NKR was proclaimed. For example, on September 23, 1991, a meeting was held, which was attended by the presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia, as well as Russia and Kazakhstan. In the spring of 1992, the OSCE established a group for the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

Despite all the attempts of the international community to stop the bloodshed, it was not until the spring of 1994 that a ceasefire was achieved. On May 5, the Bishkek Protocol was signed, after which the participants ceased fire a week later.

The parties to the conflict failed to agree on the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan demands respect for its sovereignty and insists on maintaining its territorial integrity. The interests of the self-proclaimed republic are protected by Armenia. Nagorno-Karabakh stands for peaceful resolution controversial issues, while the authorities of the republic emphasize that the NKR is able to stand up for its independence.

TBILISI, April 3 - Sputnik. The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan began in 1988, when the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region announced its withdrawal from the Azerbaijan SSR. Negotiations on a peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict have been held since 1992 within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Nagorno-Karabakh is a historical region in Transcaucasia. The population (as of January 1, 2013) is 146.6 thousand people, the vast majority are Armenians. The administrative center is the city of Stepanakert.

Background

Armenian and Azerbaijani sources have different points of view on the history of the region. According to Armenian sources, Nagorno-Karabakh (ancient Armenian name - Artsakh) at the beginning of the first millennium BC. was part of the political and cultural sphere of Assyria and Urartu. First mentioned in the cuneiform writing of Sardur II, king of Urartu (763-734 BC). AT early middle ages Nagorno-Karabakh was part of Armenia, according to Armenian sources. After most of this country was captured by Turkey and Persia in the Middle Ages, the Armenian principalities (melikdoms) of Nagorno-Karabakh retained a semi-independent status. In the 17th-18th centuries, the princes of Artsakh (meliks) led the liberation struggle of Armenians against the Shah's Persia and Sultan's Turkey.

According to Azerbaijani sources, Karabakh is one of the oldest historical regions Azerbaijan. According to the official version, the appearance of the term "Karabakh" refers to 7th century and is interpreted as a combination of the Azerbaijani words "gara" (black) and "bag" (garden). Among other provinces, Karabakh (Ganja in Azerbaijani terminology) was part of the Safavid state in the 16th century, and later became an independent Karabakh khanate.

In 1813, according to the Gulistan peace treaty, Nagorno-Karabakh became part of Russia.

In early May 1920, Soviet power was established in Karabakh. On July 7, 1923, the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (AO) was formed from the mountainous part of Karabakh (part of the former Elizavetpol province) as part of the Azerbaijan SSR with the administrative center in the village of Khankendy (now Stepanakert).

How did the war start

On February 20, 1988, an extraordinary session of the regional Council of Deputies of the NKAO adopted a decision "On a petition to the Supreme Soviets of the AzSSR and the ArmSSR on the transfer of the NKAR from the AzSSR to the ArmSSR."

The refusal of the allied and Azerbaijani authorities caused demonstrations of protest by Armenians not only in Nagorno-Karabakh, but also in Yerevan.

On September 2, 1991, a joint session of the Nagorno-Karabakh regional and Shahumyan district councils, which adopted the Declaration on the proclamation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic within the borders of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region, the Shahumyan region and part of the Khanlar region of the former Azerbaijan SSR.

On December 10, 1991, a few days before the official collapse of the Soviet Union, a referendum was held in Nagorno-Karabakh, in which the vast majority of the population - 99.89% - voted for complete independence from Azerbaijan.

Official Baku recognized this act as illegal and abolished the autonomy of Karabakh that existed in the Soviet years. Following this, an armed conflict began, during which Azerbaijan tried to keep Karabakh, and the Armenian detachments defended the independence of the region with the support of Yerevan and the Armenian diaspora from other countries.

Victims and losses

The losses of both sides during the Karabakh conflict amounted, according to various sources, to 25 thousand people were killed, more than 25 thousand were injured, hundreds of thousands of civilians left their places of residence, more than four thousand people are missing.

As a result of the conflict, Azerbaijan lost over Nagorno-Karabakh and, in whole or in part, seven regions adjacent to it.

Negotiation

On May 5, 1994, through the mediation of Russia, Kyrgyzstan and the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS in the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, representatives of Azerbaijan, Armenia, the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of Nagorno-Karabakh signed a protocol calling for a ceasefire on the night of May 8-9. This document entered the history of the settlement of the Karabakh conflict as the Bishkek Protocol.

The negotiation process to resolve the conflict began in 1991. Since 1992, negotiations have been underway on a peaceful settlement of the conflict within the framework of the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France. The group also includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Finland and Turkey.

Since 1999, regular bilateral and trilateral meetings of the leaders of the two countries have been held. The last meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan, within the framework of the negotiation process on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, took place on December 19, 2015 in Bern (Switzerland).

Despite the confidentiality surrounding the negotiation process, it is known that they are based on the so-called updated Madrid principles, transmitted by the OSCE Minsk Group to the parties to the conflict on January 15, 2010. The main principles of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, called Madrid, were presented in November 2007 in the capital of Spain.

Azerbaijan insists on maintaining its territorial integrity, Armenia defends the interests of the unrecognized republic, since the NKR is not a party to the negotiations.

The autochthonous population of the region were various Caucasian tribes. Not later than from the II century. BC e. the region became part of Greater Armenia as the province of Artsakh (in the Greco-Roman sources of Orchisten). From the beginning of the II century BC. e. until the 90s. 4th century AD e. the territory of modern Nagorno-Karabakh was within the borders of the Armenian state of Greater Armenia of the Artashesid dynasty, then the Arshakids whose northeastern border passed along the Kura River. After the fall of Great Armenia, Artsakh was ceded to Caucasian Albania, a vassal of Persia. During the long period of being part of Armenia, the region was armenized. Anthropological studies show that the current Karabakh Armenians are direct physical descendants of the autochthonous population of the region. Since that era, Armenian culture has flourished on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. According to a historical source from the year 700, the population of the ancient Armenian province of Artsakh spoke not just Armenian, but also their own dialect of the Armenian language.

The Russian historian of the late 19th century, P. G. Butkov, referring to the St. Petersburg Gazette of 1743, quotes the following:

The Gandzasar (Agvan) Catholicate of the Armenian Church was in Nagorno-Karabakh (From a letter from Yesai Hasan-Jalalyan to Peter I):

A document from the late 18th century states:

Formally, it was recognized by Russia under the Russian-Persian Gulistan Peace Treaty of 1813.

Population

19th century

According to the censuses of the first half of the 19th century, about a third of the population of the entire territory of Karabakh (together with its flat part) were Armenians, and about two-thirds were Azerbaijanis. George Burnutian points out that the censuses show: Armenian population was mainly concentrated in 8 out of 21 mahals (districts) of Karabakh, of which 5 are modern territory Nagorno-Karabakh, and 3 are included in the modern territory of Zangezur. Thus, 35 percent of the population of Karabakh (Armenians) lived on 38 percent of the land (in Nagorno-Karabakh), making up an absolute majority (about 90%) there. According to Ph.D. Anatoly Yamskov, one should take into account the fact that population censuses were conducted in the winter, when the nomadic Azerbaijani population was on the plains, and in the summer months it rose to the high mountain pastures, changing the demographic situation in the mountainous regions. However, Yamskov notes that the point of view on rights nomadic peoples to be considered a full-fledged population of the nomadic territory they use seasonally, is currently not shared by most authors, both from the post-Soviet countries and from the countries of the "far abroad", including both pro-Armenian and pro-Azerbaijani works; in the Russian Transcaucasia of the 19th century, this territory could only be the property of the settled population.

However, some Azeri authors, such as political science candidate Adil Baghirov, co-authored with American politician Cameron Brown, object to claims of historical Armenian predominance in Nagorno-Karabakh, pointing out 19th-century statistics for all of Karabakh (with purely Azeri-populated lowland Karabakh and partially Azeri-populated Zangezur) that shows Azeri majority in the former Karabakh Khanate(without singling out individual areas).

The population of Nagorno-Karabakh at the beginning of the 20th century

In 1918, the Karabakh Armenians claimed:

According to recent statistics, the Armenian population of Elizavetpol, Jevanshir, Shusha, Karyaga and Zangezur counties, distributed almost exclusively in the mountainous parts of these counties, is 300,000 souls and is absolute majority in comparison with the Tatars and other ethnic groups, who only in some localities constitute a more or less significant part of the population, while the Armenians everywhere represent a solid mass. Consequently, the Muslim part of the population can only be in the position of a minority, and because of this minority of 3-4 tens of thousands, the vital interests of the people cannot be sacrificed.

In 1918-1920 this area was disputed between Armenia and Azerbaijan; after the Sovietization of Armenia and Azerbaijan, by the decision of the Caucasus Bureau of the Central Committee of the RCP (b) of July 4, 1921, it was decided to transfer Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, but final decision left to the Central Committee of the RCP (b), however, by a new decision of July 5, it was left as part of Azerbaijan with the provision of broad regional autonomy. In 1923, the Autonomous Region of Nagorno-Karabakh (AONK) was formed from the Armenian-populated part of Nagorno-Karabakh (excluding the Shaumyan and part of the Khanlar regions) as part of the Azerbaijan SSR. In 1937, the AONK was transformed into the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (NKAO).

Ethno-linguistic dynamics

Population of NKAO

Year	Population		Armenians	Azerbaijanis	Russians
	157800		149600 (94 %)	7700 (6 %)
	125.159		111.694 (89,2 %)	12.592 (10,1 %)	596 (0,5 %)
	NKAR	150.837	132.800 (88,0 %)	14.053 (9,3 %)	3.174 (2,1 %)
	Stepanakert	10.459	9.079 (86,8 %)	672 (6,4 %)	563 (5,4 %)
	Hadrut region	27.128	25.975 (95,7 %)	727 (2,7 %)	349 (1,3 %)
	Mardakert region	40.812	36.453 (89,3 %)	2.833 (6,9 %)	1.244 (3,0 %)
	Martuni region	32.298	30.235 (93,6 %)	1.501 (4,6 %)	457 (1,4 %)
	Stepanakert region	29.321	26.881 (91,7 %)	2.014 (6,9 %)	305 (1,0 %)
	Shusha district	10.818	4.177 (38,6 %)	6.306 (58,3 %)	256 (2,4 %)
	130.406		110.053 (84,4 %)	17.995 (13,8 %)	1.790 (1,6 %)
	150.313		121.068 (80,5 %)	27.179 (18,1 %)	1.310 (0,9 %)
	162.181		123.076 (75,9 %)	37.264 (23,0 %)	1.265 (0,8 %)

During the years of Soviet power, the percentage of the Azerbaijani population of the NKAR increased to 23%. Armenian authors explain this by the purposeful policy of the authorities of the Azerbaijan SSR to change the demographic situation in the region in favor of the Azerbaijanis. Similar ethnic shifts towards titular nationality were also observed in autonomous republics Georgian SSR: Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Adzharia. The share of the Russian population in Nagorno-Karabakh, as follows from the table, increased rapidly in the pre-war years and, having reached a maximum in 1939, began to decline just as rapidly, which correlates with the processes that took place in all of Azerbaijan and in general in the whole of Transcaucasia.