Petition from the Armenians of Mountainous Karabakh to Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev
To the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union,
Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party,
Comrade Khrushchev,
We, the kolkhozniks, workers and toilers of the Autonomous Region of Mountainous Karabakh, and the Armenian population of the regions of Shamkhor, Khanlar, Dashkesan and Shahumian of Azerbaijan SSR, having reached a point of desperation as a result of the crushing burden of our living conditions, decided to address ourselves to you to enlist your help and protection.
From time immemorial, our territory, circumscribed by the rivers of Kur, Araks and Lake Sevan, which historically is known under the name of Artsakh, has always been an inseparable part of Armenia. As a result of the Turko-Mongol incursions, the Armenians were forced out of the plains and hillsides, their villages and towns were destroyed or were reduced to pastures. The Armenians succeeded in fortifying themselves and enjoying protection only in the semi-mountainous regions of Karabakh.
After the annexation to Russia, the danger which imperiled the physical existence of the Armenians of Karabakh was removed, even though they were still suffering under the yoke of the Tzarist regime.
To protect themselves from the consequences of the growing revolutionary movement, the Tzarist authorities in the period of 1903-1905 artificially instigated hostilities and sanguinary massacres between the Armenians and the Azerbaijanis.
During the first imperialist [World] war, as in the periods prior to and after the onset of the national republics, the Musavat regime of Azerbaijan isolated the Armenian regions of Karabakh from the outside world and proceeded to annihilate the Armenians whenever and however it could. With an optimum tightening of stamina, the Armenians of Karabakh defied the Musavat government by defending their independence and ethnic authenticity through heroic efforts. This is the pattern of the endless chain of the misfortunes and sufferings of the Armenians of Karabakh; and it was only in April, 1920, that the Soviet regime put an end to it.
We were not mistaken in our belief that the Leninist policy of nationalities would triumph, and that Armenian-populated Karabagh would be incorporated into Soviet Armenia. Indeed, after the advent of the Soviet government of Azerbaijani expressed its readiness to cede Karabakh and Nakhijevan to Armenia. The declaration was signed and made public by N. Narimanov in the celebrated session of the Baku Soviet on December 1, 1920.
However, this judicious and entirely fraternal decision was not carried out. In March, 1921, as a result of a treaty signed with Turkey, Nakhijevan was incorporated into the territorial complex of Azerbaijan SSR. In 1923, within the territorial borders of Azerbaijan, Mountainous Karabakh was given autonomy, and the regions of Shamkhar, Khanlar, Dashkesan and Shahumian, where the Armenian population is predominant (approximately 90 per cent), were directly incorporated into the Azerbaijan SSR. Thus, the Armenians of Karabagh were cut off from the Armenian SSR and Mountainous Karabakh Autonomous Republic failed to include all Armenian regions. The rights of the autonomous region were gradually curtailed and presently are almost entirely abrogated. The Armenian population of the Azerbaijani SSR has been subjected to chauvinistic polices creating extremely unfavorable conditions of life. At the inception of the autonomy, certain positive steps were undertaken for the development of industry and agriculture in the region. Subsequently, however, every enterprise has been thwarted, and established institutions have either been inhibited from functioning or have been transferred to regions inhabited by Azerbaijanis. On the other hand, demands were imposed upon our region which were exacting and beyond the limits of our capacity. They resulted in such desperate acts as our beings forced to extricate wool from our beds, bedcovers and pillows in order to meet the quotas imposed upon us.
These underhanded measures, which were intended to bring about a deterioration in the economy of the Armenian population and eventually to force the latter’s exodus from the region, were supplemented by acts of sabotage and counter-revolutionary operations.
In spite of the fact that large expanses of irrigated soil were at hand in some regions of the Azerbaijani SSR, people’s enemy Bagirov was repopulating the Armenian villages of Martuni and Mars with Azerbaijanis. As a consequence, clashes between the two nationalities in these villages became imminent. Apparently, the followers of people’s enemy Bagirov have not forgotten his instructions. Their objective was not only the termination of the autonomy of the region, but also the expulsion of the Armenian population of Karabakh. To this end, they relentlessly and systematically trampled upon the interests of the Armenian population, derided the workers and subjected the people in general to inexcusably hostile treatment.
Let us cite some examples:
- The bread factory of Stepanakert has been placed under the jurisdiction of Aghdam — an Azerbaijani regional center located at a distance of 40 km. In other words, it has been proposed that the planning of the production of flour and the regulation of the quality of bread, and altogether the management of the production of bread for Stepanakert all be controlled in distant Aghdam.
2. The health department of Mars has likewise been subjected to Aghdam, where appointments to and removals from posts of the department for workers are initiated; medical supplies and other material needs of the hospitals and other institutions are supposed to be secured, but in fact are not provided. The same applies to pharmacies and pharmacists.
3. The management of construction works is under the jurisdiction of Minkechaour, which is located 120km away from Stepanakert. The immediate result of this arrangement was the removal of the best machines to Minkechaour and their replacement by useless and antiquated implements and technical systems. The top laborers of one particular concern were flatly dismissed and were replaced by Azerbaijanis.
4. The combine of Mars which produces silk and employs 3,000 workers (the only industrial concern of Mars) has been placed under the administrative jurisdiction of a comparable but much smaller enterprise in Nukhi, which is 120 km away from Stepanakert. The dye factory has been transported to Nukhi as a result of which the wage fund has been reduced and the wages of the workers of Stepanakert have been lowered. The silk spinning factories of Khntzorestan, Seyidshen, Gheshlach and other villages have been closed.
5. The sojuzpetchat department of Mars (in charge of distribution of newspapers and other printed material) has been transferred to Aghdam (since May 1962). Now Aghdam is to plan what we are to read. As to the workers of Stepanakert sojuzpetchat, they remain jobless.
6. The cement factory in Stepanakert has been placed under the jurisdiction of the region of Barda (60 km distance), which has absolutely no connection with the factory.
7. The Tartarkes project has been made part of the post-war five year plan, but until today has not been realized. Tartarkes is meant to solve to problems of electrical energy and irrigation of the semi-mountainous and mountainous regions. The construction of Minkechaour, which can not solve the problems peculiar to Tartarkes.
8. A number of projects provided in the recent five year plans for Mars have not been fulfilled. Still, nothing is being done, even though those projects have been made an integral part of the seven year plan, e.g., the cake combine, the wine factory of the Gurbadkino, etc.
9. The auto repair plant, provided in the seven year plan for Stepanakert [Karabakh], has been erected in Kirovabad [Azerbaijan] instead, in spite of the problems this presents in terms of available personnel and other prerequisites.
10. In forty years, not one kilometer of new road has been constructed between villages and the regional center; nor have existing roads been repaired.
11. No possibilities have been explored for developing the agriculture of the region. The corn, potato and vineyard acreages have not been expanded. There is no increment in the rate of the growth of produce. Cattle breeding is in decline; the authorities are oblivious to the problem of water resources. Reservoirs have been erected on the banks of a number of rivers of mountainous Karabakh, but only Azerbaijani villages are benefiting from these waters. The kolkhozniks of Karabagh have not been given the right to utilize the waters of theirs own rivers. Since ancient times Mountainous Karabakh has been famous for its mulberry farms which often were cultivated despite great difficulty on the rocky slopes of the highlands. These farms were utilized to produce spirits and doshab, and were also used for construction material and fuel. Disregarding the protest of the population, with a stroke of the pen they forbade the extracting of spirit and ordered the cultivation of mulberries for the sole purpose of feeding the silkworms. As a result, large numbers of mulberry trees were destroyed, and the rocky slopes became barren and useless for agriculture. Besides, the mulberry wood is known to have precious qualities for industrial use.
Mars has not been carefully studied in terms of its soil and climatic conditions; no narrowly specialized subregions were created for he purpose of enhancing productivity.
The experimental station of the region of Margushaven has been placed under the jurisdiction of Baku. One is led to believe that the management in Mars is not interested in investigating its agricultural problems and in resolving other problems of local significance.
12. Culture and education are in decline. The low level of work in the field of education is particularly evident in the results of tests taken by our students in order to gain entrance to the higher educational institutions of Armenian SSR. The two-year Pedagogical Institute and Conservatory of Stepanakert is a notable cultural achievement, but it has been instituted at the cost of relinquishing the Armenian Theater in Baku — in spite of the fact that there is a large contingent of Armenians in Baku.
We could go on with the description of the illegal and harmful measures and operations inflicted upon the Autonomous Region and its Armenian population. The cursorily described cases above fully reveal the abnormal and critical status of the population of the Region. It is a status which mocks the idea of autonomy, the interests of the Armenian population, the rights of Soviet citizens, and the Leninist policy of nationalities.
The aims pursued [by the Azerbaijani government] on various occasions and for many years are now coming close to fruition. They consist of the propensity to subordinate the institutions and enterprises of Mountainous Karabakh to corresponding enterprises which are located at a distance of 40-60 km and are integral parts of Azerbaijani regions (Aghdam, Barda, Minkechaour, Nukhi, etc.); of transferring the institutions and enterprises of the region to the regions of Azerbaijani SSR; of blocking the construction of the industrial concerns and of all other necessary enterprises provided in the plans for the region. As a result of all these, the managerial-administrative functions of the region have all but disintegrated.
These unilaterally harmful measures have deprived the Armenian population of the region of its livelihood and wellbeing and forced it to abandon its own ancestral homeland.
This is the reason why in the last twenty-five years there is a total lack of increase in the growth rate of the Armenian population of Mountainous Karabakh. It should be noted that the above-mentioned decline has made it possible to populate Karabakh with Azerbaijanis.
It can definitely be stated that a chauvinistic, pan-Turk policy is being pursued which is at once inconceivable and inimical to the principles of Soviet rule, but which evidently is acceptable to the authorities of the Azerbaijani Republic.
This policy has had more abominable applications for the Armenian regions of Shamkhor, Shahumian and Khanlar, which are outside Autonomous Region of Karabakh.
The situation is unbearable there. Discrimination is everywhere and in everything. Our plight at present is more grave than during the conquest period of 1919-1920 Soviet friendship and fraternity. We have previously also protested that there is in fact no Autonomous region. We tried to explain the reasons of grievances of the masses, but were subjected to impermissible methods of treatment. For instance, Bagirov had convened a session of the Party Aktiv in Stepanakert in which he declared:
”Whoever is opposed to the annexation of Karabakh to Azerbaidjan SSR is invited to leave the meeting.”
Under the circumstances, it is obvious what fate might befall any person disposed to leave the meeting. Another incident occurred just recently. To obtain explanations [concerning our situation], only the [central] administrators of the region were approached; this was done, of all places, in Baku. (Comrade Suchitdinov).
The policy of discrimination and oppression is engendering justifiable hatred against the source of that policy, namely, the Azerbaijani Republic and the leadership of the Autonomous Region. The regrettable fact is that undesirable relationships between the nationalities are developing in consequence.
In these days when we are building communism, we can not live under such circumstance. It seemed to us that the implementation of such a brutal policy of national chauvinism was incredible and impossible.
But there is no doubt about it. The steps undertaken since early 1962 have fully convinced us.
We request a prompt decision so as to reincorporate Mountainous Karabahh and all adjacent Armenian regions into the Armenian SSR, or to make them party of RSFSR [Russian Federation-ANI].
We request the treatment of the Armenians in Karabakh to be attuned only to Lenin’s policy of nationalities.
[19 May 1964]
[The Armenian Review, Autumn, 1968]
The Karabagh File, Documents and Facts, 1918-1988, First Edition, Cambridge Toronto 1988, by the ZORYAN INSTITUTE, edited by: Gerard J. LIBARIDIAN, pp. 42-46.
Image – Shushi
