Which state does Nagorno-Karabakh belong to? The population of Nagorno-Karabakh. Perestroika and glasnost: secession of Nagorno-Karabakh from the Azerbaijan SSR

Karen Nersisyan, Chairman of the National Statistical Service of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Candidate of Economic Sciences, answers the questions of Noah's Ark.

– From December 1 to December 9, the second population census since independence was held in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Please tell us how this landmark event of all-republican significance went. Did the experience of the first census conducted 10 years ago help?

- According to the law on the population census adopted in December 2001, the census in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is carried out once every ten years. The main task of the census is to obtain the necessary information about the population in order to develop directions for the socio-economic development of the republic, conduct demographic and social studies, optimal distribution and use of labor resources, current accounting and forecasting of the size and composition of the population, etc. Conducting a census is a series of diverse and interrelated activities. According to the law of the NKR "On the population census", citizens are obliged to take part in this nationwide event, to give accurate and comprehensive answers to the questions contained in the census list.

The census is supported by the government with its structural divisions, various ministries, departments and organizations. In accordance with the law of the NKR "On the census" and the decision of the government, the republican, regional and Stepanakert city commissions were created to organize and conduct the 2015 census. 9 census, 90 instructor and 501 enumeration areas were formed, schematic plans for the city of Stepanakert, districts and rural communities were drawn up.

We held meetings and meetings with the leaders of all the communities of the republic, gave the necessary methodological explanations, I personally visited all the districts, held meetings with the leadership of the district, with activists in the villages, residents, explained the importance of obtaining reliable and accurate data for the state and society, answered the questions questions you are interested in.

We tried to form in people an inner conviction of the importance of the event. Of course, there were individual cases of misunderstanding, someone even stated that they would refuse to answer questions, but after appropriate explanations, they managed to convince such citizens.

The census was carried out by involved workers - enumerators (census takers), who went around residential buildings and other premises and carried out a direct survey of adults living in them. The census takers have undergone appropriate training, instruction and certification. At the same time, we focused not only on their professional training, but also on a human approach to business. Fulfilling their duties, they tried not to cause inconvenience to citizens, they agreed in advance when it would be convenient to come to them for questioning.

In general, I consider the task set to be completed, no excesses were recorded during the census. It is very important that people reacted with understanding to the need to hold this event of national importance, realized its essence and significance and fully fulfilled their civic duty.

The experience of the first census certainly helped us. At the same time, I think that organizationally we have managed to move even further - people have become more informed. In this regard, I would like to note the clear and competent work of the Population Census Department headed by Mikhail Soghomonyan.

I will add that in order to test the methodological, organizational principles, programs and technology for developing census materials, in the first quarter we organized a trial census in two large villages of the republic - Aterk in the Martakert region and Tog in the Hadrut region.

– Preliminary results of the census will be presented in the spring of 2016, and the final results - at the end of the same year.

Please note that individual census data are confidential and not subject to publication. The information collected about citizens will be coded, and only generalized data will be published.

- It is known that the population census is not limited to a purely mechanical calculation of the population, during it, in fact, various kinds of social studies. Please tell us about them in general terms.

- According to the results of the census, as you correctly noted, not only the population will be specified, but also such indicators as age and gender, citizenship, place of birth, religion, educational qualification, scientific degree, main source of livelihood, employment, economic activity, household family conditions, occupation, etc. The census questionnaire consisted of 55 questions, 22 of which concerned the property and income of citizens. That is, we are trying to determine the real living conditions of households. The list included such questions as, for example, whether the respondents received money from abroad in the last 12 months, whether births or deaths were recorded in the family during the specified period, whether there were disabled people in the family.

The census results have great importance for the development of state and economic policy, programming and management. The population census will provide an opportunity to study the changes that have taken place and to determine new directions and principles of development. Assessing the potential of a state is especially important for a country like ours, which is in a difficult geopolitical situation and constantly faces numerous challenges.

- Azerbaijani propaganda is trying to present the population of the NKR as much lower than our official figures. How would you comment on this?

– Our professional duty is to present the real situation. The fundamental principles that govern statistical bodies are accuracy, integrity and reliability. I don’t know how it is in Azerbaijan, but in our case there is no reason not to believe? official statistics. We do not deceive ourselves. Our grandfathers and fathers taught us this, and it is our duty to be honest with our people.

It is clear that the truth about Artsakh is not beneficial for the Baku authorities, and therefore they are trying to present information to the international community in a distorted form. But that's their problem.

- How would you assess the demographic situation in Artsakh in general?

- I would call the demographic situation in Artsakh positive and stable. There is a consistent dynamics of population growth in the republic. In the period from 2007 to 2014, the population of the NKR increased annually by an average of 1,400 people, or approximately 1%. The natural increase in this period averaged 1,200 people. This is reassuring.

- What innovations would you note in the activities of the National Statistical Service of the NKR? What are the plans for the near future?

- All innovations in the activities of the NKR National Statistical Service are dictated by modern requirements and are based on international standards.

Since January 1, 2014, we have been implementing a program of household research. The study will be long-term and consistent and will allow determining the standard of living of households, getting a complete picture of the socio-economic situation in the republic, correctly distributing public funds, controlling migration flows, calculating GDP using a new method, etc.

In 2015, we started calculating indicators of economic activity of the population during the month. Work is underway to assess the level of poverty, determine real sizes consumer and? food basket, etc. This year, a transition was made to a new international methodology for calculating the consumer price index, which provides for a more frequent revision of the share of the consumer basket.

Work is also underway to revise certain indicators in environmental statistics, bringing them into line with international standards and classification. For the first time, a statistical compendium will be compiled " Environment and Natural resources in the NKR.

In 2017, it is planned to carry out a complete agricultural accounting covering all physical and legal entities producing agricultural products.

Much remains to be done to train qualified personnel, introduce modern technologies, and the National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia, with which we have signed a memorandum of cooperation, helps us in this. Such cooperation helps to more effectively implement reforms aimed at modernizing and improving the system.

– What would you wish to the staff and readers of the Noah's Ark newspaper in the coming year?

- Let New Year will bring everyone material well-being and prosperity, spiritual harmony, joy and happiness!

I wish the staff of the newspaper new professional success and more interesting materials!

Interviewed by Ashot Beglaryan, Stepanakert

Artsakh - The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), as an independent state, has existed since September 2, 1991. The territory of the NKR mainly covers the Artsakh ashkhar Greater Armenia.

After the first division of Armenia (387) Artsakh passes to Persia. As part of Persia, Artsakh, together with Utik and Akhvank, is included in a single province under common name"Akhvank".

During the Arab rule, Artsakh was part of the governorship of Arminia, and later became part of the Armenian kingdom of Bagratuni.

After the fall of the Armenian statehood, when Armenia was subjected to raids by foreign invaders, the Artsakh principalities retained their independence. As part of Persia, the Artsakh principalities enjoyed special privileges and had a semi-dependent status. They were united into melikdoms of Khamsa (5 melikdoms - Khachen, Jraberd, Dizak, Varanda, Gyulistan).

Starting from the 15th century, the eastern Turkic-speaking wild tribes that penetrated into the Transcaucasus, the territory of Artsakh called Karabakh.

Now Artsakh has established itself as the second Armenian state. Thus, current Armenia consists of the Republic of Armenia (RA) and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR).

Natural conditions and riches

Artsakh is divided into 7 administrative districts - Shahumyan, Kashatakh, Martakert, Askeran, Shusha, Martuni and Hadrut. Administrative centers are underlined on the map.

Artsakh has a complex mountainous relief. Differences in the absolute heights of the surface reach 3700m (Kur-Araks valley - 100m, Mount Gomshasar - 3724m). In the northern part of the NKR, from west to east, the Mrovasar ridge stretches, the highest peak of which is Gomshasar.

Relatively major river Artsakh - Tartar (also known as Terter, Trtu), on which the Sarsang reservoir was built. The rivers Khachenaget, Ishkhanaget, Akari are also famous in Artsakh. Basically, all the valleys of the Artsakh rivers are covered with dense forests. There are also many mineral springs.

Beautiful Artsakh...

Population

Ancient Greek and Roman sources testify that long before our era, the inhabitants of Artsakh, Utik and all other ashkhars of Greater Armenia were Armenians and spoke one single language - Armenian. The fact that Armenians lived in Artsakh for thousands of years is evidenced not only by Armenian, but also by Arab, Persian, Georgian and Turkish authors.

There is also a lot of other evidence that Artsakh was originally inhabited by Armenians. More than a thousand Armenian rock inscriptions, more than 1600 historical, architectural and religious monuments have been found on the territory - monasteries, churches, castles, ancient cemeteries, khachkars, but not a single non-Armenian monument built before the 18th-19th centuries.

In the 18-19th centuries, Turkic-speaking nomadic tribes penetrated Artsakh, which until 1926. all-Union ( former USSR) of the population count were officially called Caucasian Tatars. Later they were called Azerbaijanis.

Today, only Armenians live on the territory of the NKR.

Cities

The capital of the NKR is Stepanakert, built on the left bank of the Karkar River. Stepanakert is an old Armenian settlement, which used to be called Vararakn.

Per last years in Stepanakert was relatively fast growth population and the economic growth. About 1/3 of the NKR population lives in Stepanakert.

Stepanakert is not only an administrative-political, but also a cultural and industrial center of the NKR. Here are the administration of the President of the Republic, the National Assembly, the government, State University, many technical schools and schools, basic cultural and health institutions.

Of the industrial enterprises, a silk factory, a building materials factory, a carpet weaving factory, an electrical and wine and vodka factory are known. There are also shoe, furniture and other enterprises.

The second city of Artsakh is Shushi. The city is located 10 km south of Stepanakert, on a high plateau, on the Stepanakert-Goris highway.

In historical sources, the city of Shushi is known as an impregnable fortress, where the population of the region defended itself during the attacks of enemies. In the 19th century, Shushi became one of the largest trade, craft and cultural centers of Transcaucasia, second only to Tbilisi and Baku in terms of population (more than 40 thousand), despite the fact that the main elite of Tbilisi and Baku consisted of Armenians.

In the early Middle Ages, Shushi was called Shikakar, later - Karaglukh, Kar.

The city was rebuilt according to the master plan. 2-3 storey houses, schools, hotels, shops, churches were built. Particularly attractive are the Church of Surb Amenaprkich Ghazanchetsots, the building of the Khandamiryan Theater and others.

Capital: Stepanakert
Big cities: Martakert, Hadrut
Official language: Armenian
Currency unit: dram
Population: 152 000
Ethnic composition: Armenians, Russians, Greeks
Natural resources: gold, silver, lead, zinc, perlite, limestone
Territory: 11 thousand sq. km.
Average height above sea level: 1,900 meters
Neighboring countries: Armenia, Iran, Azerbaijan

ARTICLE 142 of the NKR Constitution:
"Until the integrity of the state territory of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is restored and the boundaries are clarified, public authority is exercised on the territory that is actually under the jurisdiction of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic."

Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR):
history and modernity

Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR)- a state formed in the process of the collapse of the USSR on the basis of the Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region(NKAR) - a national-state formation in the state structure of the USSR, and the Armenian-populated Shahumyan region. The capital is the city of Stepanakert.

NKR was proclaimed September 2, 1991 in accordance with the fundamental norms of international law.

Nagorno-Karabakh (Armenian self-name - Artsakh), located in the north-east of the Armenian Highlands, from ancient times was one of the provinces of historical Armenia, the north-eastern border of which, according to all ancient sources, was Kura. The natural and climatic conditions of the mountainous region are due to a favorable geographical position. In the ancient Armenian state of Urartu (VIII-V BC), Artsakh is mentioned under the name Urtekhe-Urtekhini. In the writings of Strabo, Pliny the Elder, Claudius Ptolemy, Plutarch, Dio Cassius and other authors, it was indicated that the Kura was the border of Armenia with neighboring Albania (Aluank) - an ancient state that was a conglomerate of multilingual Caucasian mountain tribes.

After the division of Armenia between Byzantium and Persia (387), the territory of Eastern Transcaucasia (including Artsakh) passed to Persia, which, however, did not affect the ethnic boundaries in the region until the late Middle Ages: the right bank of the Kura, together with Artsakh (Karabakh), remains populated by Armenians. And only in the middle of the 18th century, the penetration of Turkic nomadic tribes into the northern regions of Karabakh began, which marked the beginning of many years of wars with the Armenian principalities. Melikdoms (principalities) Nagorno-Karabakh, ruled by hereditary specific princes - meliks, managed to maintain actual sovereignty, including their own squads, princely squads, etc. Being forced for centuries to repel the invasions of the troops of the Ottoman Empire, the raids of nomadic tribes and detachments of numerous and often hostile neighboring khans, and even the troops of the shahs themselves, the melikdoms of Artsakh sought to free themselves from the infidel power. To this end, in the 17th-18th centuries, the Karabakh meliks corresponded with Russian tsars, including the emperors Peter I, Catherine II and Paul I.

In 1805, the territory of historical Artsakh, formally called the Karabakh Khanate, together with the vast regions of Eastern Transcaucasia "forever and ever" passed to the Russian Empire, which was secured by the Gulistan (1813) and Turkmenchay (1828) treaties between Russia and Persia.

A period of peaceful life began, which generally lasted until 1917. After the collapse of the Russian Empire, in the process of formation of states in the Caucasus, Nagorno-Karabakh in 1918-1920. turned into the arena of a brutal war between the Republic of Armenia, which restored its independence, and the newly created Azerbaijan Democratic Republic under the conditions of Turkish intervention, which, from the moment of its formation, presented territorial claims to the significant Armenian territories of Transcaucasia.

Regular Turkish troops and Azerbaijani armed formations, taking advantage of the turmoil caused by the World War and the collapse of the Russian Empire, continued the Armenian genocide in Turkey in 1915, in 1918-1920. destroyed hundreds of Armenian villages, massacred Armenians in Baku, Ganja. And only in Nagorno-Karabakh did these formations encounter serious armed resistance organized by the National Council of NK, although Shusha, the capital of the region, was burned and plundered on March 23, 1920, and the Armenian population of the city was destroyed.

It was then that the international community found it necessary to intervene in an increasingly tragic conflict. On December 1, 1920, on the basis of the report of its third subcommittee, the Fifth Committee of the League of Nations, reacting to the territorial claims of Azerbaijan and mass anti-Armenian pogroms, unanimously spoke out against the admission of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic to the League of Nations. At the same time, the League of Nations, before the final settlement of the conflict, recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as a disputed territory, with which all the parties involved in the conflict, including Azerbaijan, agreed. Thus, during the period of occurrence in 1918-20. Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, its sovereignty did not extend to Nagorno-Karabakh (as well as to Nakhichevan).

The establishment of Soviet power in Transcaucasia was accompanied by the establishment of new political orders. After the proclamation in 1920. Soviet Azerbaijan Russian troops, until the peaceful resolution of the issue, in accordance with the Treaty between Soviet Russia and the Republic of Armenia, temporarily occupied Nagorno-Karabakh.

However, immediately after the establishment of Soviet power in Armenia, the Revolutionary Committee (revolutionary committee - main body Bolshevik authorities at that time) of Azerbaijan declares the recognition of the "disputed territories" - Nagorno-Karabakh, Zangezur and Nakhichevan - as integral parts of Armenia. By the moment of declaring the renunciation of claims to Nagorno-Karabakh, Zangezur and Nakhichevan, these territories were not part of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

On the basis of the refusal of Soviet Azerbaijan from claims to "disputed territories" and on the basis of an agreement between the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Armenia in June 1921. declared Nagorno-Karabakh its integral part. The text of the Decree of the Government of Armenia was published in the press both in Armenia and in Azerbaijan (“Baku worker” (an organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan), June 22, 1921). Thus, an act of cession took place, which turned out to be the last legal act on Nagorno-Karabakh in the international legal sense during the communist regime in Transcaucasia.

The act of cession was welcomed by both the international community and Russia, which was recorded in the resolution of the Assembly of the League of Nations (18.XII.1920), in the Note of the Secretary General of the League of Nations to the member states of the League of Nations (4.III.1921) and in Annual report of the People's Commissariat (Ministry) of Foreign Affairs of the RSFSR for 1920-1921. supreme body of power - the XI Congress of Soviets.

Soon, however, the Bolshevik leadership of Russia, in the context of the policy of promoting the “world communist revolution”, in which Turkey was assigned the role of the “torch of the revolution in the East”, changes its attitude towards ethnically related Azerbaijan and the problem of “disputed” territories, including Nagorny Karabakh.

The leadership of Azerbaijan, on instructions from Moscow, resumes its claims to Nagorno-Karabakh. The Plenum of the Caucasian Bureau of the RCP(b), disregarding the decision of the League of Nations and rejecting the plebiscite as a democratic mechanism for establishing borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan, in 1921, under the direct pressure of Stalin and contrary to the act of cession, with procedural violations, decides on the separation of Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia with the condition formation in these Armenian territories of national autonomy with broad rights as part of the Azerbaijan SSR.

Azerbaijan in every possible way delayed the fulfillment of the demand for granting autonomy to Nagorno-Karabakh. But after a two-year armed struggle of the Karabakh people and at the insistence of the RCP (b) in 1923. an insignificant part was granted the status of an autonomous region - one of the constitutional forms of national-state formation in the state structure of the USSR. Moreover, Nagorno-Karabakh, apparently with a distant sight, was fragmented - autonomy was formed on one part, and the rest was dissolved in the administrative regions of Soviet Azerbaijan, and in such a way as to eliminate the physical and geographical connection between the Armenian autonomy and Armenia.

Thus, a significant part of the territory, recognized by the League of Nations as disputed, was directly annexed, and most of Nagorno-Karabakh remained outside the autonomy (Gulistan, Kalbajar, Karahat (Dashkesan), Lachin, Shamkhor, etc.). Thus, the Karabakh problem was not resolved, but frozen for almost 70 years, although the Armenian majority of Nagorno-Karabakh repeatedly sent letters and petitions to the central authorities in Moscow, demanding to annul the unconstitutional and illegal decision of 1921 and consider the possibility of transferring Nagorno-Karabakh to the Armenia. Even during the years of Stalinist repressions, under the threat of the expulsion of the entire Armenian people from their historical homeland (following the example of other repressed nations), the struggle of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia for secession from the Azerbaijan SSR did not stop.

1988 became a turning point in the history of Nagorno-Karabakh. The people of Artsakh raised their voice in defense of their own rights and freedoms. Observing all existing legal norms and using exclusively democratic forms of expressing their will, the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh came forward with a demand for reunification with Armenia. These events became a turning point not only in the life of the people of Artsakh; they, in fact, predetermined the subsequent fate of the entire Armenian people. February 20, 1988 The extraordinary session of the Council of People's Deputies of the NKAR adopted a decision that contained a request to the Supreme Soviets of Azerbaijan - to withdraw from its composition, Armenia - to accept it, the USSR - to satisfy this request and was based on legal norms and precedents for resolving such disputes in the USSR .

However, each act of democratic expression of will and the desire to translate the dispute into a civilized channel was followed by an escalation of violence, massive and widespread violation of the rights of the Armenian population, demographic expansion, economic blockade, etc. Pogroms and massacres of Armenians began in cities of Azerbaijan, hundreds of kilometers away from the NKAO - Sumgayit , Baku, Kirovabad, Shamkhor, then throughout Azerbaijan, as a result of which hundreds of people died and were injured. About 450 thousand Armenians from the cities and villages of Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh became refugees.

On September 2, 1991, the joint session of the Nagorno-Karabakh Regional Council and the Council of People's Deputies of the Shahumyan region proclaimed the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) within the boundaries of the former NKAR and the Shahumyan region. The Declaration of Independence of the NKR was adopted. Thus, the right reflected in the then current legislation, in particular, in the USSR Law of April 3, 1990, was exercised. “On the procedure for resolving issues related to the withdrawal of a union republic from the USSR,” which provides for the right of national autonomies to independently decide on their state-legal status in the event that a union republic secedes from the USSR. At the same time (November 1991), contrary to all legal norms, the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan adopted a law on the abolition of the NKAO, which was qualified by the Constitutional Court of the USSR as contrary to the Constitution of the USSR.

On December 10, 1991, just a few days before the official collapse of the Soviet Union, a referendum was held in Nagorno-Karabakh in the presence of international observers, in which the vast majority of the population - 99.89% - voted for complete independence from Azerbaijan. In the parliamentary elections that followed on December 28, the NKR parliament was elected, which formed the first government. The government of the independent NKR began to fulfill its duties under the conditions of an absolute blockade and the subsequent military aggression by Azerbaijan.

Using the weapons and ammunition of the 4th army of the armed forces of the USSR concentrated on its territory, Azerbaijan unleashed a large-scale war against Nagorno-Karabakh. This war, as you know, lasted from autumn 1991 to May 1994 with varying success. There were periods when almost 60 percent of the territory of NK was under occupation, and the capital Stepanakert and other settlements were subjected to almost unceasing massive air raids and artillery shelling.

By May 1992, the NKR self-defense forces managed to liberate the city of Shushi, “break through” the corridor in the area of ​​the city of Lachin, which reunited the territories of the NKR and the Republic of Armenia, thereby partially eliminating the long-term blockade of the NKR.

In June-July 1992, as a result of the offensive, the Azerbaijani army occupied the entire Shahumyan, most of Mardakert, part of the Martuni, Askeran and Hadrut regions of the NKR.

In August 1992, the US Congress adopted a resolution condemning the actions of Azerbaijan and forbidding the US administration at the governmental level to provide economic assistance to this state.

In order to repel the aggression of Azerbaijan, the life of the NKR was completely transferred to a military footing; On August 14, 1992, the NKR State Defense Committee was established, and the disparate detachments of the self-defense forces were reformed and, on the basis of strict discipline and unity of command, organized into the Defense Army of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The NKR Defense Army succeeded in liberating most of the territories of the NKR previously occupied by Azerbaijan, occupying in the course of hostilities a number of Azerbaijani regions adjacent to the republic, turned into firing points. It was with the creation of this security zone that the possibility of a direct threat to the civilian population was prevented.

On May 5, 1994, with the mediation of Russia, Kyrgyzstan and the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the CIS in the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia signed the Bishkek Protocol, on the basis of which on May 12 the same parties reached an agreement on a ceasefire, which is in force to this day.

In 1992 To resolve the Karabakh conflict, the OSCE Minsk Group was created, within which the negotiation process is being carried out with the aim of preparing the OSCE Minsk Conference, designed to achieve a final solution to the issue of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh.

, Republic of Artsakh(arm. Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի Հանրապետություն, Հանրապետություն Արցախ - Lernain Garaba Angi Hanrapetutyun, -) unrecognized state, proclaimed on September 2, 1991 at a joint session of the Nagorno-Karabakh regional and Shaumyan district Soviets of People's Deputies of the Azerbaijan SSR within the borders of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (NKAO) of the Azerbaijan SSR and the adjacent Shahumyan region of the Azerbaijan SSR.

Climate

The climate of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is mild and temperate, over a large area it is dry subtropical. Average annual temperature air - + 10.5 ° C. The hottest months are July and August, average temperature which is + 21-22 ° C.

The average temperature of the coldest months (January-February) is around 0°C.

The lowest temperature in the lowland zone drops to -16°C, in the foothills - to -19°C, in the highlands - from -20°C to -23°C. heat in lowland and foothill areas it reaches +40°C, in mid-mountain and mountainous areas - from +32°C to +37°C.

The average annual amount of precipitation in the belts ranges from 480 to 700 mm. In the highland zone, 560-830 mm of precipitation falls annually. Most of the precipitation falls in May-June. Heavy rains and hail are also frequent during this period.

Nagorno-Karabakh Republic

On December 10, 1991, a referendum on the status of the NKR was held, 99.89% of the participants in which voted for its independence. This percentage was achieved due to the fact that the referendum was boycotted by the Azerbaijani minority of the region. The referendum was not recognized by the international community. On January 6, 1992, the NKR Parliament of the first convocation - the NKR Supreme Council - adopted the Declaration "On the State Independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic". The declaration of independence was preceded by almost four years of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, which led to a significant number of victims and refugees on both sides, caused by the use of mass violence and ethnic cleansing.

In 1991-1994, a military conflict broke out between the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan, during which the Azerbaijanis ousted the Armenians from the territory of the former Shahumyan region of the Azerbaijan SSR and part of Nagorno-Karabakh, and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, supported by Armenia, established control over several regions of Azerbaijan adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh and ousted the Azerbaijani population from there, which was qualified in 1993 by the UN Security Council as the occupation of the territory of Azerbaijan by Armenian forces.

According to the administrative-territorial division of Azerbaijan, the territory currently controlled by the NKR occupies the southwestern part of the main territory of Azerbaijan (the territory of the former NKAR and some adjacent territories), adjoins the state borders between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the west and Azerbaijan and Iran in the south and borders with Azerbaijani-controlled territory in the north and east.

Under control armed forces Azerbaijan is located about a third of the Shahumyan region, as well as minor parts of the Martakert and Martuni regions of the NKR.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is a member of the informal association CIS-2.

Political life

The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is a presidential republic.

National Assembly of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic

The legislative body is the National Assembly, 33 seats.

In June 2005, elections of deputies to the NKR National Assembly were held. Political parties and associations took part in them:
Party "Free Motherland"
"Democratic Party of Artsakh"
Party "For Moral Revival"
communist party
bloc "ARF Dashnaktsutyun - Movement-88"
Party “Our Home is Armenia”
Party "Social Justice"

The elections were attended by foreign observers invited by the NKR authorities. Among those invited from Russia were State Duma deputies Viktor Sheinis, Konstantin Zatulin and Sergei Grigoriev, as well as Georgy Trapeznikov, chairman of the Academy of Spiritual Unity, who attended the elections as private individuals. In their statement, made after the elections, Russian observers called them "democratic, transparent, free, independent, legitimate, meeting the Electoral Code of the NKR and all high international standards." However, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that “citizens Russian Federation, who acted as observers in these elections, were in Nagorno-Karabakh on their own initiative and exclusively in their personal capacity.

Government of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic

The executive power of the NKR is exercised by the Government of the NKR, whose powers are established by the laws of the NKR. The government consists of the Prime Minister of the NKR, the Vice-premier and ministers. The structure and procedure for the activities of the Government is established by a decree of the President of the NKR in the presence of the Prime Minister.

The prime minister is Arayik Vladimirovich Harutyunyan, and the vice-premier is Spartak Apetnakovich Tevosyan.

The government has 12 ministries, of which 4 (Ministries of Justice, Welfare, Culture and Youth and Urban Development) are headed by women.
Permanent missions of the NKR

• Armenia — Yerevan
• Russia Moscow
• USA - Washington
• France Paris
• Australia - Sydney
• Lebanon — Beirut
• Germany Berlin

The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is located in the southeastern part of the Lesser Caucasus. The relief of the republic is typically mountainous, covers the eastern segment of the Karabakh plateau and slopes obliquely from the west to the east, merging with the Artsakh valley, which makes up most of the Kuro-Araks lowland. The eastern parts of the Martakert and Martuni regions are relatively low-lying.

Administrative-territorial division

Geographically, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is divided into 7 regions and the capital Stepanakert.

Five of them - Askeran, Hadrut, Martakert, Martuni and Shusha are located both on the territory of the former NKAO and beyond its borders, the declared lands of the Shaumyan region are located on the territory of the former Shaumyan and Kalbajar regions of the Azerbaijan SSR, as well as part of the Khanlar region of the Azerbaijan SSR, the Kashatagh region is located on a part of the territory of the former Lachin region of the Azerbaijan SSR.

Parts of the Martakert, Martuni and Shaumyan regions are under the control of Azerbaijan and are considered by the NKR authorities to be occupied territories.

The territories of the NKR, located outside the borders of the territories of the former NKAO declared in 1991 as the NKR, the Shahumyan and part of the Khanlar regions of the AzSSR, are often called the NKR security belt or zone.
Territorial changes
April - May 1992 - establishing control over the Lachin region.
May 9, 1992 - establishing control over Shusha.
June - July 1992 - loss of control over the Shahumyan region.
March 1993 - establishing control over the Kalbajar region.
June 13-23, 1993 - establishing control over part of the Aghdam, Jabrayil, Fizuli regions.
August 31, 1993 - establishing control over the Kubatly region.
August 23, 1993 - establishing control over the Jabrayil and most of the Fizuli regions.

Population

According to the results of the 2005 census of the population of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, the population in the republic was 137,737 people, of which 137,380 people were Armenians (99.74%), Russians - 171 people (0.1%), Greeks - 22 people ( 0.02%), Ukrainians - 21 people (0.02%), Georgians - 12 people (0.01%), Azerbaijanis - 6 people (0.005%), representatives of other nationalities - 125 people (0.1%). In 2006, 2,102 children were born in the NKR, which is 4.9% more than in 2005. 15.3 children were born per 1,000 inhabitants compared to 14.6 in 2005. Natural population growth increased by 16.5% over the same period. In 2006, 241 families, or 872 people, 395 of which were children, moved to the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic from Armenia and other CIS countries for permanent residence. According to estimates for 2009, the population of the republic was 141,100 people.

Status

According to the administrative-territorial division of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the territory controlled by the NKR is part of Azerbaijan. Commitment to the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan is mentioned in the resolutions of the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly and a number of others international organizations: in 1993, the UN Security Council adopted 4 resolutions relating to the Karabakh conflict, qualifying the control of the territories outside Nagorno-Karabakh by Armenians as the occupation of the territory of Azerbaijan by Armenian forces, in March 2008 General Assembly The UN adopted a resolution "The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan", which was supported by 39 UN member states (excluding the United States, Russia, France - member states of the OSCE Minsk Group), in 2009 the US State Department in its annual report on the observance of religious freedom in world called Karabakh "a separatist region of Azerbaijan".

At the moment, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has not received recognition from the UN member states and is not a member of it; in this regard, certain political categories (president, prime minister, elections, government, parliament, flag, coat of arms, capital) are not used in relation to the NKR in the official documents of the UN member states and the organizations formed by them. To designate the NKR authorities as a party to the conflict, UN and OSCE documents related to the conflict use the expression “Leadership of Nagorny Karabakh”, which, as diplomats emphasize, is not considered as a formal recognition of any diplomatic or the political status of the region. The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is recognized as the partially recognized states of the Republic of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as the unrecognized Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic.

Opinions of political scientists regarding the status of the NKR differ. So, according to the German jurist O. Luchterhand, “In exceptional cases, that is, when a national minority is discriminated against in an unbearable form, then the right of self-determination in the form of the right to secession takes precedence over the sovereignty of the state to which it concerns. In the case under consideration, Azerbaijan's right to sovereignty loses weight compared to the right to self-determination (the right of secession)…”.

According to Russian political scientists Sergei Markedonov and Andrei Areshev, it is impossible to deny the fact that the NKR has its own territory, a special organization of power and actual sovereignty, that is, it fits the formal definition of a state. From their point of view, the NKR, not differing from other states in the world in nothing, except for the lack of its recognition, can be called an unrecognized state.

According to Western political scientist Dav Lynch, in the case of Nagorno-Karabakh, independence is actually a front that barely hides the fact that it is a region of Armenia - the “independence” of Karabakh only allows the newly emerged Armenian state to avoid the international stigma of an aggressor, despite the fact that Armenian troops took part in the war in 1991-1994 and continue to occupy the front line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan. In 2006, Armenian President Robert Kocharian stated that his country would recognize the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic if negotiations with Azerbaijan reached an impasse.

International organizations, including the UN, NATO, the European Union, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the OIC and GUAM, indicate that the opinion of the ethnic Azerbaijani minority in Nagorno-Karabakh, which was forced to leave it as a result of the armed conflict, was not taken into account in the process of expression of will, and consider the elections illegitimate held in the region by the Armenian authorities. In particular, on May 21, 2010, Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for foreign affairs and security policy said that European Union does not recognize the constitutional and legal framework in which on May 23, 2010 "parliamentary elections" will be held in Nagorno-Karabakh" and that "This event should not interfere with the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict."

On May 20, 2010, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the "need for an EU strategy for the South Caucasus", stating that the EU needs to pursue a strategy to support stability, prosperity and conflict resolution in the South Caucasus. The territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh were characterized in the resolution as the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, it expressed the opinion on the need to immediately refuse to include these territories in the NKR. It also noted that the interim status of Nagorno-Karabakh could be a decision until the final status is determined.

Economy

The NKR economy was completely destroyed during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict of 91-94. On the this moment Through the efforts of local businesses, businesses in Armenia and the Diaspora, new plants, factories, small and large enterprises are appearing, which significantly revive the growth of the economy. Today in Artsakh there are enterprises of timber processing, jewelry production, Food Industry, light industry, etc. Tourism infrastructure is actively developing, new tours are being built. centers, hotels, routes, etc.
Bridge Artsakh Economic Forum

The forum was organized jointly by the businesses of Armenia, Artsakh and the Armenian Diaspora, appeared relatively recently and today it is visited by many politicians and businessmen, many agreements are signed.

Religion

The vast majority of the population of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has the Armenian-Gregorian Church as a traditional religion, which has the Artsakh diocese on the territory of the NKR.

In 2010, a ceremony of laying the foundation of a Russian Orthodox church in honor of the Intercession of the Mother of God was held in Stepanakert.

Attractions

• Azykh cave is the most famous cave in the republic. Located in the Hadrut region.
• Ruin ancient city- presumably, Tigranakert - an ancient Armenian city founded by Tigran II in the 1st century BC. e. Located in Askeran region.
• Amaras is an Armenian monastery of the 4th century. Located in the Martuni region.
• Tsitsernavank is an Armenian monastery of the 4th century. Located in the Kashatag region.
• Gandzasar Monastery is an Armenian monastery of the 13th century. Located in the Martakert region.
• Dadivank is an Armenian monastery of the 9th century. It is located in the Shaumyanovsky district.
• Gtchavank Monastery is an Armenian monastery of the 13th century. Located in the Hadrut region.
• Erek Mankunk Monastery is an Armenian monastery of the 17th century. Located in the Martakert region.
• Kagankatuyk - the ruins of an ancient Armenian settlement. Located in the Martakert region.
• Shusha fortress is one of the most famous fortresses of Karabakh. Located in Shusha.
• Askeran fortress is one of the most famous fortresses of historical Artsakh. Located in Askeran region.
• Hokhanaberd (fortress) - one of the best fortresses of Medieval Khachen, built by Gasan-Jalal Dola. It was the center of the Khachen principality.
• "We are our mountains" - a monument on top of a hill at the entrance to Stepanakert.
• Andaberd (fortress)
• Andaberd (monastery)
• Tigranakert (fortress) - the fortress of the city of Tigranakert
• Kachaghakaberd (fortress)
• Karmiravan (monastery) - Armenian monastery of the early 13th century
• The princely palace of the melikdom of Dizak - in the village. Togh, Hadrut region.

A military clash arose here, since the vast majority of the inhabitants inhabiting the region have Armenian roots. The essence of the conflict is 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 subjugated Russian Empire, and in 1813, according to 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 wide 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 Soviet Union has already begun to fall apart, the NKAO is adopting 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, and more than 100,000 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 is in favor of a peaceful resolution of controversial issues, while the authorities of the republic emphasize that the NKR is able to stand up for its independence.