Black Garden : Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War

part of Armenia. 
5 JULY 1921 
“Kavburo” declares Nagorny Karabakh part of Soviet 
Azerbaijan. 
13 OCTOBER 1921 
Treaty of Kars between Bolshevik Russia and 
Turkey. 
30 DECEMBER 1922 
Establishment of the Soviet Union. 
7 JULY 1923 
Nagorny Karabakh Autonomous Region created. 
1948–1950 
Deportation of Azerbaijanis from Armenia, immigration of 
Armenians. 
1965–1967 
Demonstrations in Yerevan lead to construction of 
Genocide Memorial. 
1969 
Heidar Aliev becomes first secretary of Azerbaijani Communist 
Party. 
1974 
Karen Demirchian becomes first secretary of Armenian 
Communist Party. 
7 OCTOBER 1977 
New “Brezhnev Constitution.” 
NOVEMBER 1982 
Aliev promoted to Politburo, Kamran Bagirov 
becomes first secretary in Azerbaijan. 
MARCH 1985 
Gorbachev becomes general secretary of Soviet 
Communist Party. 
1987 
AUGUST 
Karabakh Armenians send petition with tens of thousands 
of signatures to Moscow. 

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289 
18 OCTOBER 
Demonstration in Yerevan to protest incidents in Ar­
menian village of Chardakhlu, north of Karabakh. 
21 OCTOBER 
Aliev removed from Politburo. 
NOVEMBER 
Intercommunal violence in Kafan. 
16 NOVEMBER 
Gorbachev’s adviser Aganbekian, speaking in Paris, 
advocates Karabakh’s joining Armenia. 
1988 
25 JANUARY 
Azerbaijanis flee Kafan. 
13 FEBRUARY 
First demonstration in Stepanakert. 
19 FEBRUARY 
First demonstration in Baku. 
20 FEBRUARY 
Regional Soviet in Stepanakert votes to request transfer 
of Nagorny Karabakh to Armenia. 
21 FEBRUARY 
Mass demonstrations begin in Yerevan. 
22 FEBRUARY 
Two Azerbaijanis killed in violence at Askeran. 
24 FEBRUARY 
Boris Kevorkov removed as Party boss of Nagorny 
Karabakh. 
26 FEBRUARY 
Gorbachev receives Armenian writers Zori Balayan and 
Silva Kaputikian. 
27–29 FEBRUARY 
Anti-Armenian pogroms in Sumgait. 
21 MAY 
Bagirov and Demirchian removed as Party leaders of 
Azerbaijan and Armenia. 
15 JUNE 
Armenian Supreme Soviet votes to accept Nagorny 
Karabakh into Armenia. 
17 JUNE 
Azerbaijan Supreme Soviet reaffirms that Nagorny 
Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan. 
18 JULY 
Presidium of Supreme Soviet of USSR resolves that Karabakh 
remains part of Azerbaijan. 
26 JULY 
Arkady Volsky sent to Nagorny Karabakh as Politburo’s 
representative. 

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18–20 SEPTEMBER 
Armenians driven out of Shusha, Azerbaijanis out 
of Stepanakert. 
21 SEPTEMBER 
“Special rule” introduced in Karabakh. 
NOVEMBER 
Mass expulsions of Azerbaijanis from Armenia. 
17 NOVEMBER–5 DECEMBER 
Mass demonstrations in Baku. 
7 DECEMBER 
Armenian earthquake. 
10–11 DECEMBER 
Gorbachev visits Armenia. Karabakh Committee 
arrested. 
1989 
12 JANUARY 
Special Administration Committee, headed by Volsky, 
set up in Nagorny Karabakh. 
31 MAY 
Release of Karabakh Committee from prison. 
11 SEPTEMBER 
Azerbaijani Popular Front registered. 
25 SEPTEMBER 
Azerbaijan’s Supreme Soviet passes declaration of 
sovereignty. 
NOVEMBER 
Rail blockade of Armenia and Nakhichevan. 
28 NOVEMBER 
Special Administration Committee dissolved. 
1 DECEMBER 
Supreme Soviet of Armenia and Karabakh Armenians’ 
National Council declare unification. 
1990 
13–15 JANUARY 
Anti-Armenian pogroms in Baku. 
15 JANUARY 
State of Emergency imposed in Nagorny Karabakh. 
19–20 JANUARY 
Soviet troops enter Baku, killing protestors. 
20 JANUARY 
Ayaz Mutalibov becomes Azerbaijani Party leader. 
26 JANUARY 
Azerbaijan’s second secretary Viktor Polyanichko 
arrives in Nagorny Karabakh to try to set up new Organizational 
Committee. 

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291 
MAY 
Armenian National Movement wins parliamentary elections in 
Armenia. 
MAY 
Nagorny Karabakh returned to budget of Azerbaijan. 
25 JULY 
Central Committee in Moscow passes decree on disarming 
illegal formations. 
4 AUGUST 
Levon Ter-Petrosian elected speaker of new Armenian 
parliament. 
23 AUGUST 
Armenian parliament passes resolution on sovereignty. 
1991 
17 MARCH 
Referendum on preservation of the Soviet Union. 
Azerbaijan takes part, Armenia does not. 
30 APRIL 
Troops and Azerbaijani OMON attack Armenian village 
of Getashen (Chaikend), begin to deport villagers. Beginning of 
Operation Ring. 
12 JUNE 
Boris Yeltsin elected president of Russian Federation. 
4 JULY 
Operation begins against Armenian villages in Shaumian 
region. 
10 AUGUST 
Valery Grigorian assassinated in Stepanakert. 
19–21 AUGUST 
Attempted coup against Mikhail Gorbachev in 
Moscow fails 
30 AUGUST 
Azerbaijan declares independence from Soviet Union. 
SEPTEMBER 
Armenians recapture Shaumian region. 
2 SEPTEMBER 
Nagorny Karabakh announces its secession from 
independent Azerbaijan. 
3 SEPTEMBER 
Heidar Aliev elected speaker of Nakhichevan 
parliament. 
8 SEPTEMBER 
Mutalibov elected president of Azerbaijan. 
23 SEPTEMBER 
Armenia declares independence. Russian-Kazakhstani 
peace plan signed in Zheleznovodsk. 

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16 OCTOBER 
Ter-Petrosian elected president of Armenia. 
20 NOVEMBER 
Helicopter crash over Karabakh kills twenty-two, 
wrecks peace plan. 
26 NOVEMBER 
Azerbaijani parliament declares abolition of autonomy 
of Nagorny Karabakh, renames Stepanakert Khankendi. 
10 DECEMBER 
Nagorny Karabakh Armenians vote in referendum in 
favor of independence. 
25 DECEMBER 
Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as president of the Soviet 
Union. 
31 DECEMBER 
End of the Soviet Union. 
1992 
26 JANUARY 
Dozens of Azerbaijani soldiers killed in attack on village 
of Karintak. 
30 JANUARY 
CSCE admits Armenia and Azerbaijan, takes up 
mediating role for Nagorny Karabakh. 
25–26 FEBRUARY 
Hundreds of Azerbaijanis killed after Armenians 
storm Khojali. 
6 MARCH 
Mutalibov resigns as president of Azerbaijan. 
10 MARCH 
366th Regiment of 4th Army disbanded in Georgia, after 
being withdrawn from Karabakh. 
24 MARCH 
CSCE Minsk Conference for Nagorny Karabakh 
proposed, Minsk Group formed. 
10 APRIL 
Dozens of Armenians killed as Azerbaijanis storm village of 
Maragha. 
14 APRIL 
Death of Karabakh Armenian leader Artur Mkrtchian. 
8–9 MAY 
Armenians capture Shusha. 
14–15 MAY 
Mutalibov briefly returned to power in Baku, then 
removed again. 
18 MAY 
Armenians capture Lachin. 

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293 
15 MAY 
Tashkent agreement divides Soviet weaponry among CIS 
countries. 
1 JUNE–5 AUGUST 
Minsk Group negotiations in Rome. 
7 JUNE 
Abulfaz Elchibey elected president of Azerbaijan. 
12 JUNE 
Azerbaijani offensive begins, capturing Shaumian region. 
4 JULY 
Azerbaijanis take Martakert (and rename it Agdere). 
14 AUGUST 
Georgian forces attack Abkhazia, war breaks out. 
15 AUGUST 
Karabakh Armenian State Defense Committee created, 
headed by Robert Kocharian. 
1 SEPTEMBER 
Azerbaijanis take village of Srkhavend, control almost 
half of Nagorny Karabakh. 
19 SEPTEMBER 
Russian defense minister Pavel Grachev convenes 
meeting of Caucasus defense ministers in Sochi. 
24 OCTOBER 
U.S. Congress passes Section 907 of Freedom Support 
Act, barring U.S. government aid to Azerbaijan. 
14–15 DECEMBER 
CSCE meeting in Stockholm. 
1993 
10 FEBRUARY 
Suret Husseinov sacked as Azerbaijan’s “special 
representative” for Karabakh. 
20 FEBRUARY 
Rahim Gaziev sacked as Azerbaijani defense minister. 
27 MARCH–5 APRIL 
Armenians capture Kelbajar Region. 
30 APRIL 
UN Resolution 822 calls on Armenians to withdraw from 
Kelbajar. 
4 JUNE 
Husseinov begins uprising against Elchibey government in 
Ganje. 
14 JUNE 
Ter-Petrosian travels to Stepanakert to promote CSCE peace 
agreement. 
15 JUNE 
Aliev elected speaker of Azerbaijani parliament. 

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17–18 JUNE 
Elchibey flees to Nakhichevan. 
24 JUNE 
Aliev given extraordinary powers by parliament. 
27 JUNE 
Armenians recapture Martakert. 
30 JUNE 
Aliev makes Husseinov prime minister. 
23 JULY 
Armenians capture Aghdam. 
23 AUGUST 
Armenians capture Fizuli. 
25 AUGUST 
Armenians capture Jebrail. 
28 AUGUST 
Nationwide referendum in Azerbaijan votes no 
confidence in Elchibey. 
31 AUGUST 
Armenians capture Kubatly. 
24 SEPTEMBER 
Azerbaijan joins CIS. 
25 SEPTEMBER 
Aliev and Kocharian meet in secret in Moscow. 
3 OCTOBER 
Aliev elected president of Azerbaijan. 
24 OCTOBER 
Armenians capture Horadiz, cutting off Zengelan 
region. 
29 OCTOBER 
Armenians capture Zengelan. 
30 NOVEMBER 
Italy’s Mario Raffaelli resigns as chairman of Minsk 
Group. Replaced by Jan Elliason of Sweden. 
11 DECEMBER 
Aliev publicly criticizes Azerbaijani army. 
22 DECEMBER 
New Azerbaijani offensive. 
1994 
20–24 JANUARY 
Azerbaijanis push into Kelbajar Region, Armenians 
retreat with heavy losses. 
12–18 FEBRUARY 
Armenians counterattack, thousands of Azerbaijanis 
killed. 
APRIL 
Armenians begin offensive against Terter. 

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295 
4–5 MAY 
Talks in Bishkek lead to drawing up of Bishkek Protocol, 
calling for cease-fire. 
MAY 
Russian-led peacekeeping force deployed in Abkhazia. 
12 MAY 
Cease-fire agreement comes into force. 
16 MAY 
Grachev calls meeting of military leaders in Moscow. 
20 SEPTEMBER 
Azerbaijan and foreign oil companies sign contract to 
develop Caspian Sea oil fields. 
3–4 OCTOBER 
Husseinov flees Azerbaijan after failed coup attempt. 
22 DECEMBER 
Kocharian elected “president” of Nagorny Karabakh 
by parliament. 
5–6 DECEMBER 
CSCE becomes OSCE at summit in Budapest. 
Peacekeeping mandate for Karabakh approved. 
11 DECEMBER 
Russian invasion of Chechnya. 
1995 
6 JANUARY 
Russia becomes cochair of the Minsk Group with 
Sweden. 
13–17 MARCH 
“Turkish” coup attempt in Baku. 
21 APRIL 
Finland replaces Sweden as cochair of Minsk Group. 
12 NOVEMBER 
Parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. 
1996 
3 JULY 
Yeltsin reelected president of Russia 
16 AUGUST 
Khasavyurt agreement ends fighting in Chechnya. 
23 SEPTEMBER 
Ter-Petrosian reelected in disputed election. 
24 NOVEMBER 
Kocharian elected president of Nagorny Karabakh in 
popular vote. 
2–3 DECEMBER 
Lisbon summit of OSCE. 

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1997 
1 JANUARY 
France replaces Finland as cochair of Minsk Group. 
14 FEBRUARY 
United States admitted as third cochair of Minsk 
Group. 
20 MARCH 
Kocharian made prime minister of Armenia. 
29 AUGUST 
Russian-Armenian Friendship Treaty signed. 
1 SEPTEMBER 
Arkady Gukasian elected “president” of Nagorny 
Karabakh. 
20–24 SEPTEMBER 
Minsk Group mediators present a new peace plan 
in the region. 
26 SEPTEMBER 
Ter-Petrosian argues for compromise on Karabakh at 
press conference. 
1 NOVEMBER 
Ter-Petrosian’s newspaper article “War or Peace?” 
published. 
12 NOVEMBER 
“Early oil” starts flowing from Azerbaijan’s Chiraq oil 
field to Supsa. 
1998 
3 FEBRUARY 
Ter-Petrosian resigns. 
30 MARCH 
Kocharian elected president of Armenia. 
11 OCTOBER 
Aliev reelected president of Azerbaijan. 
1999 
25 APRIL 
Kocharian and Aliev hold first bilateral meeting in 
Washington. 
29 APRIL 
Aliev has heart surgery in Cleveland, Ohio. 
30 MAY 
Parliamentary elections in Armenia won by Vazgen 
Sarkisian’s Republican Party. 
11 JUNE 
Vazgen Sarkisian made prime minister of Armenia. 

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297 
1 OCTOBER 
Russian ground troops reinvade Chechnya. 
11 OCTOBER 
Aliev and Kocharian meet on Nakhichevan-Armenia 
border. 
27 OCTOBER 
Sarkisian and Demirchian shot dead in Armenian 
parliament. 
17 DECEMBER 
Babayan sacked as commander of Nagorny Karabakh 
armed forces. 
31 DECEMBER 
Yeltsin resigns as president of Russia. 
2000 
22 MARCH 
Assassination attempt on Gukasian in Stepanakert. 
Babayan arrested. 
25 MARCH 
Putin elected president of Russia. 
5 NOVEMBER 
Parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. 
2001 
26 JANUARY 
Aliev and Kocharian meet in Paris. 
FEBRUARY 
Former OSCE peace plans leaked to media in Armenia 
and Azerbaijan. 
26 FEBRUARY 
Babayan sentenced to fourteen years in jail for attack on 
Gukasian. 
4–5 MARCH 
Aliev and Kocharian again meet in Paris. 
3–7 APRIL 
Peace talks in Key West, Florida. 
19 MAY 
Minsk Group cochairs cross front line into Nagorny 
Karabakh. 

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Notes 
NOTE TO  INTRODUCTION 
1.  Ker Porter, Travels in Georgia, Persia, Armenia, Ancient Babylon, 513–514. 
NOTES TO CHAPTER 1 
Unless specified otherwise, all interviews were carried out by the author in 
Russian. Any subsequent quotations from the same source in a chapter that do 
not have a note reference number derive from the same interviews. Information 
that does not have a note reference number comes either from general English-
language literature on the period in the Bibliography or from conversations 
with sources who had not agreed to be quoted directly. 
1.  Sovetsky Karabakh, 21 February 1988. 
2.  Interview with Galstian, 10 October 2000. 
3. Interviews with Vyacheslav Mikhailov, 5 December 2000, and Zahid 
Abasov, 10 November 2000. 
4.  A Petrov, “Dlya politikov Karabakh—urok, dlya soldat—vtoroi Afgan­
istan” [For politicians Karabakh is a lesson, for soldiers it is a second Afghan­
istan], Krasnaya Zvezda, 19 February 1992. 
5.  Interview with Iskandarian, 1 December 2000. 
6.  Several published accounts say that seventeen of the thirty Azerbaijani 
deputies voted against the resolution. Sovetsky Karabakh says that the decision 
was unanimous, and other interviewees confirmed that Azerbaijani deputies 
refused to vote. 
7.  TASS, 23 February 1988, quoted in The Karabagh File, 98–99. 
8.  Interview with Kharchenko, 4 December 2000. 
9.  Interview with Rustamkhanli, 8 November 2000. 
10.  Interview with Yunusov, 27 November 2000. Yunusov, the most scru­
pulous chronicler of the Karabakh conflict on either side, did not succeed in 
finding out any more details. The authorities were keen to hush up evidence of 
a conflict that they hoped would die down. Another factor, which also came 
into play when Armenian girls were raped a week later in Sumgait, was the 
299 

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N OT E S  TO   C H A P T E R   1  
shame associated with rape in the Caucasus, which made it hard for its victims 
to find husbands. 
11.  The Russian writer Alexander Vasilevsky, who visited Nagorny Kara­
bakh at the end of April 1988, writes that he talked to the brother of Ali Hajiev, 
Arif Hajiev, who said that his brother had quarreled with an Azerbaijani po­
liceman and been shot by him at point-blank range. The policeman was then 
spirited away by a colleague. Vasilevsky, “Tucha v Gorakh” [Storm cloud in the 
mountains], Avrora, Leningrad, no date given; reprinted in Glazami nezavisimykh