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.]] The Sumgait pogrom (also known as the '''February Events''') was the , 2006 Many insist that at least 200, not 30, people were killed. Hate Runs High in Soviet Union's Most Explosive Ethnic Feud - The Washington Post by David Remnick On February 28 , a small contingent of relatively unarmed Soviet MVD troops entered the city and unsuccessfully attempted to quell the rioting. The situation was finally defused when more professional Military units entered with tanks and other armored vehicles one day later. The forces sent by the government imposed a state of Martial Law in Sumgait, established a Curfew , and brought the crisis to an end. The event was remarked with astonishment in both Armenia and the rest of the Soviet Union since ethnic feuds in the country were largely suppressed and officially nonexistent. Policies such as Internationalism and Soviet patriotism had been constantly promoted in the republics to avert such conflicts. The massacre, together with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, would present a major challenge to the reforms being implemented by then General Secretary of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev . Gorbachev was criticized to what was perceived as his slow reaction to the crisis and numerous Conspiracy Theories rose after the event. BACKGROUND See Also: Nagorno-Karabakh , near the Caspian Sea .]] The city of Sumgait is located near the coast of the Caspian Sea and was perhaps one of the most polluted in the entire Soviet Union. Sumgait itself is only thirty kilometers north of the capital in Baku , which has many oil refineries in the Caspian Sea. It had been renovated in the 1960s and had become a leading industrial city with oil refineries and Petrochemical plants built during that era. Its population at that time was only 60,000; however, by the late 1980s, with an Armenian population of about 17,000, it had swelled to over 223,000 and overcrowding among other social problems had began plaguing the city's residents. According to Soviet government officials, at least two thousand former convicts had been relocated to Sumgait during the 1980s.de Waal. Thomas. ''Black garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War.'' New York: New York University Press, 2003 p. 32 ISBN 0-8147-1945-7 Coincidentally, the issue of the region of , 2001 p. 49 ISBN 0-8014-8736-6 Led by both the Russian intelligentsia and popular Armenian figures such as economist Igor Muradyan, poetess Silva Kaputikyan , and Glasnot-era writer Zori Balayan, a formal Petition was sent to the Soviet government in order to redress the issue of Karabakh. Armenians had began massive protests in the days before the Council's vote and workers had staged Strikes in the Armenian capital of Yerevan and elsewhere, demanding that the region be transferred under Armenian control. The vote by the council and the subsequent protests were condemned by state-run Soviet media however, they resonated more loudly amongst the Azeris who felt that Nagorno-Karabakh was an integral part of their culture and history. Thereafter, the Azeris also launched counter-protests in Baku and elsewhere and strenuously objected any alteration to their territory. Gorbachev would go on to reject the claims invoking Article 78 of the Soviet Constitution which stated that the Republics' borders could not be altered without prior consent. CONTEXT Radio broadcast Although the exact origins of the attacks are shrouded, like many events of Nagorno-Karabakh, there is evidence that government officials had foreknowledge or took part in the organization of the impending attacks.Kaufman, ''Modern Hatreds'', p. 52 On February 27 , the Soviet Deputy Federal Procurator, Aleksandr Katusev revealed in a report that evening that was carried by Baku Radio and Central Television, that two Azeris, Bakhtiar Guliyev and Ali Hajiyev, ages 16 and 23, were purportedly killed by Armenians in a skirmish between the two ethnic groups in the Agdam region of Karabakh on February 22 .de Waal. ''Black Garden'', p. 33 Katusev would later receive a stinging rebuke for revealing the nationalities of both the young men and the Armenians. The secretive nature the Soviet Union was still attempting to shake off despite Gorbachev's policies had many Azeris interpret that Katusev's broadcast was most probably under reported. This apparently was the flare that set off the Azeris to riot in Sumgait. Rallies in Lenin Square Several minor rallies had also taken taken place in Lenin Square on and Masis , Armenia. However, this was contested CPSU 's official newspaper, ''Socialist Industry'', noting: Kulish, O. and Melikov, D. ''Социалистическая индустрия'' (Socialist Industry). March 27 , 1988. Retrieved May 12 , 2006 }} The rallies also were attended by other officials including the principal of a middle school. The rhetoric by the Kapan refugees incited the crowd and efforts to calm them by Azerbaijani figures such as a secretary of the city's party committee, Bayramova and poet Bakhtiar Bagabzade, who addressed the crowd atop a platform, were to no avail. V. Huseinov, an Azeri and the director of the Institute of Political Education in Azerbaijan also attempted to calm them by assuring them that Karabakh would remain within the republic. Huseinov also stated that the refugees' claims were false; however, when attempting to convince the crowds of this, he was heckled with insults and forced to step down.Rost, Yuri. ''The Armenian Tragedy: An Eye-Witness Account of Human Conflict and Natural Disaster in Armenia and Azerbaijan''. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1990, p. 27 ISBN 0-312-04611-1 Jehangir Muzlimzade, Sumgait's first secretary also spoke to the crowd, in which he told them to allow Armenians to "leave the city freely", but according to witnesses incited the crowd even further.Beissinger, Mark R. ''Nationalist Mobilization and the Collapse of the Soviet State''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002 p. 300 ISBN 0-5210-0148-X POGROMS Forewarnings by Azerbaijanis sympathetic to their Armenian neighbors instructed them to leave their lights on the night of the 27th; those who shut it off were assumed to be Armenian. According to several Armenian witnesses and later on several Soviet military personnel, Alcohol and ''anasha'', an Azeri term referring to Narcotic s such as Opium , were also reported to have been brought in trucks and distributed to the Azeri crowds. Such accounts remained unconfirmed by media reports.During this time, the Soviet Union still maintained and censored events that were considered especially humiliating to the State, in this case the public intoxication which led many of its citizens to misbehave and kill or injure others in an important Soviet manufacturing region. In such cases, the government would release information belatedly, omit it so as to tone down the volatility of the event, or impose a tight clampdown on international media from traveling and investigating the locations. Soviet journalists who visited Sumgait were strictly prohibited to take any photographs as the Soviet government imposed a complete media blackout. Shortly after Muslimzade's speech, he was given the Republic's flag and soon found himself leading the crowd. According to Muslimzade himself, he was attempting to lead the crowd away from the Armenian district and towards the sea but many Armenians saw this act implicating him as being a participant in the riot. Muslimzade, however failed to lead the crowd in that direction and it soon dispersed into various directions of the Armenian district of Sumgait.It was not until after the rioting was over when Muslimzade admitted that he was unsure of how to have handled the situation that ensued in Sumgait. Property damage As the mobs seeped in, the first acts of violence began near the city's bus depot where they vandalized and destroyed newspaper Kiosk s and stores owned by Armenians. The mobs would block roads and stop automobiles and Ikarus Buses and then demand to know if Armenians were inside. If there were, the mobs would pull them out and beat them (some to death) using improvised weapons such as Icepick s, leadpipes, Armature shafts, and pieces of sharpened metal; an indication that they were made in Sumgait's industrial plants prior to the attack.de Waal. ''Black garden'', p. 35 An account given by an Armenian who was residing in one of the city's hospitals described the chaotic situation from his ward: Many automobiles were also turned over and, sometimes with the occupants remaining in it, were set ablaze. A common method of seeking out who was Armenian in the vehicles was by asking them to pronounce the Azeri word for hazelnut, ''fundukh''. Armenians however pronounced the first letter with a "''p''", giving away their identity.Shahmuratian. ''Sumgait Tragedy'', Interview with Vanya Bazyan, p. 159 Seeing the riots happening, many residents attempted to contact the police but reported that the phone lines had been cut.Kaufman. ''Modern Hatreds'', p. 64 Violence Most citizens living in the Soviet Union's cities lived in apartment buildings which were categorized into Microrayon s or city blocks. The Armenian district of Sumgait was flanked around such microrayons and most Armenians lived among their Azeri and Russian neighbors in apartments. In the same essence from the rioting outside, the frenzied mobs would enter the apartment buildings where they would search to find out where they lived. Often, the rioters would know where Armenians lived and those who took shelter amongst their Azeri and Russian neighbors, who also risked being attacked by the mobs, were spared from the violence.Shahmuratian. ''Sumgait Tragedy'', Interview with Kamo Avakyan, pp. 56-60 Other attempts to exclude themselves from harm included turning on the television to watch Azeri music concerts, raising the volume to give off the effect that Azeris resided in the apartment. Muslim women in the Caucasus also had a long time tradition of dropping their shawl on to the ground as a gesture for the men to abstain from participating in violence. Such efforts were made by some of the Azeri women in the corridors of the apartment but went largely unheeded by the men.Kaufman. ''Modern Hatreds'', p. 63 Azeris forced their way into the apartments and attacked the residents. The attacking groups were comprised of different age groups. While the main participants were adult males and even some women, there were also youth students who took part in vandalizing and looting from the Armenians' homes appliances, shoes, and clothing. An account given by an Armenian woman describes the break-in and violence that took place in her family's home: Numerous acts of ''. September 4 , 1988. pg. A33. Retrieved July 31 , 2006 In the midst of the attacks, many Armenians sought to defend themselves and improvised by nailing their doors shut and arming themselves with axes; in some instances, they killed the intruding rioters. Calls going to ambulances or to the police were late or in many cases, unheeded completely: The weekly Moscow News newspaper later reported that of the city's twenty ambulances, eight had been destroyed by the mobs. ''Сумгаит, Один месяц поздно'' ("Sumgait, One Month Later"). московская Новость (Moscow News). April 13, 1988 Looting was prevalent and many Azeris also discussed among themselves on who would go on to own what after they had broken into the apartments. In some cases, televisions were stolen, along with other appliances and house goods; many apartments were largely vandalized and set aflame. GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION The Soviet government's reaction to the protests was initially slow. The contemplation of sending military units to impose ''. March 2 , 1988 p. 13. Retrieved December 30 , 2006 The spirit of Glasnost had seen the Soviet Union more tolerant in responding to politically-charged issues. However, Russian officials in Azerbaijan, some of whom were witnessing the attacks, appealed to Kremlin leaders to dispatch Soviet troops to Sumgait. In a Soviet Politburo session on the third day of the rioting on February 29, Gorbachev and his senior cabinet, conferred on several subjects before even discussing the events of Sumgait. When the issue was finally raised, Gorbachev voiced his opposition to the proposal but his cabinet members including the State's Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze and Defense Minister Dmitry Yazov , fearing an escalation between Armenians and Azeris, persuaded him to send troops to intervene.de Waal. ''Black Garden'', pp. 38-39 Meanwhile, on the previous day, two battalions of MVD troops from the interior, largely equipped with truncheons and riot gear (those troops who were armed with firearms were armed with Blanks and not given the permission to open fire), arrived in Sumgait in buses and Armored Personnel Carriers .Kaufman. ''Modern Hatreds'', p. 64 As they moved in to secure the town, the soldiers themselves became the targets of the mob. In what became a startling sight for people living in the city, the soldiers were being attacked and maimed with the improvised steel objects.de Waal. ''Black Garden'', pp. 37-38 Their armored vehicles were being flipped over and in some cases destroyed with Molotov Cocktail s as the troops found themselves in complete disarray: By February 29, the situation had worsened to the point where the Soviet government was forced to call for more professional, heavily armed troops and given the right to open fire. The contingent included an elite special forces unit known as the ''. March 11, 1988. p. B1. Retrieved September 15 , 2006 A curfew was imposed from 8 P.M. to 7 A.M as skirmishes between troops and rioters continued. Krayev ordered troops to rescue Armenians left in their apartments. By the evening of the 29th, troops in buses and personnel carriers were patrolling the streets of Sumgait in a full effect of martial law. Under heavily armed guard, civilian buses and APCs transported Armenian residents to the Samed Vurgun Cultural Facility (known as the SK) at the city's main square. A building that was designed to fit several hundred people, the SK was housing several thousand Armenians. AFTERMATH Media coverage By s."The official TASS news agency was first to report "rampage and violence" taking place in Sumgait on March 1 that was provoked on the part of a "group of hooligans" who engaged in various criminal acts but stopped short of releasing any more information asides from saying ''"Measures {Link without Title} been adopted to normalize the situation in the city and safeguard discipline and public order."'' In another report wired on March 5 , it more fully elaborated on the pogrom: ''"Criminal elements committed violent actions and engaged in robberies. They killed 31 people, among them members of various nationalities, old men and women."'' It laid blame on "''wavering, immature people who fell under the impact of false rumors concerning the developments in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia found themselves drawn into unlawful actions."'' Western journalists who sought to travel to the town were denied access by Soviet authorities. It was not until ''. April 28 , 1988. pg. 36. Retrieved December 31 , 2006 Eduard Shevardnadze would later go on to remark on the failure to report the massacre in Sumgait as the failure of Glasnost itself, "the old mechanisms kicked in, simplifying, distorting or just eliminating the truth about event ." Shevardnadze, Eduard . ''The Future Belongs to Freedom''. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991 pp. 176-177 ISBN 0-0292-8617-4 Reaction After the pogrom, tensions between all ethnic groups after the massacre had grown so high that even Russians and Azeris stood in different lines at stores or at bus stops., 2006 Within several days after the end of the massacre, an estimated 1,200 Armenian families had left Sumgait, decreasing their overall population by more than half. A general feeling of insensitivity to the Armenian victims was also prevalent throughout the city; while many Azeris in Sumgait regretted the violence that had ensued, they felt compelled to see that the Armenians themselves deserved it as a form of retribution for asking for Karabakh.Kaufman. ''Modern Hatreds'', pp. 57, 64 According to Stuart Kaufman, this and less importantly, the material wealth of Armenians is what motivated many Azeris to take part in the rioting: Soviet authorities laid direct blame on Muslimzade, Mamedov, the city's mayor and police chief Dzhafarov who were all fired from their positions.Chiesa, Giulietto and Roæ̧ Aleksandrovich Medvedev. ''Time of Change: An Insider's View of Russia's Transformation''. New York: I. B. Tauris, 1989 p. 187 ISBN 1-8504-3305-4 According to professor of politics at Princeton University , Mark Beissinger, Muslimzade and other government officials "prevaricate {Link without Title} " to the Azeris during the protest rallies. They "sent signals that could be easily interpreted as sanctioning violence, and some parts of the state did give active support to anti-Armenian violence."Beissinger. ''Nationalist Mobilization'', p. 300 Armenia's reaction to the killings was largely calm as Karabakh leaders temporarily halted the protests with the exception of a funeral attended by several hundred thousand people in demonstration to the killings.Kaufman. ''Modern Hatreds'', pp. 64-65 Many Azeris living in Armenia, fearing retaliatory attacks by Armenians, left for Azerbaijan. Many Armenians believed the death toll was understated and did not believe the number by the Soviet authorities which tallied 26 Armenians and 6 Azeris killed in the three days of rioting. The skepticism to the official Soviet figure is supported by various sources. One is derived from Shilkov who, after visiting Sumgait, ascertained that the number of dead was "at least" 350 since the violence was in nearly all aspects "one-sided." Armenians claimed that his estimation was supported by evidence from the who stated that a "hundred or so Armenians were murdered in what seemed to many like a systematic fashion by the Azerbaijani neighbors" in Sumgait.Hosking, Geoffrey. ''The Awakening of the Soviet Union''. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1990 p. 85 ISBN 0-6740-5551-9 Regardless of the actual body count, the pogrom exacerbated relations betweens Armenians and Azeris for the worse. Many Armenians viewed the massacre and rapes as a form of systematic Genocide resembling that of the Armenian Genocide that had been put into effect against Armenians by the Ottoman Turks in 1915.Kaufman. ''Modern Hatreds'', p. 51, 87 In a heated exchange between Armenian writer Vartges Petrosyan and Gorbachev, the former demanded that the pogrom be recognized as a genocide by Soviet authorities. Gorbachev responded, "How can you talk about genocide? You know what kind of word it is and the weight it carries. You are flinging around accusations that you will regret for the rest of your life."Malkasian. ''Gha-Ra-Bagh'', p. 115 Azeris, who shared an ethnic and , 2003 p. 73 ISBN 0-5202-3492-8 Growing violence soon escalated between the two ethnic groups as retaliatory attacks took place against one another. CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS Soviet authorities arrested 400 men in the aftermath of the massacre, and prepared criminal charges for 84, 82 Azerbaijanis, one Russian and an Armenian, of them.de Waal. ''Black Garden'', p. 39, 43 Tale Ismailov, a pipe-fitter from one of Sumgait's industrial plants, was charged with premeditated murder and was the first to be tried by the Soviet Supreme Court in , 1988 . Retrieved April 19, 2007 Most Armenians and Azerbaijanis were however dissatisfied with the trials. Armenians complained that the true instigators of the pogrom were never caught whereas Azerbaijanis stated the sentences were too harsh and were upset with the fact that the trials were not held in Azerbaijan.Kaufman. ''Modern Hatreds'', p. 65 Some Azerbaijanis even went on to campaign for the "freedom for the heroes of Sumgait."Kaufman. ''Modern Hatreds'', p. 67, 205 CONSPIRACY THEORIES See Also: Armenian conspiracy theories The pogrom also lead way to the formulation of several Conspiracy Theories . The foremost being advanced by the Azerbaijani historian Ziya Bunyadov , the head of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences, who claimed that the massacre had been premeditated by the Armenians to cast a negative light against Azerbaijan.de Waal. ''Black Garden'', p. 42 By late 1988, most Sumgait Azerbaijanis had accepted the view that the Armenians had provoked the rioting with this objective in hand. In an article that appeared in an Azerbaijani journal, Bunyadov claimed that Armenians had organized the pogroms: "The Sumgait tragedy was carefully prepared by Armenian nationalists...Several hours after it began, Armenian photographers and TV journalists secretly entered the city where they awaited in readiness."Ibid. Davud Imanov, an Azerbaijani filmmaker, expanded on this theory in a series of films called the ''Echo of Sumgait'' where he accused Armenians, Russians and Americans of conspiring together against Azerbaijan and claiming that Karabakh movement was a plot organized by the CIA .Ibid. Other conspiracy theories revolve around the idea the massacre was instigated by Soviet Hardliner s in an attempt to discredit Gorbachev's policies. REFERENCES SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
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