Boris Sarkisovich Kevorkov ( hy, Բորիս Կևորկով) (1932–1998) was the

First Secretary First Secretary may refer to: * First minister, a leader of a government * Secretary (title), a leader of a political party (especially Communist parties), trade union, or other organization * First Secretary (diplomatic rank), a role within an emba ...

of the " Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast Committee" of the Communist Party of the

Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic Azerbaijan ( az, Азәрбајҹан, Azərbaycan, italics=no), officially the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (Azerbaijan SSR; az, Азәрбајҹан Совет Сосиалист Республикасы, Azərbaycan Sovet Sosialist R ...

. He was appointed in 1973 and was dismissed in February 1988.

Biography

Kevorkov was born in Shamakhi to an Armenian family. He was appointed Secretary of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast in 1973, the middle of the Brezhnev era. His predecessor Gurgen Melkumyan was removed after leader of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan SSR Heydar Aliyev came into conflict with the Armenian leadership of the autonomous oblast. Melkumyan was a native of Nagorno-Karabakh, unlike Kevorkov. Although an Armenian, Kevorkov was very loyal to Aliyev and other Azerbaijani leaders in

Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...

, and was resented by the Armenian community. He was married to an Azerbaijani woman. Kevorkov reportedly never once visited Armenia during his fourteen years in the post. During the Karabakh movement, 87 Armenian deputies from the Regional Soviet called an emergency session of the assembly on 20 February 1988 in response to Armenian demonstrations in

Stepanakert / az, Xankəndi, italic=no , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = File:StepanakertCollage.jpg , imagesize = 300px , image_caption = From top left: Holy Mother ...

calling for the unification of Karabakh and Armenia. Kevorkov and First Secretary of the Azerbaijan Communist Party Kamran Baghirov tried and failed to stop the session from taking place. Late in the evening, 110 Armenian deputies voted unanimously for the resolution, calling for Nagorno-Karabakh to join Soviet Armenia. The Azerbaijani deputies refused to vote. Kevorkov tried to steal the stamp needed to confirm the resolution. On 24 February 1988, Kevorkov was removed from office by Moscow emissaries. His deputy,

Genrikh Poghosyan Genrikh Poghosyan ( hy, Հենրիք Պողոսյան) was the First Secretary of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast Committee of the Communist Party of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. He was appointed in February 1988, succeeding ...

, who was much more popular among Armenians, took his place.

Last years

As the

First Nagorno-Karabakh War The First Nagorno-Karabakh War, referred to in Armenia as the Artsakh Liberation War ( hy, Արցախյան ազատամարտ, Artsakhyan azatamart) was an ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in th ...

intensified, Kevorkov decided to move to Moscow, but was arrested at the airport by the Azerbaijani authorities on May 24, 1992. Kevorkov was released from a Baku jail in 1993 by the decree of President Heydar Aliyev. He subsequently settled in Moscow and worked as a middle school history teacher. He died there in December 1998.

References

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kevorkov, Boris 1932 births 1998 deaths People from Shamakhi Politicians from the Republic of Artsakh Ninth convocation members of the Soviet of Nationalities Tenth convocation members of the Soviet of Nationalities Eleventh convocation members of the Soviet of Nationalities Expelled members of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Recipients of the Order of Friendship of Peoples Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour First Nagorno-Karabakh War Azerbaijani politicians Soviet politicians Soviet Armenians