Krkjan ( hy, Քրքջան) or Karkijahan ( az, Kərkicahan) is a settlement near the city of Stepanakert. The village had an Armenian-majority population prior to the Khaibalikend massacre in 1919 and subsequently an Azerbaijani-majority population prior to the

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an ethnic and territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, inhabited mostly by ethnic Armenians, and seven surrounding districts, inhabited mostly by Azerbaij ...

in 1988.

History

Pre-Soviet period

In 1886, the village had an Armenian-majority population, consisting entirely of farmers. In June 1919, the village and the neighboring villages of Ghaibalishen (Khaibalikend), Jamilli, and Pahlul were looted and destroyed in the Khaibalikend massacre with 600-700 ethnic

Armenians Armenians ( hy, հայեր, '' hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diasp ...

being killed by armed Kurdish irregulars and Azerbaijani soldiers.

Soviet Union

During the early

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...

period, the village was a district within the city of Stepanakert in the

Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO), DQMV, hy, Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի Ինքնավար Մարզ, ԼՂԻՄ was an autonomous oblast within the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic that was created on July 7, 1923. Its cap ...

of the Azerbaijan SSR, known as ''Karkijan'' ( az, Kərkican). In 1988, the district was given the status of an urban-type settlement, after Azerbaijani

IDPs An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who is forced to leave their home but who remains within their country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the legal definitions of a refugee. A ...

from Stepanakert settled in the village. Tensions steadily grew between Azerbaijanis of Karkijahan and Armenians of Stepanakert. In one incident on 5 May 1989, three locals and four soldiers were wounded. Similar incidents were recorded in July 1989, and November 1991.

First Nagorno-Karabakh War

The settlement had an Azerbaijani-majority population of 1,796 inhabitants prior to the outbreak of the

in 1988. Following the

expulsion Expulsion or expelled may refer to: General * Deportation * Ejection (sports) * Eviction * Exile * Expeller pressing * Expulsion (education) * Expulsion from the United States Congress * Extradition * Forced migration * Ostracism * Persona non ...

of ethnic Azerbaijanis from the city of Stepanakert in 1988, most of them settled in Karkijahan. Armenian troops entered Karkijahan on 29 December 1991, and established full control over it the following day. By the time of its capture, most of the village's Azerbaijani population had already left the village.Юрий Романов. «Я снимаю войну»: Школа выживания. Москва, «Права человека», 2001 — p. 50 According to Azerbaijan, 34 people, including 3 women and 2 minors, were killed during the battles. During the hostilities in Karkijahan, a journalist of

Radio Mayak Radio Mayak is a radio broadcasting company in Russia, owned by VGTRK. Mayak is the Russian word for "lighthouse" or "beacon". As well as Radio Mayak proper (which broadcasts news, talk shows, and popular music), the company is also responsible ...

, Leonid Lazarevich, was killed. Azerbaijani forces recaptured the village by 31 December, however it was finally retaken by Armenian forces in late January - early February 1992. The village was subsequently burned to the ground by Armenian forces.

Republic of Artsakh

Since the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, the settlement has been administrated as part of the city of Stepanakert by the

Republic of Artsakh Artsakh, officially the Republic of Artsakh () or the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (),, is a breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan. Artsakh controls a part of the former ...

. It was renamed ''Krkjan'' ( hy, Քրքջան).

Gallery

Karkicahan village in Azerbaijan.jpg, Old image of Karkijahan Karkijahan, Azerbaijan 1.jpg, View of Karkijahan Karkijahan, Azerbaijan.jpg, View of Karkijahan

References

External links

*
World Gazetteer: Azerbaijan
– World-Gazetteer.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Krkjan Stepanakert