Below we present the most important events in the history of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), in chronological order.
- In the Azokh Cave (Region Hadrut) remains of Neanderthals and other archaeological finds were discovered from the early Paleolithic
- 4th – 3rd Millenium BC — the region as part of the Kur-Araks cultural circle (settlement ruins in Krkzhan, Amaras, Mataghis)
- 784 BC — King of Urartu Argishti I enters the South Caucasus
- 764 — 714 BC- First written record about the name of the country. “Urteche — Urtechini — Orchistene — Artsakh” (cuneiform of Sardur II). Under Rusa I, the region was part of the Kingdom of Urartu
- 6th – 3rd Century BC — Artsakh and Utik (on the west bank of the Kura River) form the “Eastern border areas of the Armenian kingdom under the dynasty of Yervandids
- 2nd -1st Century BC — Artsakh is part of Armenia Major under Artaxiad rule
- 95 — 55 BC — King Tigran II the Great founds the fortified city of Tigranakert (one of several of the same name) in Artsakh, on the eastern border of Armenia
- 66 — 428 AD — Reign of the Arsacid dynasty
- 301 AD — Adoption of Christianity as state religion in Armenia
- 4th Century — The first monastery of Artsakh is founded in Amaras. The construction was completed by Bishop of Artsakh, Grigoris
- 387 — Artsakh is part of Eastern Armenian Kingdom
- 3rd – 6th Century — Roman-Persian (Byzantine-Persian) wars for control of the territory of Artsakh
- 5th Century — Inventor of the Armenian Alphabet Mesrop Mashtots establishes a school at Amaras Monastery
- 5th Century — Merger of Artsakh and Utik to management unit Aluank (Albania-Aran) under Persian rule
- 487 — 510 – Blossoming under the rule of the Armenian prince of Aran (Artsakh and Utik) Vachagan III The Pious
- 6th – 7th Century — The region is divided into several small principalities
- 7th – 9th Century — Arab domination in Artsakh. Anti-Arab uprisings by regional rulers of Dizak and Khachen
- 885 — Restoration of Independence of Armenia. Artsakh province of Armenia is under the rule of the dynasty of Bagratids
- 10th Century — Artsakh is known as the Principality of Khachen
- 11th — 12th Century — Khachen defends itself against the invasion of Seljuk Turks
- 13th Century — Blossoming of Christian architecture in Artsakh (construction of the monasteries of Gandzasar, Dadivank, Gtchavank, etc.)
- 1230 — 40 — Mongol invasion. Through alliance with the Mongols, Armenian rulers of Artsakh-Khachen, Hasan-Jalalyans manage to protect the country from destruction
- 14th Century — Incursion by the Turkish tribes Kara Koyunlu and Ak Koyunlu. First mention of the name “Karabakh”
- 1580 — Turkish troops occupy Karabakh
- 16th — 17th Century — Artsakh Princes (Meliks) form common resistance against the rule of the Shah of Iran and the Turkish Sultan. Their messengers travel to Europe, Russia, to garner support
- 1604 — Relocation of part of the Armenian population to Iran by Shah Abbas
- Early 18th Century — The Catholicos of Artsakh, Hasan-Jalalyan is the protagonist of the Armenian liberation movement
- 1710 — Defense in Karabakh against the attacks of Lezgins
- 1722 – 1723 — Russian troops invade Iran and occupy the adjacent areas of Karabakh
- 1725 — After conquering most of South Caucasus, Turkish troops suffer defeat when attacking Varanda Melikdom in Artsakh
- 1726 — After 8 days of resistance the Turks conquer the height of Shosh (today Shushi)
- 1735 — Confederation of five principalities “Melikdom of Khamsa” (from Arabic “khamsa” = five) — Varanda, Khachen, Dizak, Jraberd and Gyulistan
- 1750 — As a result of the alliance with the Melik of Varanda, Panah Khan settles down in Shushi
- 1797 — The Persian Aga Muhammed Khan conquers Shushi and is killed in the fortress
- May 14, 1805 — With the conclusion of the Treaty of Kurakchay, Karabakh recognizes the supremacy of Russia
- October 12 (24), 1813 — Treaty of Gulistan. Persia recognizes the annexation of Karabakh and other provinces to Russia
- July 16, 1826 — Invasion of Karabakh by Persian forces
- July — September 1826 — Sustained self-defense of the fortress of Shushi
- 1828 – Occupation of the region by Russian troops. Treaty of Turkmenchay
- 1840 — As a result of the new administrative division, Karabakh is part of Russia’s Caspian province
- 1830 — 40 — Rise of Shushi as third largest city (after Tbilisi and Baku) in Southern Caucasus and a major center of Armenian Enlightenment
- 1868 — 1917 — Karabakh forms part of the province of Elizavetpol (Gandzak, Ganja) of the Russian Empire
- 2nd half of the 19th Century — The first oil refinery in Baku was established by the Armenian oil entrepreneur Melikoff
- February 6 – 9, 1905 — Armenian — Tatar clashes in Baku, Shushi, Nakhichevan and Elizavetpol
- 1915 — Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire
- 1914 — 1918 — Municipality of Baku under the leadership of revolutionary Stepan Shahumian (establishment of the first Soviet councils in the Caucasus by 26 Armenian, Georgian and Tatar Commissioners)
- March — April 1918 — Armenian-Tatar clashes in Baku with predominantly Tatar fatalities
- May 27, 1918 — Proclamation of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan
- May 28, 1918 — Proclamation of the Republic of Armenia
- July 22, 1918 — The First Congress of Karabakh Armenians elects a National Council and declares Nagorno-Karabakh an independent administrative-political unit
- May — September 1918 — The Turkish army conquers parts of Eastern Armenia and occupies Baku on 15 September
- September 6, 1918 — The Second Congress of Karabakh Armenians reject the ultimatum of Turkish troop leader Nuri Pasha and the demand of the Azerbaijani government of the inclusion of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan
- September 14 – 16, 1918 — Anti-Armenian pogroms in Baku with thousands of fatalities
- September 17, 1918 — The 3rd Congress of Karabakh Armenians reject the call for the disarmament of the Armenian population. To save time, the government of Karabakh permits the entry of Turkish troops into Shushi without resistance. The Armenians of Shushi were disarmed.
- October 31, 1918 — As losers of the 1st World War Turkish troops withdraw and are replaced by the British Army in Baku
- January 15, 1919 — with the approval of the British Army leadership, Azerbaijan appoints a governor (Sultanov) for Karabakh and calls on Nagorno-Karabakh to recognize his rule
- February 19, 1919 — The 4th Congress of Karabakh Armenians meets in Shushi and once more rejects the ultimatum and relies on self-determination
- August 22, 1919 — In order to avoid a military conflict, the 7th Congress of Karabakh Armenians accepts an interim agreement with Azerbaijan until the final status of Karabakh was decided at the Peace Conference in Paris
- February 19, 1920 — Sultanov calls for the final incorporation of Nagorno-Karabakh into Azerbaijan and receives in March 1920 the rejection of the 8th Congress of Karabakh Armenians
- March 22, 1920 – Resistance of Armenians in Karabakh
- March-April 1920 — After heavy fighting the Turkish-Azeri troops massacre the Armenian population of Shushi (over 20,000 people) and set the Armenian Quarter on fire
- April 23, 1920 — In the 9th Congress of Karabakh Armenians, Nagorno-Karabakh is declared an inseparable part of the Republic of Armenia
- November 1920 — League of Nations refuses to recognize the sovereignty of Azerbaijan because of existing territorial issues
- December 1, 1920 — The Azerbaijani Revolutionary Committee waives its statement not to have any claims to the territories of Nagorno-Karabakh, Zangezur and Nakhichevan
- March 16, 1921 — Treaty of Moscow between Turkey and Russia. At the initiative of Turkey, Nakhchivan is recognized as an autonomous territory under the protection of Azerbaijan
- June 12, 1921 — The Armenian People’s Committee declared Nagorno-Karabakh an inseparable part of the Armenian SSR
- July 4 – 5, 1921 — on July 4, the Caucasian Bureau of the RCP(b) recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh as a part of the Armenian SSR. Under pressure from Stalin, on the following day (July 5th) the same panel takes a decision to transfer Nagorno-Karabakh to the Azerbaijan SSR with the status of a Soviet Autonomous Region (AO). Determining the borders of the autonomous region is left to the Azerbaijani Central Committee.
- October 13, 1921 — Treaty of Kars
- July 7, 1923 — The Soviet executive committee of the Azerbaijan SSR geographically cuts Karabakh off from the Armenian SSR and decides to create the autonomous region of Nagorno-Karabakh only on a smaller area of the region (center Shushi)
- 1923-1924 — Situated in the north of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenian settlements Shahumian, Getashen, Khanlar and Armenian Gandzak also remain outside the autonomous region
- 1945 — 1st Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Armenia Arutyunov once again asks Moscow to consider the question of the inclusion of Nagorno-Karabakh in the Armenian SSR
- 1956 — Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church Vazgen I addresses the Council of Ministers of the USSR and advocates the annexation of Nagorno-Karabakh to the Armenian SSR
- 1965 — 45.000 Armenians in Karabakh sign a petition
- August 1987 — As part of the Perestroika policy, 75.000 Karabakh Armenians sign a petition addressed to the Secretary of the CPSU Mikhail Gorbachev
- February 12, 1988 — The Soviet areas (district councils) of Stepanakert, Martakert, Askeran and Hadrut take decisions to support the demand for Nagorno-Karabakh to be unified with Armenian SSR
- 12th — 20th February 1988 — Start of demonstrations, strikes and protests in the capitals Stepanakert and Yerevan
- February 20, 1988 — Despite the obstacles from Baku, the Parliament of the Autonomous Region (Obkom) meets in Stepanakert and decides on the exit of Nagorno-Karabakh from the Azerbaijan SSR and its unification with the Armenian SSR
- 21 February 1988 — Decision of the Central Committee of the CPSU on measures to ease the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh
- 22 February 1988 — A group of armed Azerbaijanis moved from Agdam towards Askeran. During the skirmishes, two Azerbaijanis were killed and another 50 people were injured
- February 26, 1988 — One million people demonstrate in the streets of Yerevan for the reunification of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh
- February 27 -29, 1988 — Pogroms against Armenians in the Azerbaijani city of Sumgait (dozens dead and hundreds injured). The Soviet Army does not march into town until the third day of massacres
- June 13, 1988 — The Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan SSR denies the demand of Nagorno-Karabakh
- January 12, 1989 — Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet on the introduction of a special administration in Nagorno-Karabakh
- August 1989 — Azerbaijan begins the economic blockade against Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia
- 1988-1989 — Mutual refugee movements between Armenia and Azerbaijan
- December 1, 1989 — Decision of the Supreme Council of the Armenian SSR on the merger of the Armenian SSR and Nagorno-Karabakh
- January 13 – 20, 1990 — Pogroms against Armenians in Baku
- January 20, 1990 — Entry of Soviet military units into Baku to prevent the unrest. During the collision dozens of Azerbaijanis are killed
- March 14, 1990 — Constitutional amendment in the USSR
- April 3, 1990 — Secession Law of the USSR
- January-June 1991 — Operation “Koltso” (“Ring”): օrganized deportation of the Armenian population from 24 villages in the region of Shahumian (Northern Karabakh) by the Azerbaijani militia supported by Soviet troops
- August 30, 1991 — Declaration of the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan Republic on the restoration of state independence
- September 2, 1991 — Proclamation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) by the joint session of the Parliaments of Nagorno-Karabakh and the Shahumian Region (based on Art. 3, para. 1 and para. 2 of the Secession Law of the USSR)
- September 25, 1991 — Start of regular aerial bombardment of Stepanakert and other areas by the Azeri Air Force
- November 23, 1991 — Azerbaijan decides on the dissolution of the autonomous region of Nagorno-Karabakh
- December 10, 1991 — In the referendum on the independence of NKR 80% of registered voters vote “Yes”
- December 28, 1991 — First parliamentary elections in Nagorno-Karabakh
- January 6, 1992 — Declaration on the State Independence of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh by the Parliament
- February 25, 1992 — Armenian troops take the settlement Khojali (starting point of attacks on Stepanakert). Fleeing Azerbaijanis are caught in the crossfire and killed on the escape route near Aghdam
- March 24, 1992 — Council of Ministers of the CSCE in Helsinki decides on the convening of the international conference for the resolution of the Karabakh problem. On March 26, the CSCE mandate is backed by the UN Security Council
- April 10, 1992 — Night of Azerbaijani attack on the Armenian village of Maragha: 45 people are massacred, women and children captured
- May 9, 1992 — Acquisition of the town of Shushi by the Armenian forces (main base of Azerbaijani bombardments of the capital Stepanakert)
- May 18, 1992 — With the takeover of the city of Lachin, a land connection between Karabakh and Armenia is established. Nagorno-Karabakh gets access to the outside world
- June 12, 1992 — Azerbaijani troops begin a major offensive and take control over the region of Shahumian, the northern Martakert and the eastern Askeran. The majority of the Armenian population of these regions leaves Nagorno-Karabakh
- August 15, 1992 — Creation of the State Committee of Defence of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. It not only holds the military and political but also the economic power
- March-April 1993 — Self-defense units of Nagorno-Karabakh take control over Kelbajar (Karvachar)
- April 30, 1993 — First Resolution of the UN Security Council calls on the parties to the conflict to cease the fighting. Similar resolutions followed on July 29, October 14 and November 12, 1993
- June 17 – 27, 1993 — Short-term bilateral agreements between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan on the halt of offensive combat operations
- July 4 – 23, 1993 – Nagorno-Karabakh takes control over the largest Azerbaijani Aghdam Military Base
- July 28, 1993 — Meeting of the government delegations of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan on the front line in Martakert and extension of the ceasefire
- October 6, 1993 — New agreement on a cease-fire until 5 November. Violation of the ceasefire agreement by Azerbaijan
- October 24, 1993 — As a result of a counter-offensive, the Defense Army of Nagorno-Karabakh takes over the southern areas
- December 16, 1993 — Start of a large-scale Azerbaijani offensive along the whole front line
- January 27, 1994 — Russia proposes a three-week ceasefire
- May 4 – 5, 1994 — Meeting between the Speakers of Parliament of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh in Bishkek. Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh sign the Protocol of Bishkek. Azerbaijan joins the protocol on May 8
- May 8 – 11, 1994 — Through the mediation of Russia, the defense ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh sign a truce agreement based on the Protocol of Bishkek. The Agreement enters into force on 12 May 1994
- April 30, 1995 — Parliamentary elections in Nagorno-Karabakh (later 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020)
- November 24, 1996 — Presidential elections in Nagorno-Karabakh (later 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017, 2020)
- 26 June 1998 — Decision of the National Assembly of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh on the country’s administrative-territorial structure (7 regions and capital Stepanakert)
- March 10, 1999 — Resolution on Nagorno-Karabakh of the European Parliament
- December 10, 2006 — in a referendum, the Constitution of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh / Artsakh is adopted
- April 2 — 4, 2016 — Azerbaijan starts Second military aggression against Artsakh
- September 27, 2020 — Azerbaijan starts Third military aggression against Artsakh
Photo: Zaven Khachikyan (demonstrations in Stepanakert in 1988)
Դիտվել է 466 անգամ