91 years since pogroms of Armenians in Shushi

“On March 23, 1920, Turkish expedition corps regiments and Musavat armed gangs attacked the Armenian blocks of Shushi, burnt down houses, shops belonging to Armenians. Over 30,000 Armenians were cruelly killed and forced to leave their native town,” member of NKR parliament Vardges Baghryan said addressing the parliament session.

“This crime perpetrated in the early 20th century pursued a single purpose – to suppress the right of self-determination of the Armenian majority in Artsakh, to change the demographic picture of the area, to turn Shushi into a Turkish-Azerbaijani nationalist fortress with far-reaching goals.

Under the complicated military-political situation, especially under the Sovietization of the South Caucasus and the propaganda of the so-called “proletarian internationalism,” the international community, unfortunately, was not completely aware of the Shushi tragedy. Therefore, the organizers and perpetrators of the crime were left unpunished.

The Artsakh movement in late 20th century completely changed the situation. Today Shushi is liberated forever and plays an important role in the political, economic, especially, cultural life of our newly independent country.

Condemning the crime of March 23, 1920, we regard it as our duty to do our best to restore Shushi’s former glory. The Artsakh authorities treat Shushi with the very priority, supported by Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora.

The revival and prosperity of Shushi will come as the collective answer of the Armenian people to the Turkish-Azeri barbarity. Thus we will be able to reestablish historical justice, to restore our national dignity.

It’s not a single case when the Armenian people has saved its past and built a new future. Another evidence of that is Shushi which should open a door to our other sacred places,” Baghryan said.