Стр. 36 - Azərbaycan xalçaları

36
The names of residential settlements of Turkic origin were preserved as they were on the map and in
the statistical information issued under tsarist Russia. During the Soviet administration, however, an of-
ficial “changing of names operation” in Armenia was executed in 1935, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1946, 1947, 1948,
1949, 1950, 1957, 1962, 1968, 1969, 1977, 1978, and 1980 through the decrees of the Armenian SSR Su-
preme Council. By August 1988, the names of 521 residential settlements of Turkic origin in the territory
of Armenia had been changed. It is possible to follow the list of changed residential settlement names
systematically in the 1976 and 1988 publications of “Administrative Territory Division of the Armenian
SSR,” the April 9, 1991 decree of the Supreme Council of the Armenian SSR, and the map of the Republic
of Armenia printed in 2000. Name changing operations were carried out in the following order:
1. First of all, special attention was given to the changing of the names of residential areas related to
Azerbaijanis’ family roots and their historical past. For instance, Ashagi Turkmenli — Lusagyug (Echmi-
adzin), Gorchulu — Mrgashad (Hoktemberyan), Sardarabad — Hoktember (Hoktemberyan), Bayandur
— Vagadur (Gorus), Shirvanjig — Lernakert (Artik).
2. The names of several residential settlements were literally translated into Armenian. For example,
Armudlu — Tandzut (Hoktemberyan), Dashgala — Karaberd (Ani), Derekend — Dzoragyug (Gugark),
Darachichak — Tsakhkadzor (Razdan), Gol — Lichk (Martuni), Gullubulag — Dakhpuyr (Gukasyan).
3. The names of several residential settlements were changed under the guise of “internationalization.”
For instance, Garagishlag — Dostlug (Masis), Sultanabad — Shurabad (Amasiya), Jujekend — Gizil
Shafag (Kalinino), Ashaghy Nejili — Sayat-Nova (Masis), Chanakhchi — Sovetakert (Ararat).
4. The names of some residential settlements were merely changed into similar but Armenianized
names. For example, Derabbas — Darbas (Sisian), Deliler — Dalar (Artashat), Eleyez —Aragats (Talin),
Erebus —Arevis (Sisyan), Gabud — Kapuyt (Azizbayov), Chirpili — Jrapi (Ani).
5. In the aforementioned publications of the “Armenian SSR Administrative Territory Division” the
words “upper,” “lower,” “big,” and “small” in front of the names of residential areas of Turkish origin
were translated into Armenian as “verin”, “nerkin”, “mets”, and “pokr” to create an image that the
names are in fact Armenian. They tried to give the impression that the changed names are of Armenian
origin. For instance, Verin Zagali — Akhpradzor (Vardenis), Nerkin Zeyve — Hartashen (Echmiadzin),
Mets Kepenekchi — Musaelyan (Akhuryan), Pokr Shish Tepe — Pokr Sepasar (Gukasyan).
6. Before 1935, the names of the residential settlements of Turkish origin changed in Armenia were
changed without the decrees of the Supreme Council. For instance, Bebirli — Bartsrashen (Ani), Dey-
medagli — Shrvenantz (Gafan), Tovuzgala — Berd (Shemsheddil), Shirabad — Parakar (Echmiadzin).
It is worth mentioning that in addition to changing the names of the residential settlements through the
decrees of the Supreme Council, hundreds of names of Azerbaijani villages were wiped from the list of
Armenian residential settlements under the pretext that the villages were united. For example, through
the February 5, 1978 decree of the Supreme Council of the Armenian SSR, the names of Ashagi Kilse
(Gugaark), Agtala (Kamo), Rahimabad (Masis), and Gamishli (Vardenis) were removed from the list.
During the years of 1918-1987, 254 Azerbaijani residential settlements in the territory of Armenia were
erased from the list of residential settlements through different means (by subjecting the population to
genocide, by deporting, and so on).
After the 1948-1953 deportation, more than 60 names of residential settlements were changed. In 1978
alone, sixty toponyms of Turkic origin in 23 regions were changed. Through the April 9, 1991 decree of
the Supreme Council of the Armenian SSR, the names of 90 settlements belonging to Azerbaijanis were
changed. In general, 667 toponyms have been changed through to current times.
***
The deportation of Azerbaijanis from their ancestral lands by the Republic of Armenia yielded grave
results. Thousands of people were subjected to genocide during deportations. However, the Republic of
Azerbaijan took any measures necessary to secure the safety of eachAzerbaijani deported fromArmenia.
Azerbaijanis fromArmenia successfully integrated into all areas of life in the Republic of Azerbaijan and
participated in its socio-economic, political, and cultural development. Despite all the attempts of Arme-
nia, the historical traditions, rich cultural heritage, and folklore samples created in western Azerbaijan
across thousands of years were not obliterated; they preserved their existence in a new historical situa-
tion and continue to do so. Hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis deported from western Azerbaijan,
from the territory of the Republic of Armenia, live with one dream: the great return and union with their
ancestral lands.
Yagub Mahmudov
Esteemed Academician of Science
Corresponding Member of the ANAS (Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences)
Karim Shukurov
Doctor of Historical Science, Professor
Mass Name Changing of Historical Places
Belonging to Azerbaijanis in Armenia