Page 19 - Azərbaycan xalçaları

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This marked the launch of the legal implementation of the
agreements’ articles regarding Nakhchivan. The Azerbaijan SSR
was fulfilling its tasks arising from its legitimate rights regarding
the Nakhchivan SSR. Yet, the legal confirmation of Nakhchivan’s
rights as an autonomous republic within the Azerbaijan SSR was
delayed until February 1924.
In December 1922, the Azerbaijan SSR, the Georgian SSR, and
the Armenian SSR united to form the Transcaucasian Soviet Fed-
erative Socialist Republic (TSFSR). On December 30, the three re-
publics entered into the USSR as the TS-
FSR. This limited the sovereign rights of
the Azerbaijan SSR. Yet, the registration
of the autonomy of Nakhchivan within
the Azerbaijan SSR though delayed,
was realized. On February 27, 1923, the
Third All-Nakhchivan Congress of So-
viets addressed the Azerbaijan CEC and
adopted the decision on the inclusion of
the Nakhchivan SSR into the Azerbaijan
SSR based on the rights of autonomy.
The third session of the Azerbaijan
CEC confirmed the decision of the All-
Nakhchivan Congress of Soviets.
The organization of the Nakhchivan
SSR as an autonomous land was realized
based on the Regulations of the Azer-
baijan CEC on the Nakhchivan Autono-
mous District. Thus, the previous politi-
cal rights of Nakhchivan were restricted.
This could not be considered satisfactory
for Nakhchivan, which was living iso-
lated from the Republic. Therefore, the
issue of turning the Nakhchivan Autonomous District into an Au-
tonomous Republic was put forward in late 1923. The Azerbaijan
CEC adopted a decision on this issue on December 31, 1923. The
first plenum of the Transcaucasian CEC held on January 8, 1924
adopted a decision on turning the Nakhchivan Autonomous Dis-
trict into anAutonomous Republic. The above-mentioned decision
of the authorities was confirmed, and the Nakhchivan ASSR gov-
ernmental authorities were established.41
The decree of the Azerbaijan CEC dated February 9, 1924
adopted the transformation of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Dis-
trict into the NakhchivanAutonomous Soviet Socialistic Republic.
Thus, the hostile activities of Armenians aimed at cutting off
Nakhchivan from Azerbaijan failed, and the fact that Nakhchivan
is an integral part of Azerbaijan with a place in the Azerbaijani
state received fair legal foundation.
On the eve of the creation of the Nakhchivan ASSR, an event
happened which played a role in the further historical destiny of
Azerbaijan: on May 10, 1923 the great state figure Heydar Aliyev
was born in the city of Nakhchivan.
Heydar Aliyev holds an honorable place among the great per-
sonalities that Nakhchivan, an integral part of Azerbaijan, has
given to the world.
The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (from 1924 up to pre-
sent)
The history of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is divided
into two periods: 1. The Soviet Period (1924-1991) and 2. The
Independence Period (from 1991 to present).
At the time of establishment, the territory of the Nakhchivan
Autonomous Republic covered only 5,988 square kilometers of
its historic territory. Following 1929-1930, the Kremlin supported
the territorial claims of Armenians in contradiction to the provi-
sions of the 1921 Moscow and Kars Agreements. As a result, the
territory of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic was reduced
further. Presently, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic covers
an area of 5500 square kilometers43. This makes up 6.2% of the
total territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The national leader of
the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev, said at the meeting of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Constitutional Commission held on Janu-
ary 14, 1998: “The Autonomy of Nakhchivan is a historic achieve-
ment; we should maintain this. The autonomy of Nakhchivan is a
very major factor serving the restoration of other lost lands. We
have to protect and maintain this factor.”44
According to the All-Union census of the population in 1926,
the Nakhchivan ASSR population was 104,900 and according to
the last census of the population in 1989, it was 295,100.45
Until the war of 1941-1945, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Re-
public’s population was more than 130,000. The war negatively
affected the population’s growth rate. The Autonomous Republic’s
growth fell from 21,800 in 1939 to 14,700 in 1959. In that year,
the portion of the population of the Nakhchivan ASSR within the
population of the Azerbaijan SSR also reached its lowest point,
totalling 3.82%. In 1970, the population surpassed 200,000. In
1989, the Autonomous Republic’s population was 295,100 and
the population of Nakhchivan constituted 4.19% of the Azerbaijan
SSR. On the eve of the collapse of the USSR, the population of
the Nakhchivan ASSR was over 300,000 people. Approximately
one third of Nakhchivan’s population lived in the cities and the
View from the city of Nakhchivan
Azerbaijani carpets / NAKHCHIVAN GROUP