Nagorno Karabakh
Official name: Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (Republic of Artsakh)
Population: 143 600
Area: 4 4000 km² (although under Armenian control there is about 14 000 km²)
Gallery
In 2023 a short Karabakh war took place between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Karabakh army financed by Armenia was unable to resist the much stronger Azerbaijani army, additionally supported by Turkish weapons. As a result Azerbaijan regained full control over the entire Artsakh region and seven other districts, and over 100,000 Armenians fled to Armenia in one week. On the 1st of January 2024 the Artsakh region was officially dissolved. Armenia and Azerbaijan have already fought many wars, the results of which I saw first hand in the completely bombed city of Agdam. I think it will take many years, if not generations, to establish diplomatic relations between two hostile countries.
I leave the following article as a curiosity and my evidence from a trip to a country that does not exist.
Introduction
In the beginning I want to stress that I include the Nagorno Karabakh Republic as an unrecognized territory and not as an independent country.
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is a very small and interesting country that formally does not even exist. Nagorno-Karabakh is a region which declared its independence and it is independent only in its own eyes and no one else’s. In addition Nagorno-Karabakh has its capital city called Stepanakert which is in reality just the main town. Karabakh also has symbolic persons such as the: president and the prime minister, despite the fact that the government of Armenia has the final word over Karabakh anyway. Officially Nagorno-Karabakh still belongs to the territory of Azerbaijan but it is occupied by Armenia.
In 1920 Stalin proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh as the autonomous region within Azerbaijan but in later years Karabakh asked for its independence by force with the help of Armenia and it has kept it to some extent since then. On the other hand due to the uniqueness of this small area and despite the fact that this self-proclaimed region keeps pretending a country I’ve decided to present Karabakh as a separate section on my website because I think that it is a travel story which should be told separately. Nagorno-Karabakh is also called “the Armenian culture within the territory of Azerbaijan”. What’s more interesting I even got a visa to a country which does not even exist.
Whilst in Karabakh I saw small towns destroyed by bombings carried out by Azerbaijan but also centuries-old churches, fortresses, mountain views and attractive nature. I spent five days in Upper Karabakh moving around mostly by hitchhiking what let me see a lot of interesting places. I noticed that the Karabakh people want tourists to visit their region so they could hear their story about the war with Azerbaijan and the struggle for their independence.
Nagorno Karabakh – tourist attractions
Travelling around Nagorno-Karabakh is a hitchhiking adventure through far away mountain serpentines where at every stop awaits a good story. I stayed in the capital city of Stepanakert which is a very pleasant small town and where among many things. I saw the museum of war with Azerbaijan, the museum of killed and missing soldiers and also the part dedicated to the Soviet propaganda in order to praise the Soviet Union as the conqueror of Hitler. The first museums were interesting and it is a topic that never ends because about the war with Azerbaijan would gladly tell us a truck driver, a meat salesman and a priest. The war subject in Karabakh simply does exist.
I was under impression that the subject of glorification the Soviet Union is present in Karabakh but “without the ceremonial openings of champagne” and it is there as if someone was watching over it through the keyhole. I’m not going to defend Hitler but Stalin’s hands were just as dirty. The difference lies in the fact that the winner does not have to explain his crimes and a loser apologizes and pays for a very long time, even for the sins of others. Whilst in Stepanakert I saw a traditional bazaar, a tank on the pedestal and the statue that has become a symbol of Karabakh which is called Grandpa and Grandma.
I also liked the ruins of the town of Shushi situated 9km from Stepanakert. The town lies mostly in ruins after the bombings carried out by Azerbaijan but it comes to life and I think everyone should see it. I would also recommend a very interesting art gallery and the white Ghazenchetsots Cathedral, though I was mostly interested in the people living there and the ruins.
I also found the town of Agdam very interesting because it looked like a haunted place. After heavy bombardments carried out by Azerbaijan only a few houses remained and those that still stand are in terrible condition as they always miss walls or roofs. Agdam is on the line of fire with Azerbaijan and before the “town” I saw a military base of Armenia with a few big cannons and armoured vehicle. My feelings about Agdam are obviously tragic because about 20 years ago it was a normal city. People lived there, they went to work and children went to school. Today it is hard to imagine that there was a life there because today there are just ruins with a few standing walls. Either way Agdam was very special war experience which I highly recommend.
Gandzasar Church. Nagorno-Karabakh.
Apart from that Karabakh has a couple of interesting fortresses, such as the very attractive Mayraberd ruins and restored Tigranakert fortress. For such a small country Karabakh also has beautiful, ancient churches built in Armenian style, for example Gandzasar and Dadivank built in the fifth century. The Kharabak’s phenomenon of nature is the exceptional 2000 year old Skhtorashen tree which is empty inside and so huge that it could be converted into a studio flat. Besides, Karabakh is of course about hitchhiking trucks, stories about the war told by almost sober drivers, post-Soviet markets and the unforgettable atmosphere of the whole place.
Nagorno Karabakh – the present times
Economy of Karabakh
Economy of Nagorno-Karabakh is a small but it is rapidly expanding as evidenced by its GDP of the subsequent years. According to the data I could find in 1999 the GDP of Nagorno-Karabakh was only $59m, in 2005 it was already $114 and in 2009 it reached $260mln. Year by year gross domestic product (GDP) of this small country was significantly increasing. 57% of its GDP comes from the service sector, 16 % from agriculture, 9% from construction, and manufacturing stands at about 15 % of GDP. In previous years however the importance of agriculture had declined, while services and service production has increased.
Most investments are in telephone networks, gold mining, diamonds polishing and in jewellery. In Soviet times Nagorno-Karabakh had only one power plant and it relied on energy from Armenia, but now because of a multi-million dollar investment it will only stop importing but it will be also able to export. The main road from Goris to Stepanakert was built for $15m and whilst travelling around Nagorno-Karabakh I saw many good roads in good condition. The only holes in the roads were on the way to Dadivank monastery but I think it will change over time what will give employment to a lot of people and will be a subject of further investments.
Karabakh has also Artsakh Bank and taking into account data from 2010 the number of loans and deposits have increased. A large branch of industry is also in mining, because Nagorno-Karabakh is rich in many metals such as gold and copper. Mining industry provides employment to more than 1,000 people and it is the largest tax payer in Nagorno-Karabakh. Karabakh is also a known exporter of mulberry vodka, watches, food and it is becoming more and more popular with tourists. The main beneficiaries of Karabakh are Armenia and the USA although their financial help is very small comparing to the needs.
Education in Karabakh
Education is compulsory and free for all until the end of secondary school and education has always been a priority for the Christian culture of Armenia. Due to the fact that most people in Karabakh are Armenian the educational program is also Armenian, while the system itself is modelled on the Russian system as it is considered very good and extensive. Obligatory education ends with the completion of a high school which is usually after the age of 18. Karabakh has also 9 universities although many people study in Armenia and Russia. The national university is named Artsakh.
It is also important that many schools and school equipment needs to be rebuilt because of bombings carried out by Azerbaijan. Rebuilding schools, sports facilities and equipment will cost minimum $25mln.
Health care in Karabakh
Health system in Karabakh suffered a lot during the war with Azerbaijan and had to be completely rebuilt, and today it lacks basic sanitation and personnel. Despite there are about 19 hospitals in Karabakh there are mainly in Stepanakert what people living further means a difficult access to the health system. The total cost of rebuilding the health system, educating personnel and a cost of new equipment amounted to $15m.
Water is also of a bad quality and its access is limited because of destruction after the war. It is a whole system which installation will cost many million dollars.
I don’t have a statistical data from Karabakh about HIV/AIDS but comparing data from Armenia where there are about 3500 people living with the virus and taking into account a small population of Karabakh I suspect that HIV is brought to Karabakh mainly from Armenia and it is most common within drug users and faggots.
Culture of Karabakh
The culture of Nagorno Karabakh developed with the culture of Armenia and it is based on Christianity, what can be seen in ancient churches, cathedrals, chapels, frescoes and khachkars, which are crosses carved in stones. Today apart from the natural beauty of Karabakh old churches are the main tourist attractions of the country. Nagorno Karabakh also has its tradition of carpet making which is also closely related to the Christian art of Armenia.
I recommend my article about Armenia because the culture of Karabakh is the culture of Armenia.
Press freedom in Karabakh
It is difficult to say which place Karabakh would take when it comes to freedom of speech, because it is an unrecognized region. From what I know there is a strict censorship in Karabakh and there was even a case of a journalist who was sentenced for a year of prison for “defamation” of one politician. In my point of view Karabakh is a country of a limited freedom of speech and because of conflict with Azerbaijan press freedom stands lower than in Armenia.
It should be also taken into account that Armenia and Azerbaijan are former post-Soviet republics, which were famous for corruption and communist muzzle on every mouth.
Environmental issues of Karabakh
War with Azerbaijan has destroyed a lot of natural territories and rebuilding after the war resulted in road being built on environmentally beautiful places. Because of developing economy a lot of clean areas have been transformed into agricultural lands which in the times of war were occupied by the army. As hydropower energy keeps growing so is the water pollution which in Karabakh is already of a bad quality.
Traffic in Karabakh.
However, for Azerbaijan ecology has become a weapon. In the name of ‘protecting nature’ Azerbaijanis repeatedly blocked roads, which prevented basic raw materials such as fuel, gas, electricity and medicine from reaching Karabakh. Azerbaijan’s “nature conservation activities” made desperate Armenians in Karabakh to cut out trees, so they could survive the winters. Then, when Azerbaijan bombed the cities and infrastructure in Karabakh, the time came to torture its opponents to death through climate action. It’s so disgusting and cynical at the same time!
Brief history of Nagorno Karabakh
Early history of Karabakh
History of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic is very old and stormy as for such a small country, which announced its independence whilst being in the territory of Azerbaijan. I want add the history of Karabakh has an Armenian and Azeri version that’s why I will give only those facts which are definite. Especially when it comes to war over Nagorno Karabakh I heard many different stories from Azeris and Armenians.
Nagorno-Karabakh is determined by Azeris as their cultural centre and Sushi where they developed their literature and language. Azeris believe that Christian descendants of Karabakh originate from Albanians, without links to today’s country of Albania. Then, after the Arab invasion of Karabakh in the 7th century they converted to Islam, and the surviving Christians from the Albanian Church were drawn into the Armenian Church. Armenians agree with this, but believe that it was due to Russia, which had its own interest in it.
In the Middle Ages, the Nagorno-Karabakh region was under the control of Persia, where the local authorities were held by Armenian princes called Meliks. Nevertheless, it was a flowering of Christian culture because, for example, the Gandzasar and Dadivank monasteries were established in the 13th century. Then the Karabakh Khanate came under Russian control in 1805 because the Persian Empire was losing strength and lost all Caucasian territories to Russia. Russia began to promote Christianity which led to cultural struggles and that is why at that time many Muslims from Karabakh went to Persia and many Christians from Persia went to Karabakh.
Cunning Stalin
In 1920 Stalin declared Nagorno-Karabakh an autonomous region within Azerbaijan, and as a result Karabakh became inhabited by an Armenian majority. It is clear that the source of problems, wars and hatred between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the 20th century was, of course, the Soviet Union. Stalin deliberately gave Karabakh to the Armenians in the name of war tactic: ‘Divide and Rule’.
The first Karabakh war
In the 1980s, there were growing strong calls for the separation of Karabakh from Azerbaijan and the creation of an independent state, which resulted in an ongoing war between the Armenians of Karabakh and Soviet and Azerbaijani forces. The first Nagorno-Karabakh war was fought between 1988 and 1994 in the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave in southwestern Azerbaijan. It was a war between the ethnic Armenian majority of Nagorno-Karabakh, supported by Armenia – and the Republic of Azerbaijan, supported by Turkey.
However, it was only the first war that was not as tragic as the next one, i.e. the one after the collapse of the USSR – between Armenia and Azerbaijan and their Turkish helpers. Armenia won the war, which cost it 30,000 people. In addition, 50,000 Muslim Azeris living in Karabakh lost their lives, and another 150,000 living in Armenia had to return to Azerbaijan. In addition to the deaths, approximately 1 million people were displaced.
The ceasefire was signed in 1994, and it was such a shame for Azerbaijan that two governments fell in succession until Heydar Aliyev took power. Hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis were homeless and had to live in tents or bombed houses.
4-Day War in Karabakh
Armenia and Azerbaijan fought against each other between April 1-5, 2016. This time there were hundreds of deaths on each side but there were no changes on the front line. This situation only showed that the war between Armenia, Artsakh and Azerbaijan is not over yet and there will certainly be another one.
The second Karabakh war
The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was a short armed conflict. It took place from September 27, 2020 to November 10, 2020 in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and surrounding territories occupied by Armenia. According to official figures released by the parties involved in the war, Armenia and Artsakh lost approximately 4,000 soldiers, and Azerbaijan lost almost 3,000 soldiers.
As a result of this short war, Azerbaijan regained one-third of Nagorno-Karabakh, mainly in the south. Under the terms of the ceasefire brokered by Russia, Azerbaijan regained control over much of its territory that had been lost to Armenia during the earlier war.
With Armenian soldier in Artsakh.
Karabakh War 2023
In 2023 a short Karabakh war took place between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Karabakh army financed by Armenia was unable to resist the much stronger Azerbaijani army, additionally supported by Turkish weapons. As a result Azerbaijan regained full control over the entire Artsakh region and seven other districts, and over 100,000 Armenians fled to Armenia in one week.
This war also showed that peace treaties were useless, especially that armistice took place only 3 years earlier. Karabakh was already part of Azerbaijan anyway so the goal of that war was the disarmament and unconditional surrender of Artsakh, as well as withdrawal of all ethnic Armenian soldiers present in Karabakh. On the 1st of January 2024 the Artsakh region was officially dissolved.
Summary
Armenia and Azerbaijan fought many wars, the results of which I saw first hand in the completely bombed city of Agdam. I think it will take many years, if not generations, to establish diplomatic relations between the two hostile countries. Above all, I wish Armenia and Azerbaijan peace. Let’s hope that time will heal their wounds, especially that it was Stalin who started this conflict.
Travel reports
Map
Location
Practical information
Tourist Visa: Nagorno-Karabakh can be reached only from Armenia. I got my visa at the consulate of Nagorno-Karabakh in Armenia in Yerevan for 3.000 dram; although I was told at the border that the Karabakh visa can be also developed in Stepanakert after entry. Karabakh is a country very open to tourism. Nagorno-Karabakh has very close ties with Armenia, with which it will be linked as long as it is controlled by it.
Safety: Nagorno Karabakh is very safe. I travelled around the country mainly by hitchhiking and I met with people’s kindness every time.
Moving around the country: Transport by minibuses (marshrutkas) is very limited due to small population, that’s why hitchhiking is the best way of getting around Karabakh. Because of hitchhiking I saw a lot more than I planned and I think that for a lonely traveller it is the only option. Taxis are very expensive and that’s why I recommend them only to those travellers who travel around Karabakh in 4 or 5 people.
Prices: (in 2013 when £1= 650AMD). Nagorno Karabakh operates on Armenian dram. Prices in Karabakh are the same as in Armenia. For the cheapest room in Stepanakert I paid 5000 dram although I also recommend free lodging in your own tent. For food I spent about 2000 dram every day and for transport I did not spend a penny because I was hitchhiking everywhere.
Climate: Climate of Nagorno Karabakh is mild and mostly subtropical. During summers air temperatures varies from 22°C to 40°C, and during winters from -16°C to -23°C. Big valleys tend to have strong winds and storms and precipitation is small in the lowlands and high in the highlands, especially in May and June. In different parts of Nagorno Karabakh there is also a fog for about 110-125 days in a year.
