Traveling through Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Union of Armenians of Russia – Nagorno-Karabakh Republic

The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), or Nagorno-Karabakh, in Armenian Artsakh, is the first of the self-proclaimed, but not officially recognized states in the post-Soviet space. It was the Karabakh conflict, which entered the active stage back in 1987-1988. served as a trigger for the aggravation of interethnic relations in the republics of the USSR.
Karabakh is the very first our“hot spot”, not Afghanistan or Angola, not Beirut or Port Said, where, as a rule, people who were already mentally and physically prepared ended up.
In the mountains of the Lesser Caucasus, ordinary our (then) compatriots became victims of a terrible fratricidal war.
The declared and actual borders of the NKR do not coincide along their entire length. In 1991, the congress of people's deputies from the regions of Karabakh populated by Armenians proclaimed a republic in Stepanakert as part of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region and the Shaumyan region of the Azerbaijan SSR. As a result of military operations in 1991-1994. 15% of the territory of the proclaimed NKR came under the control of Azerbaijan (the entire Shaumyan region, parts of the Mardakert and Martuni regions). At the same time, five regions of Azerbaijan (Kalbajar, Lachin, Kubatly, Zangelan, Jebrail) and parts of two more regions (Agdam and Fizuli), totaling 8% of the territory of Azerbaijan, are currently completely under the control of the NKR defense forces. The nominal (proclaimed) territory of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is 5 thousand km 2, the actual (under the control of Stepanakert) is more than twice as large - 11.3 thousand km 2.

Mountain Citadel

Karabakh is a cultural and historical region between the Kura and Araks rivers; its western border is formed by the Zangezur ridge. The eastern, low-lying parts of this region were called Plain Karabakh, and the elevated parts of the ridges and highlands of the Lesser Caucasus were named Nagorno-Karabakh. The rugged terrain, impassable river valleys, and passes inaccessible for all-season use allowed the population of this land to repel the raids of the surrounding lowland inhabitants.
NKR is located in the southeastern part of the Lesser Caucasus. In its north stretches the Murovdag ridge with a maximum height of 3724 m (Gamysh). It separates the Mardakert region from the former Shahumyan region, which was included in the NKR in 1991, but as a result of military actions came under the control of Azerbaijan. The western border of the NKR is formed by the Karabakh ridge, rising to a height of more than two kilometers. Almost the entire territory of the NKR is occupied by the spurs of these two ridges. Plain areas are found only on the easternmost outskirts of the territory of the republic, where the arid Karabakh plain begins, stretching to the riverbeds of the Kura and Araks. The folded territory of Nagorno-Karabakh is rich in a variety of minerals, both ores of various metals (copper, zinc, lead, etc.), and and nonmetallic minerals and rocks (marble, granite, asbestos, tuff). Sources of mineral waters of various compositions and origins are widespread in the mountainous part of Karabakh.
Most of the territory of the NKR is dominated by a moderately warm climate, with dry, relatively cool winters for Transcaucasia and hot summers. The rivers of Karabakh flow from the most elevated parts of the region (the Karabakh and Murovdag ridges) in a northeastern direction to the Kura valley or in a southeastern direction to the Araks valley. The largest rivers have Turkic names - Terter, Khachinchay, Karkarchay, Kendelanchay, Ishkhanchay (from Turkish and Azerbaijani tea- “river”). Rivers flow through deep gorges and are used for irrigation and as sources of electricity. A large Sarsang reservoir was built on the Terter River. On the Karabakh Plain, already outside the NKR, the rivers are almost completely diverted for irrigation and practically disappear among the fields of the right bank of the Kura and the left bank of the Araks. Natural vegetation in many places has been replaced by agricultural landscapes (fields, gardens, vineyards, melon fields). However, in mountainous areas forests and alpine meadows have managed to survive. Forests with a predominance of oak, beech, hornbeam, and wild fruit trees occupy about a third of the territory of the republic.

Historical mission - border

Armenian historians claim that Artsakh (the Armenian name for Nagorno-Karabakh translates as “wooded mountains”) is a native Armenian territory that never belonged to Azerbaijan. They consider the geographical term “Azerbaijan” itself, which goes back to the name of the ancient kingdom of Atropatene, artificial for the space located north of the Araks River. For the first time the name “Azerbaijan” in relation to the territories located in the Transcaucasus was heard only at the beginning of the twentieth century. Since that time, the historical lands of Eastern Transcaucasia, formerly called Shirvan, Karabakh, Absheron, Mugan, Talysh, became Azerbaijan, taking the name of the regions of northeastern Iran.
According to the official and generally accepted history of Transcaucasia, Artsakh was part of the ancient Armenian state of Urartu (VIII-V centuries BC). After the division of ancient Armenia between Byzantium and Persia in 387, the territory of Eastern Transcaucasia (including Artsakh) passed to Persia. At the beginning of the 8th century. Artsakh was conquered by the Arabs, who brought Islam with them (before that, Christianity of the Gregorian rite became widespread among the population of the region). In the middle of the 11th century. the territory was invaded by the Seljuk Turks, liberation from which occurred a century later. In the 30s of the 13th century. Artsakh was conquered by the Mongols; most of its territory began to be called Karabakh (from the Turkic words punishment- “black” and bug- "garden") .

In the XVII - first half of the XVIII century. Karabakh has become the scene of continuous wars between Iran and Turkey. But the melikates (principalities) of Nagorno-Karabakh maintained relative independence for a long time. In the middle of the 18th century. The Karabakh Khanate was founded, the capital of which was Shusha. In the XVII-XVIII centuries. Karabakh meliks corresponded with Russian autocrats Peter I, Catherine II and Paul I. In 1805, the territory of the Karabakh Khanate, together with vast regions of Eastern Transcaucasia, “forever and ever” passed to the Russian Empire, which was secured by Gulistan (1813) and Turkmanchay (1828) treaties between Russia and Persia. The Gulistan Peace Treaty was concluded on the territory of Karabakh, in the Gulistan fortress, which still exists today (located in the neutral zone delimiting the armed formations of the NKR and Azerbaijan).
As a result of the collapse of the Russian Empire, in the process of forming national states in Transcaucasia, Nagorno-Karabakh in 1918-1920. turned into the arena of a brutal war between newly independent Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Turkish army and Azerbaijani armed forces, in continuation of the Turkish genocide of Armenians in 1915, burned hundreds of Armenian villages in Karabakh.
In March 1920, Shusha was plundered, after which this city remained without an Armenian community for many decades. The old quarters of Shushi remained in a desolate and ruined state until the 60s of the 20th century. In June 1921, after the establishment of Soviet power throughout the Transcaucasus, Armenia declared Nagorno-Karabakh its integral part.
At the same time, the newly formed Azerbaijan SSR refused to transfer this region to the neighboring republic. Armed clashes between Armenians and Azerbaijanis in Karabakh lasted until 1923, when, at the insistence of the Moscow authorities, the Azerbaijani authorities were forced to grant parts of the historical region of Karabakh - with the largest concentration of the Armenian population - autonomous status. At the same time, tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians remained outside the autonomy.
In 1923-1936. The autonomy was called the Autonomous Region of Nagorno-Karabakh and shared a border with Soviet Armenia, then the autonomy was renamed the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region. In Soviet times, the party and economic elite of Nagorno-Karabakh, consisting mainly of ethnic Armenians, repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with their position in the Azerbaijan SSR. The reason for the discontent is the policy of the Azerbaijani authorities to assimilate the Karabakh Armenians, which was achieved by encouraging the migration of Azerbaijanis to Nagorno-Karabakh, while the residents of Armenia were accepted extremely reluctantly. As a result, the ethnic structure of the population of the autonomous region has undergone changes: if in 1970 the share of Azerbaijanis in the population was 18%, then in 1989 it exceeded 21%. Particularly strong pressure on Armenians occurred in the 70s, when the party leadership of the Azerbaijan SSR was headed by Heydar Aliyev, the future president of independent Azerbaijan.
The situation finally got out of control after the liberalization of the Soviet regime in the late 80s. Karabakh became the first sign in the “parade of sovereignties” that affected all the republics of the Union. In February 1988, an extraordinary session of the Council of People's Deputies of the Autonomous Region adopted an appeal to secede from Azerbaijan and join Armenia. This step escalated the situation and led to massive interethnic clashes, which culminated in the expulsion of Armenians from most cities and regions of Azerbaijan. About 450 thousand Azerbaijani and Karabakh Armenians became refugees, taking refuge from persecution, primarily in Armenia and Russia.
Already in a virtual state of war, on September 2, 1991, Armenian deputies of councils at various levels from Karabakh proclaimed the independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR). In response, on November 26 of the same year, the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan adopted a law abolishing the Nagorno-Karabakh autonomy.
The initial period of the Karabakh conflict took place under the conditions of the strategic initiative of Azerbaijan, which used weapons and ammunition from units of the Soviet Army. During this period, the NKR was under the threat of complete destruction, communication with Armenia, which provided assistance to the Karabakh Armenians, was interrupted, about 60% of the territory of the republic came under the control of Azerbaijani forces. The capital of the NKR, Stepanakert, was subjected to regular air raids and artillery shelling from Agdam and Shushi.
A turning point in military operations occurred at the beginning of 1992, which was associated both with the strengthening of Armenia and with internal strife in the leadership of Azerbaijan, which led to a change of regime in this country. On May 9, 1992, the NKR self-defense forces managed to take Shusha, the stronghold of the Karabakh Azerbaijanis. This day, which coincides with the Victory Day of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, is celebrated in modern Karabakh as a national holiday. The capture of Shusha, the ancient fortress city, the historical center of Karabakh, dominating Stepanakert and the Armenian villages located below, radically changed the entire subsequent course of hostilities. In mid-May, units of the Karabakh army entered Lachin, thus breaking the blockade ring around the NKR. In the early summer of 1993, the NKR Defense Army began to liberate Mardakert, which had been under Azerbaijani control for almost a year. On July 23, 1993, Karabakh troops, having broken the enemy’s resistance, fought into Agdam, which blocked the exit from Karabakh to the plain.
As a result of this operation, the threat of shelling of Stepanakert and the likelihood of a breakthrough into the Askeran region were removed.
After the defeat in the central sector of the front, Azerbaijani troops attempted to break through the Armenian defenses on the southern flank. This maneuver ended with a counter-offensive by the NKR army and the loss for Azerbaijan in the second half of 1993 of the Kubatly, Zangilan, Jebrail and part of the Fizuli regions. In 1994, the entire Kelbajar region came under the control of the NKR army. Thus, Nagorno-Karabakh managed to capture the territory of Azerbaijan, exceeding the size of the former autonomous region.
Military failures forced Azerbaijan to accept Russia's mediation services and the armistice agreement it prepared. Back in 1992, to resolve the Karabakh conflict, the OSCE Minsk Group was created, within the framework of which contacts were carried out between the parties involved in the hostilities: Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. The Minsk Group and Russia turned out to be co-authors of the Bishkek Protocol, signed on May 5, 1994 in the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek. Based on this document, the parties to the conflict reached an agreement on a ceasefire that is in force to this day.
Currently, the NKR is de facto an independent state, having all the attributes of statehood: a constitution and laws, governing bodies, armed and police forces, state symbols, and representative offices in other countries of the world. In terms of its state structure, Nagorno-Karabakh is a highly centralized presidential republic. The President of the NKR is elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term. The same person cannot be elected for more than two consecutive terms. According to current legislation, the president is the head of the executive branch. He appoints the prime minister and approves the structure and composition of the government. Robert Kocharyan, the current president of the Republic of Armenia, was elected the first president of the NKR. After his voluntary resignation from office and moving to Yerevan, Arkady Ghukasyan, who had already been elected by the people to this position twice (in 1997 and 2002), assumes presidential duties. The highest legislative power in the republic belongs to the unicameral parliament - the National Assembly.
According to the law on administrative-territorial division, the NKR is divided into 6 administrative districts, 5 of which were previously part of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (Askeran, Hadrut, Mardakert, Martuni, Shusha). The Shaumyan region, which became part of the NKR in 1991, was occupied by the government armed forces of Azerbaijan a year later and abolished (incorporated into the Goranboy region). Currently, the occupied Azerbaijani regions located outside the former autonomous region are called “security zones” and are governed by a special military administration. The exception is the Lachin district, on the territory of which the Kashatagh region of the NKR was formed in December 1993, its center became Lachin, renamed Berdzor.
Like all existing unrecognized states that defended their actual independence in armed struggle, the NKR is heavily militarized. The army leadership is the basis of the ruling elite of the republic. The defense army numbers about 15 thousand people, that is, every tenth resident of the country is under arms in the NKR. At the same time, it is especially emphasized that among the military there is not a single citizen of the Republic of Armenia (Azerbaijani media claim the opposite). All military observers who visited Karabakh testify to the high morale and training of the local armed forces. Karabakh people are distinguished by high moral and volitional qualities and discipline. Every young man here is obliged to serve in the army; no deferments from conscription are provided. This is understandable: the republic lives in conditions of a fragile truce, and the leadership of Azerbaijan never tires of repeating that it intends to return the lost territories by force. The Karabakh Armenians have rich military traditions: for many centuries they defended their right to freedom in wars with conquerors. It is no coincidence that two famous Soviet marshals came out of one of the North Karabakh villages (Chardakhlu, now located in the Shamkhor region of Azerbaijan) - Bagramyan and Babajanyan.

Highlanders of Transcaucasia

Crimean journalist Sergei Gradirovsky, who visited Karabakh several years ago, defines the character of the local residents as follows: “Karabakh is an all-Armenian forge of personnel. Not thanks to the system of educational institutions, but only to the character that almost all Karabakh residents are endowed with. The attitude towards the Karabakh people in Yerevan is reminiscent of the attitude of the Parisians towards the Gascons: ambitious and courageous, daring and stubborn, in a word - mountaineers.”
According to the data, as of April 1, 2004, the population of the NKR was 145.7 thousand people, which is significantly less than what lived in the region before the armed conflict. According to official data from the last Soviet census of 1989, the population of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region was 189 thousand people, of which 76.9% were Armenians, 21.5% were Azerbaijanis, the rest were Russians, Ukrainians, Kurds, and Greeks. Outside of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenians constituted a majority (80%) in only one region of the Azerbaijan SSR - Shaumyanovsky, which was also part of the NKR. At the same time, in the Shusha region of the autonomous region, the predominant ethnic group was Azerbaijanis. Currently, the NKR, after many years of bloody war, has become an almost monoethnic entity. The vast majority of the population are Armenians. A small Russian community (300 people) continues to exist. Armenian is recognized as the official language in Nagorno-Karabakh, but Russian is still widely spoken. There are more Russian speakers here than in Armenia itself, and many can speak it with almost no accent. The widespread spread of Russian language is a protest of Karabakh Armenians against the forced Turkization of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region in the last Soviet years. The study of the Armenian language was declining at this time, but even the major party bosses from Baku were unable to limit the use of the Russian language. To this day, the name common in the Russian tradition can remind one of the Karabakh origin of an Armenian: Mikhail, Leonid, Arkady, Oleg, Elena.

The population of the NKR is increasing due to natural and migration growth. According to the NKR statistical service, in 2002 alone, the number of people who entered Nagorno-Karabakh was 1,186, and those who left - 511. Those arriving are mainly Azerbaijani Armenians who left their places of residence due to ethnic cleansing and were for years as refugees in Armenia or Russia. The NKR migration service resettles them in empty Azerbaijani houses in the Shusha region or in “security zones” - occupied areas outside Nagorno-Karabakh, which still remain practically deserted. The Azerbaijani population that left the current NKR and the regions occupied by it ranges from half a million (according to Armenian and Karabakh data) to a million people (according to information from some Azerbaijani sources). The most likely estimate of the number of these refugees is 600-750 thousand. Most of them settled in temporary camps in Plain Karabakh, on the banks of the Araks and in the Mugan steppe. Azerbaijani refugees are among the most implacable opponents of Armenian-Karabakh statehood and call on their government to take tougher and more decisive actions against the NKR.
The state religion of the NKR is Armenian-Gregorian. Its adherents include the vast majority of the population. Within the borders of Nagorno-Karabakh operates the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, headed by an archbishop whose residence is in Shusha.
The most ancient monuments of the artistic culture of Karabakh Armenians date back to the mid-3rd - mid-2nd centuries. BC (bronze items, painted ceramics, etc.). The most famous types of decorative and applied arts of the local population are carpet weaving (most developed in Shusha), silk weaving, and gold embroidery. The famous Karabakh carpets are distinguished by a densely saturated pattern, the basis of which is a floral pattern. NKR has preserved architectural monuments of amazing beauty and picturesque location - the Amaras monastery (5th century), the temple of the Gandzasar monastery (13th century), stone fortresses, churches and chapels, individual ancient residential buildings, bridges, as well as ancient Armenian stone slabs with crosses (khachkars). Many ancient monuments have been preserved in the oldest city of the region - Shusha. Here you can see the remains of the walls and towers of the fortress, the castle of Ibrahim Khan (XVIII century), residential buildings of the XVIII-XIX centuries, two ancient mosques of the late XIX century. Shusha suffered greatly as a result of military operations in 1991-1994. Only 3 thousand inhabitants now live here instead of 12 thousand before the war. In recent years, the NKR government has been trying to restore the historical appearance of Shushi and attract foreign tourists. It has already been possible to restore the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral (Cathedral of Christ the Savior, 1868-1887), renovation of one of the mosques has begun, and soon a museum and an art gallery will be located there.

Traditional carving woodworking

The population of NKR is distributed approximately equally between urban and rural areas. Many of the settlements in Nagorno-Karabakh have two names. Both Azerbaijanis and Armenians resort to renaming as a method of eradicating the memory of an unfriendly ethnic group. Today's Russian atlases name the Armenian settlements of Karabakh in the Turkic manner: Stepanakert became Khankendi, Mardakert - Agdere, Martuni - Khojavend, etc. This entire list of renamings - with the exception of a number of settlements held by Azerbaijan in the former (from the point of view of Baku) Shaumyan and Mardakert regions - is fictitious, because in reality these territories are controlled by Armenians, who call their settlement centers the same as before. In the territories of Azerbaijan occupied by the NKR Defense Army, in turn, the “Armenization” of toponyms took place: in place of Lachin there is now Berdzor (“fortress in the gorge” in Armenian), Kelbajar became Karvachar, Fizuli - Vardana, Shusha is pronounced by Armenians as Shushi, the rivers got rid of Turkic endings - tea, mountains - from - Doug, village - from - lu, -ly, -lar. At present, a decade after the actual departure of the Azerbaijanis from these lands, throughout the NKR and the spaces controlled by it you can hardly see road signs or even just inscriptions in the Azerbaijani language. They have been replaced by Armenian-, Russian-, and in some places English-language ones. All toponyms in this article are brought to the norms legalized during the existence of the USSR and thereby strengthened in the Russian tradition.

New hotel, built with foreign assistance

The largest city in Nagorno-Karabakh is its capital Stepanakert. Now it is home to about 50 thousand inhabitants, which is only 5-6 thousand less than the pre-war population. Stepanakert arose in 1923 on the site of the Armenian village of Khankendy, 12 km from the then only city of Karabakh - Shushi, devastated by anti-Armenian pogroms. The city was originally created and built as the administrative center of the Armenian autonomy in Azerbaijan and therefore was named after one of the Baku commissars - the Armenian Stepan Shaumyan (1878-1918). Stepanakert is the only city in Karabakh that was completely restored after the war. It was by no means easy for Karabakh builders to carry out this task, because a significant part of the city was destroyed as a result of artillery shelling and bombing. The city is the largest economic, transport and cultural center in the republic. The Artsakh State University, created on the basis of the regional pedagogical institute, operates here, and the drama theater named after Vahram Papazyan operates here (occupies one of the oldest buildings in the city). According to the few Russians who have visited modern Karabakh, Stepanakert is a quiet, neat provincial city, rising in tiers along the spurs of the Karabakh ridge, the pace of life here is unhurried, the color of the south is rich and flashy.
In addition to Stepanakert, there are 8 more urban settlements on the territory of the NKR: 3 cities (Mardakert, Martuni and Shusha) and 5 urban-type settlements (Askeran, Hadrut, Red Bazaar, Leninavan and Shaumyanovsk, the last two are controlled by Azerbaijan). These are very small settlements, even compared to their own capital, the population of each of them does not exceed 5 thousand inhabitants, the economy is in a neglected state. This is how the regional center of Mardakert seemed to the Russian traveler Sergei Novikov (“Academy of Free Travel”): “A ruined, poor city without any special attractions, which to this day has not recovered from the war. There are only a few operating enterprises. 10 km to the east is the line of confrontation between the Armenian-Karabakh and Azerbaijani armies.”

Features of an unrecognized economy

This is how the famous weave Karabakh carpets

The NKR economy suffered greatly from the war and the disruption of traditional economic ties. Only in the last two and a half years has there been economic growth here, mostly associated with the development of the private sector, which already accounts for more than 75% of industrial production.
A liberal tax regime for foreigners has been formed in the NKR. Many industrial and service facilities are now in the hands of foreign owners, who often represent the Armenian diaspora of the CIS countries, Western Europe, the Middle East and North America. Examples include the Stepanakert carpet weaving factory, owned by a US citizen of Armenian origin, the Vank woodworking plant, built by an American company, and the Karabakh-Telecom cellular communication company registered in Lebanon. Over the past couple of years, $20-25 million has been invested in various sectors of the Artsakh economy.
GDP in 2003 was 33.6 billion drams ($58.1 million), and GDP per capita was $400. The NKR leadership has ambitious plans for economic revival. In the coming years, it is planned to invest $15-20 million in industry alone.
The NKR is in a customs and currency union with the neighboring Republic of Armenia. The economy of Nagorno-Karabakh is closely integrated with the Armenian one into a single complex with common owners and legal framework. The monetary unit of the NKR is the Armenian dram, but the government of the republic plans to introduce a national currency in the near future.

Sectoral structure of industry
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic,
beginning 2000s, %

Electric power industry- a leading sector of the economy. In 2003, 130.6 million kWh of electricity was generated in the NKR. Nagorno-Karabakh generally meets its electricity needs. The largest source of electricity in the republic is the Sarsang hydroelectric power station on the Terter River with a capacity of 50 MW, producing 90-100 million kWh per year. The features of the republic’s river network make it possible to create mini-hydroelectric power stations in almost all regions of the NKR; in the coming years, it is planned to build 18 such hydroelectric power stations with possible with a total capacity of about 140 MW. Since 1994, work has begun in the republic to restore power lines destroyed by the war. As a result, a large number of new lines were built, which made it possible to completely electrify the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Industry The NKR is represented mainly by small and medium-sized enterprises, mostly in private hands. Stepanakert produces more than half of the republic's total industrial output.
During the Soviet period, the dominant industries were considered to be light and food. The largest light industry enterprises were the Karabakh silk factory, the Stepanakert shoe factory, and the carpet factories of Stepanakert and Shushi. Currently, these enterprises are not operating at full capacity due to the severe narrowing of the sales market. The food industry is based on enterprises producing alcoholic beverages (wine, vodka, cognac), bread and flour products, and canned fruits and vegetables.
The largest enterprise in the industry for the production of building materials remains the Stepanakert Construction Materials Plant, which owns several quarries on the territory of the republic for the extraction of building stone and facing materials from granite, felsite, marble, tuff, etc.
The presence of rich resources of valuable timber species in the NKR promises a great future for the forestry and wood processing industries. In the pre-war period, enterprises in the industry worked mainly on imported raw materials. Local timber reserves are currently being exploited. The Stepanakert furniture factory and the Vank woodworking plant are oriented towards them.
The high-tech electrical industry is represented by the Stepanakert Electrotechnical Plant - the former pride of Soviet Karabakh, where the current President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan began his career. The plant has several branches and subsidiaries in the regions of Nagorno-Karabakh. Today the enterprise operates at only 20% of its existing production capacity. The plant has maintained the production of electrical household and lighting devices (electric stoves, heaters, lamps, chandeliers, fluorescent lamps), but to please the market, the production of furniture (beds, hangers, tables, chairs, cabinets, garden benches, slate) and consumer goods is becoming increasingly important. Previously, the plant supplied the bulk of its products to the regions of the USSR. Today the consumer market is limited mainly to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Nevertheless, the electrical engineering plant continues to retain highly qualified personnel, which allows it to master the production of new types of products; the plant began to produce highly sensitive medical phonendoscopes.
Among the enterprises of the radio-electronic industry of NKR there is the Stepanakert Capacitor Plant. This enterprise at the moment (for the production of the main type of product) is also not operating at full capacity.
The mining industry was not previously considered Nagorno-Karabakh's specialty. In Soviet times, deposits of building materials were developed here, but ores of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, unlike the immediate surroundings, were not mined. In 2002, Base Metals LLC was created in NKR with the involvement of foreign capital (including Armenian). An agreement was concluded with this company to begin developing a gold and copper deposit in the village of Drmbon, Mardakert region. Currently, up to 12 thousand tons of ore are mined annually at the mines, all of it is processed at the local mining and processing plant. The resulting concentrate is exported to Armenia, where it undergoes metallurgical processing at a large copper smelter in Alaverdi.

The jewelry industry has experienced unexpected development and dynamic growth in recent years in Nagorno-Karabakh. There are several enterprises for processing precious stones and manufacturing jewelry in the republic. Active negotiations are underway with well-known foreign companies that are ready to locate their production facilities in the NKR. Jewelry making is a traditional craft of Armenians in many parts of the world since the Middle Ages. Foreign companies, locating their branches on the territory of the NKR and providing their materials (raw gold, silver, precious stones, diamonds), save on low salaries for employees (at one of them - Andranik-Dashk CJSC, opened in 1998, the master -a jeweler is paid only about $110 per month) and a preferential tax regime.
Comfortable natural conditions of the NKR are favorable for development agriculture. In recent years, the NKR has been undergoing a process of reforming the agricultural sector. The gratuitous transfer of land into the ownership of peasants has been completely completed, so the farming type of agriculture now predominates in the republic.
Agriculture of Nagorno-Karabakh specializes in the production of durum wheat, horticultural crops, grapes, and vegetables. To this end, for several years in a row, the state has been lending to peasant farms on preferential terms, trying to restore primarily intensive agricultural sectors, such as viticulture and horticulture. The government has developed and is implementing the “Grapes” program, its goal is to increase the area of ​​vineyards from 1300 to 4000 hectares.
In recent years, NKR peasants have reached the pre-war level of wheat harvest (75-85 thousand tons), however, this volume was collected from an area twice the size of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Okrug. Productivity varies greatly from year to year: in 2003, 25 thousand tons were collected per hectare. centners of wheat (level of Stavropol and Rostov regions), in 2004 only 14.2 centners (this is the average yield in the Russian Non-Black Earth Region). In conditions when only 5% of land in the republic is irrigated, grain production cannot be stable, since it depends too much on weather conditions. Great expectations are associated with the revival of the irrigation system in the republic, which will allow agricultural productivity to increase several times compared to the pre-war level. The projects of the first three large hydraulic systems are already ready: construction on the Ishkhanchay (Ishkhanaget) River and in the Askeran region, as well as the reconstruction of the Madagiz hydroelectric complex.
The development of livestock farming in the NKR is associated with the support of small farms. The livestock is dominated by cattle, sheep, and pigs (there were more pigs in the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region than in all other regions of Azerbaijan).
Nagorno-Karabakh is traditionally considered one of the centers of sericulture in Transcaucasia. Much attention is paid to the development of beekeeping; local honey was of high quality and usefulness in previous times. With relatively low costs in this industry, you can count on large profits.
Transport complex The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic includes road and air modes of transport. Until 1988, railway transport also operated in Karabakh, but it was blocked during the armed conflict, and now the tracks have already been dismantled over a considerable distance. In the building of the former railway station of Stepanakert (located 3 km from the city border in the Agdam direction) there is an army barracks. The section of the Baku-Nakhichevan railway running along the border with Iran, which is under the control of the NKR, is also not operational.
In the conditions of the semi-siege of the NKR, road transport acquired particular importance. The length of all internal roads in NKR is 1248 km, but most of them can be difficult to navigate. The only highway of European quality connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, and in fact with the entire outside world, can be called the Goris (Armenia)-Lachin-Stepanakert road, reconstructed in the second half of the 90s, with a length of 65 km. It is through this transport artery that almost all of NKR’s external relations pass, imported products are imported, exports are delivered, migrants arrive, and military assistance is provided. Armenia has opportunities for external communication through Georgian seaports and international airports in Yerevan and Gyumri. In recent years, a second exit from Karabakh to Armenia has been established - through the Zod Pass (height 2366 m) on the border of the Kelbajar region. The mountain road, where previously only shepherds and tourists could be found, is now used for regular transport links. Concentrates from the Drmbon Mining and Processing Plant are transported to Armenia through the mountain serpentine, military trucks are moving, and so far infrequent Gazelles with passengers are plying. This path is difficult and dangerous: the width of the roadway in some sections does not allow oncoming traffic, the natural features of the pass limit its use only to the warm period of the year and daylight hours. However, there are plans to transform the route through the Zod Pass into a more stable and convenient transport channel.
There are no transport connections on the northern, eastern and southern sections of the NKR border. On the line of contact between the armed formations of Karabakh Armenians and the Azerbaijani armed forces, an “Iron Curtain of the 21st century” arose - 250 km of impenetrable concrete fortifications, minefields and wire fences. Existing transport routes have been cut and their use in the near future is doubtful. The line running along the Araks, delimiting the NKR-controlled regions of Azerbaijan and Iran, does not have cross-border connections due to the undeveloped border crossings and the lack of legal regulation of relations between the NKR and Iran. Armenian-Iranian contacts pass through the Meghri region of the Republic of Armenia.
In 2000, construction began on the main intra-republican highway “North-South”, 170 km long, which is designed to connect all regional centers of the NKR with Stepanakert. The road is being built in areas with difficult terrain with money from the international Armenian fund “Hayastan”. This transport route is of great military-strategic importance, because the existing roads between Stepanakert, Mardakert, Martuni and Hadrut pass through Agdam and Fuzuli in the “security zones”, that is, through the plain Azerbaijani regions, currently controlled by the NKR Defense Army, but the future fate these territories is unclear. Currently, the main part of the North-South highway is already open to traffic; it is expected that it will be fully operational by 2006.
The only airport in NKR is located in Stepanakert. Previously, only small aircraft could land here. After the reconstruction, which is already being completed, the airport will not only increase its capacity, but will also be able to accommodate wide-body aircraft. In the meantime, the capital’s airport schedule includes irregular helicopter flights to Yerevan, available only to foreign tourists and business travelers from peacekeeping organizations.
Pipeline transport is represented in Karabakh by the Yevlakh-Stepanakert-Goris-Nakhichevan gas pipeline, built in the 80s and in Soviet times providing “blue fuel” from the Caspian fields not only to Nagorno-Karabakh, but also to southern Armenia and the Nakhichevan autonomy of Azerbaijan. Since January 1992, after the deterioration of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, gas flows were stopped and have not been resumed to this day.

NKR has a developed service sector. The basis of the banking system is the private Artsakhbank, as well as the Stepanakert branches of Armenian banks.” Through their accounts, foreign currency flows into Nagorno-Karabakh from the Armenian diaspora and Karabakh natives working outside their homeland.
Foreign tourism is becoming increasingly important for the NKR economy. Not only ethnic Armenians come here from different parts of the world, but also those who want to visit an “extreme” point on the planet, a “non-existent state”, see magnificent cultural and historical monuments, enjoy mountain landscapes and clean air and pay mere pennies by the standards of enlightened Europe . In different regions of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Swiss company Sirkap Armenia has already built several modern hotels with a total investment of $1.5 million.
The range of NKR foreign economic relations is narrowly focused and focused mainly on Armenia, the main sponsor of Karabakh statehood. In this country, Karabakh goods become Armenian and can enter the world market without restrictions. Food industry products (wine and wine products, juices, tobacco, fruits), art objects (carpets, jewelry), and copper ore from the Drmbon deposit are exported from the NKR. The main import items for NKR are energy resources (gasoline traveling through Lachin in Armenian fuel tankers), machinery and equipment, consumer goods, weapons and ammunition.

What's next?

Today, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, although not recognized by anyone except Armenia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and the Transnistrian Moldavian Republic, is in fact an independent state that is in close, essentially confederal, relations with the Republic of Armenia. Foreign representative offices of the NKR currently operate, in addition to Yerevan, in Moscow, Washington, Paris, Sydney and Beirut, where they closely coordinate their work with the Armenian embassies.
Nagorno-Karabakh managed to become a specific political entity in the post-Soviet space, even in comparison with other unrecognized states. Firstly, the length of statehood of the Karabakh Armenians is the longest; it is more reasonable to count it not from 1991, but from 1988, the time of the real secession from Azerbaijan. Secondly, the level of Armenia’s involvement in Karabakh affairs is much higher than the degree of interference of external forces in other problematic regions of the former USSR. It is impossible to imagine a Russian policy similar to the Armenian one in Karabakh regarding Abkhazia, South Ossetia or Transnistria. Armenia is deprived of false shame for “incorrect behavior” in the international arena. Feeling the real and tangible support of an ally, in fact the mother country, NKR feels more confident in the international arena. Thirdly, in the space of the NKR and in the territories controlled by it in the post-war period, a monoethnic composition of the population developed (this is not the case either in Abkhazia, or in South Ossetia, and especially in the PMR), which objectively facilitates the consolidation of the “unrecognized” society. Fourthly, the NKR has the support of the worldwide Armenian diaspora - the Syurk, which lobbies the interests of Armenians in the international arena, helps with finances and experience, and provides information channels for expressing the Armenian position on Karabakh.
What will happen to Karabakh in the future? It is absolutely obvious that the Karabakh Armenians will not come to Azerbaijan of their own free will. It is also obvious that Azerbaijan will not give up Karabakh, fully understanding the difficulties that will have to be encountered in the event of a forceful solution to the territorial problem. The stalemate cannot be resolved without international intervention. The first plan for the territorial resolution of the Karabakh conflict was proposed by American political scientist Paul Gobble back in 1992. According to it, Armenia and Azerbaijan will be able to achieve peace only by exchanging disputed territories. Azerbaijan transfers to Armenia the territory of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (naturally, without the Shaumyan region) and the Lachin region, connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia. Armenia transfers its southernmost Meghri region to Azerbaijan, for which it gets the opportunity to use Turkish ports and communications for transit. By giving up this territory, Armenia will lose access to the Araks and will lose its border with Iran. Azerbaijan, on the contrary, will receive a connection between the main territory of the country and the enclave Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Azerbaijan benefits from such an exchange, restoring the compactness of its territory and releasing Nagorno-Karabakh, which did not belong to it. Türkiye wins, receiving a corridor to the Turkic-speaking regions of the former USSR and updating the ideas of a pan-Turkic state. The United States wins by increasing pressure on Iran, its old enemy, and gaining the status of a peacemaker in the geopolitically promising Transcaucasian region. Armenia is losing, finding itself surrounded by a dense blockade of unfriendly countries. Iran is losing by allowing Americans into its borders. Russia loses, deprived of the opportunity to pursue an independent foreign policy in the Caucasus. Gobble's plan was greeted with enthusiasm in Turkey and Azerbaijan. However, after the occupation of the Lachin corridor and a number of border regions of Azerbaijan by the NKR Defense Army, it lost its relevance.
The Karabakh issue may be in limbo for several decades, just as the twin conflict in Kashmir has not been resolved for half a century. There, as in Transcaucasia, spears are being broken over the fate of part of the disputed territory, which has not even been part of the state to which it was assigned by decision of the world community, and the problem itself arose after the collapse and territorial delimitation of the once unified political space into national ones ( confessional) fragments. The analogy will be more complete if we remember that Pakistan participating in that conflict, just like today’s Azerbaijan, at the time of the outbreak of the conflict consisted of two spatially separate parts - West and East Pakistan (since 1971 - the independent state of Bangladesh).

E.M. Pospelov believes that the Turkic punishment here it should be translated as “many”, in this case Karabakh is “abundance of gardens”.
Read about the Kashmir conflict S.A. Gorokhov. Kashmir//Geography No. 12,13/2003.

A military clash arose here, since the vast majority of the inhabitants inhabiting the area have Armenian roots. The essence of the conflict is that Azerbaijan makes well-founded demands on this territory, but the inhabitants of the region gravitate more towards Armenia. On May 12, 1994, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh ratified a protocol establishing a truce, resulting in an unconditional ceasefire in the conflict zone.

Excursion into history

Armenian historical sources claim that Artsakh (the ancient Armenian name) was first mentioned in the 8th century BC. If you believe these sources, then Nagorno-Karabakh was part of Armenia back in the early Middle Ages. As a result of the wars of conquest between Turkey and Iran in this era, a significant part of Armenia came under the control of these countries. The Armenian principalities, or melikties, at that time located on the territory of modern Karabakh, retained a semi-independent status.

Azerbaijan takes its own point of view on this issue. According to local researchers, Karabakh is one of the most ancient historical regions of their country. The word “Karabakh” in Azerbaijani is translated as follows: “gara” means black, and “bagh” means garden. Already in the 16th century, together with other provinces, Karabakh was part of the Safavid state, and after that it became an independent khanate.

Nagorno-Karabakh during the Russian Empire

In 1805, the Karabakh Khanate was subordinated to the Russian Empire, and in 1813, according to the Treaty of Gulistan, Nagorno-Karabakh also became part of Russia. Then, according to the Turkmenchay Treaty, as well as the agreement concluded in the city of Edirne, Armenians were resettled from Turkey and Iran and settled in the territories of Northern Azerbaijan, including Karabakh. Thus, the population of these lands is predominantly of Armenian origin.

As part of the USSR

In 1918, the newly created Azerbaijan Democratic Republic gained control over Karabakh. Almost simultaneously, the Armenian Republic makes claims to this area, but the ADR made these claims. In 1921, the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh with the rights of broad autonomy was included in the Azerbaijan SSR. After another two years, Karabakh receives the status of (NKAO).

In 1988, the Council of Deputies of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Okrug petitioned the authorities of the AzSSR and Armenian SSR republics and proposed to transfer the disputed territory to Armenia. was not satisfied, as a result of which a wave of protest swept through the cities of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Okrug. Demonstrations of solidarity were also held in Yerevan.

Declaration of Independence

In the early autumn of 1991, when the Soviet Union had already begun to fall apart, the NKAO adopted a Declaration proclaiming the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Moreover, in addition to the NKAO, it included part of the territories of the former AzSSR. According to the results of a referendum held on December 10 of the same year in Nagorno-Karabakh, more than 99% of the region's population voted for complete independence from Azerbaijan.

It is quite obvious that the Azerbaijani authorities did not recognize this referendum, and the act of proclamation itself was designated as illegal. Moreover, Baku decided to abolish the autonomy of Karabakh, which it enjoyed during Soviet times. However, the destructive process has already been launched.

Karabakh conflict

Armenian troops stood up for the independence of the self-proclaimed republic, which Azerbaijan tried to resist. Nagorno-Karabakh received support from official Yerevan, as well as from the national diaspora in other countries, so the militia managed to defend the region. However, the Azerbaijani authorities still managed to establish control over several regions that were initially declared part of the NKR.

Each of the warring parties provides its own statistics of losses in the Karabakh conflict. Comparing these data, we can conclude that during the three years of the showdown, 15-25 thousand people died. At least 25 thousand were wounded, and more than 100 thousand civilians were forced to leave their places of residence.

Peaceful settlement

Negotiations, during which the parties tried to resolve the conflict peacefully, began almost immediately after the independent NKR was proclaimed. For example, on September 23, 1991, a meeting was held, which was attended by the presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia, as well as Russia and Kazakhstan. In the spring of 1992, the OSCE established a group to resolve the Karabakh conflict.

Despite all the efforts of the international community to stop the bloodshed, a ceasefire was achieved only in the spring of 1994. On May 5, the Bishkek Protocol was signed, after which the participants ceased fire a week later.

The parties to the conflict were unable to agree on the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan demands respect for its sovereignty and insists on maintaining territorial integrity. The interests of the self-proclaimed republic are protected by Armenia. Nagorno-Karabakh stands for a peaceful resolution of controversial issues, while the authorities of the republic emphasize that NKR is capable of standing up for its independence.

Now that I have visited Azerbaijan, and where I do not intend to return in the near future, I can finally publish a report on my trip to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
As is known, the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh is the subject of an unresolved dispute between Azerbaijan, where it is located, and its ethnic Armenian majority, which is supported by neighboring Armenia.
Armenian-Azerbaijani clashes began in Nagorno-Karabakh back in the 20th century. After the collapse of the Russian Empire, this region became part of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, which caused resistance from the Armenian population. In July 1918, Karabakh was declared an independent administrative unit with its own government. Two years later, Azerbaijani troops suppressed Armenian resistance, and Karabakh became part of the Azerbaijan SSR, formally having the right to self-determination.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, at the end of 1991, Nagorno-Karabakh declared itself an independent republic with its capital Stepanakart. Azerbaijan recognized this act as illegal and abolished the autonomy of Karabakh. Following this, the Karabakh war began, during which regular Armenian units completely or partially captured seven regions that Azerbaijan considered its own.
During the fighting, between 20 and 30 thousand people died. Ethnic Azerbaijanis, who made up about a quarter of the region's population before the war, fled Karabakh and Armenia, and ethnic Armenians were forced to flee from Azerbaijan. In total, more than a million people fled their homes.

If you look at Google maps (and others), Nagorno-Karabakh is indeed the territory of Azerbaijan. However, de facto this is not the case; you can enter the Republic only from the Armenian side. From the point of view of Azerbaijanis, such a movement is an illegal crossing of the State border, and since after Karabakh I was going to Azerbaijan, I should not have advertised my visit to the NKR. And although marks about visiting Karabakh are not put in the passport, the Azerbaijani special services track mainly through the Internet who illegally enters Karabakh, and although this usually concerns famous people, after which they are prohibited from entering the country, I didn’t want to take risks, so a report just in case I decided to publish it after my trip to Azerbaijan.
So, 4 days of the March holidays of 2016 were approaching. I wanted to fly somewhere out of the Russian spring grey, but within a few hours of summer the weather was not much better than in Moscow, with temperatures just above zero and rain. Only in Transcaucasia was it relatively warm and sunny. It was decided to fly to Armenia. But since I had previously traveled the length and breadth of the country itself, the choice fell on Nagorno-Karabakh.
Having arrived in Yerevan, I rented a car from Sixt right at the airport. Power of attorney is issued for Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh by default. There are not many hotels in Armenia outside of Yerevan, so I spent the night in the capital and hit the road early in the morning.

The official route to the capital of Karabakh - Stepanakert (google automatically changes the name to the Azerbaijani Khankendi), which foreign citizens can use, passes through Vayk - Goris (gray line on the map), but they also need to return back. Much more picturesque (from my point of view) lies through the Zod Pass, east of Lake Sevan. Previously, this route was closed to foreigners; they could be turned away at the border. In addition, in winter it can be closed due to snow drifts (and during my trip it was the very beginning of spring). Several years ago the famous traveler puerrtto passed here with difficulty, but then it was autumn, and now it is early spring. There was no exact information about the condition of the road on the Internet, but I still decided to take a chance and drove through the Zod Pass.
A relatively good asphalt road leads to the border. At the same time you can admire the views of Sevan. Who can guess what the cars are doing in the lake?)

Here's the answer, though:

And this is the entrance to Nagorno-Karabakh:

Crossing the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan). The road actually goes a little to the side, or the navigator shows it incorrectly.

Of course, crossing the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan is impossible unless you know how to avoid minefields and dodge snipers, but official international maps show Nagorno-Karabakh as Azerbaijan.
And then the beauty of Nagorno-Karabakh and endless serpentines begin.

We were lucky with the weather, the sun dried the road, and we can drive through without any problems. A few days ago, a four-wheel drive would have clearly been needed here, and possibly a tractor.

In winter, there are meter-long snowdrifts here, which may help clear the road, but after a snowfall it’s obviously better not to go here.

My car

Those rare tourists who traveled here 5-10 years ago wrote about a large number of damaged military equipment on the roadsides. Now they have made improvised monuments of modern history out of it.

However, there are also authentic specimens. The Azerbaijani border is very close; one must think there were very fierce battles here

In one place the road is literally sandwiched between rocks. Very beautiful and unusual.

There is very little traffic, there are also no gas stations, it is imperative to have a full tank of gasoline after Vardenis, the last major city in Armenia. Occasionally you come across small villages. It is clear that they live very poorly.

The road through the Zod Pass is also interesting because it allows you to visit one of the most inaccessible monasteries in Armenia and Karabakh - Dadivank.

Located in a very picturesque place. There are basically no tourists here. Of course, from the capital of Karabakh - Stepanakert, the drive is 130 kilometers along bad roads, from Yerevan - 2.5 times longer.

Sargsan reservoir. The views are amazing. Hostile Azerbaijan is just around the corner. Previously, it provided water to several Azerbaijani regions, but now it is under the control of the NKR and, of course, does not share water

A small section of good road

Lambs)

And these are the roads for the most part throughout Karabakh:

And this is the infamous landmark of Karabakh, the ghost town of Agdam. A city that was mostly populated by Azerbaijanis before the war. After the war, they were all kicked out, and the houses began to be dismantled for building materials. Now there seems to be a military unit in the city and several residents - Armenians, living in somehow reconstructed ruins. Officially, entry into the city is prohibited due to the mentioned military unit, there is a checkpoint at the entrance, but since I was traveling from the other side of Stepanakert, where tourists usually do not go, I got into the city freely, and on the way out no one was interested in me.

Only the mosque has more or less survived

You can even climb the minaret, although the sight is very sad. On the horizon is the front line and Azerbaijan

I'm going further to Stepanakert. Previously, the whole of Karabakh was covered with such posters. I only got one

Car with license plates of the Azerbaijan SSR. Sometimes it seems like time has stopped here

The landscapes, of course, are inferior to Tuscan ones, but still very beautiful

Stopped for the night in Stepanakert. A modern city that has completely recovered from the war. One might say, an island of civilization, with modern hotels, restaurants, and even an airport, although not operational. In the morning I registered at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Registration seems to be mandatory for foreigners, it works every day (on weekends the person on duty registers). But as it turned out later, it was in vain, I left through an unofficial checkpoint, no one asked about registration.

Day 2.

The next morning I went to another Karabakh landmark - the Gandzasar Monastery.

along the way, visiting the village of Vank, famous for the birthplace of businessman Levon Hayrapetyan, who, having become rich, decided to invest a lot of money in his homeland, repairing roads and building a rather interesting hotel in the shape of a ship

Perhaps there are more tourists here during the season, but now, in early March, it was completely empty. Now the businessman is under arrest in Moscow, it is possible that the village will soon fall into decay again.

And this is what the wall in the center of the village looks like:

I return to Stepanakert and drive towards Armenia. But I don’t want to return to Armenia so quickly yet, so having almost reached the border, I turn onto a remote road to Minjavan - the village, a former railway junction, is located on the border with Iran.

The road is relatively good at first, but then quickly changes to terrible.

Traffic is zero. If your car breaks down or a tire bursts in numerous potholes, no one will help. The area is uninhabited and unused. There are almost no settlements. Those that exist were inhabited by Azerbaijanis, and were completely destroyed

I just want to ask the question, why did they fight, and why did so many people die on both sides?

Destroyed Azerbaijani cemetery

I reach the former Minjnavan junction station. Everything is destroyed; several families literally manage to survive among the ruins. There is no trace left of the station.

Near the Iranian border. The mountains in the photo are already Iranian territory.

I am leaving Nagorno-Karabakh for Armenia along a road under construction, laid along the embankment of the former Minjnavan-Kapan railway.

Formally, you can’t cross the border here, but there’s no one at the border itself, and you can’t see much of a difference, except that cellular communications started working again in Armenia, and I was bombarded with a ton of missed calls and text messages over these 2 days.
I spend the night in the city of Kapan. Kapan is a vivid illustration of how a most beautiful place can be ruined by a wretched city.

Day 3.4

Next we went to the southernmost city of Armenia - Meghri. There are two roads leading there through the pass, both fantastically beautiful.

Iranian trucks come across.

There is a lot of snow on the pass and it is terribly cold. Despite the cold, you feel like the bright sun, repeatedly reflected from the snow-capped mountains, burns your skin.

...

The southernmost city of Armenia (and at the same time the most distant from Yerevan) - Meghri - is unremarkable.

The engineering structures of the former Baku-Nakhichevan-Yerevan railway, which ran right along the Iranian border, are very interesting. Alas, the train will most likely never run here now.

How much money and effort was spent on anti-collapse galleries that no one needed?

barbed wire is visible on the left, and Iran behind it

...

Former Meghri station on the Iranian border. During the Soviet era, there was the strictest border zone.

All that remains of the rolling stock, which, apparently, did not have time to be removed

I return back by another road, through Tsav. It just opened after winter, zero traffic.

The pass is full of snow

Again the city of Kapan. Beautiful from afar, but in reality it is ruined and depressed

On the way to Yerevan I stopped by to see the Tatev Monastery. The navigator brought me to a short road with zero traffic, which, apparently, had just thawed after a winter on which I almost got stuck

The monastery is definitely beautiful

Watchtower nearby

Road Tatev - Yeghegnadzor

Soviet technology pleases the eye

Since there was time left, I decided to lengthen the path through the Selim Pass and turned in Yeghegnadzor towards Sevan. There are meter-long snowdrifts on the pass, spring will not come here very soon, but I passed without any problems.

By the evening of the 4th day I reached Yerevan. Had dinner at the tavern of the same name


(located on Teryan Street, highly recommend, delicious and very inexpensive) and flew to Moscow. The journey was slightly extreme, but very interesting and educational. Thank you for your attention.

I’m starting a series of articles about an independent trip to Nagorno-Karabakh. Today I’ll tell you about how to get there, how we crossed the border, about the necessary registration for Russians, about the road and about the people. Someone must have thought now: “What kind of madness is it to go into the territory of a military conflict.” I answer: there are plenty of such “crazy people” among travelers; foreign tourists have been freely visiting Stepanakert for a long time, and they also pay money for it. If it had really been “hot” there, then no one would have been allowed there even 50 km away.

Excursions. Tour. agencies in Yerevan can organize a trip to Nagorno-Karabakh for 2-3 days, coupled with passing attractions in Armenia. Example of the travel agency "Yur Service" (Yerevan, Nalbandyan St., 96): cost 80000-90000 AMD/person(with hotel and meals, 2 days/3 nights). Or you can order a whole one in advance.

Rented car from Yerevan. If you don’t want to bother with public transport and you have a driver’s license in your pocket, you can rent a car in Yerevan. However, there are difficult and long sections of the mountain road in Karabakh. See prices and options.

Road to Nagorno-Karabakh

We hitchhiked to Karabakh. A local peasant took us on a “penny” to the nearest city - Yeghegnadzor. And here we were lucky enough to get into a car with “military shirts”. Two men each had a couple of stars on their epaulets, but this did not matter to us, because initially we were not going to Nagorno-Karabakh. I thought of first going to the town of Jermuk, and finally looking at Karabakh. Therefore, we told the Armenians that we were going to the turn to Jermuk.

However, the Armenians turned out to be very pleasant to talk to, they constantly joked and even suspected us of being spies, since we easily navigated the names and roads of Armenia without a map in our hands, including questions about Nagorno-Karabakh. In the process of such a dialogue, it suddenly became clear that the military was going there. Usually we quickly changed plans if we came across a successful passing vehicle. But it was really not close to Karabakh and I didn’t want to get impudent.

The most humorous one was called Kamo and he was sitting behind the wheel, and the second one with a slightly lower rank was Armen. The guys went straight to Mardakert (Martakert). If you don’t quite get your bearings, then this is one of the last and furthest settlements before the border with Azerbaijan, or rather the last safe settlement.

When we reached the turn to Jermuk, we took our backpacks from the trunk, Kamo suddenly offered to go with them to the end. It was very difficult to refuse such an offer; we liked the military, and we aroused their interest. We agreed and got back into the car, he would wait. There was still more than 200 km to go.

There was in these men, who went through all the circles of hell of the military conflict with Azerbaijan, some kind of “cunning”, a subtle feeling that was incomprehensible to me. And at the same time, they were so charming, kind, and sincere in the Armenian way that the first feeling was somehow extinguished by itself against the background of the others.

Vorotan Pass (Zanger)

All the way they seemed to be in no hurry; it was enough to be briefly interested in something outside the window for the car to immediately stop, and the Armenians went with us to see the sights and take photographs. For example, our first stop was at Vorotan pass (Zanger), lying at an altitude of 2344 m above sea level. It, like most of the high mountain passes of Armenia, serves as the boundary of various natural boundaries.

Kamo, while still in the car, warned that it would be cold and strong wind. This didn’t scare me, I’ll go climb one of the halves of these gates.

Many people think that this is one specific route, but in fact there were many routes that crossed different countries and connected East Asia with Europe, so one of them passed through Armenia.

Goris

In the city of Goris, we stopped to have lunch in a cafe, and at the same time meet and pick up another military man - a major. The Armenians treated us to kebab and barbecue, and at the next table the Iranians were leering at us, celebrating their free stay in a foreign country. After lunch there were already five people in the car. By the way, Goris is a rather interesting place, I advise you to go here separately.

Beginning of the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh

Finally, we began to approach territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, the first indicator of which was these buildings built in 2005.

One by one we climbed to the very top of the “triangle”, only the wind was cold and strong in our faces.

And behind the buildings there is an Armenian khachkar.

Already here the views of the green mountains in the evening sunset were simply stunning. And the deserted deserted road added some mystery to the overall impression.

There was only one last short stretch left to the border.

Nagorno-Karabakh border

In fact, there are two borders on the Armenian side (the border with Azerbaijan, naturally, is closed because of the war).

First- this is where we were standing now, that is, the Goris-Shushi highway. According to the Karabakh Foreign Ministry, this is the only correct and official border to cross.

Second- located in the north through the Zod Pass. We didn’t go there (although there was such a thought), someone says that there is no checkpoint there, the guard told us that there is. In any case, crossing the border with NKR from the north is not recommended. Because if there is no checkpoint there, then according to the law this will be a violation with all that it implies; in fact, many travelers passed through freely or with brief detention and interrogation by the military.

Correct passage of the Armenia-Nagorno-Karabakh border

At the entrance. You reach the checkpoint along the Goris-Shushi highway, stop, and all passengers in the vehicle present their documents. A visa is not required for Russians, but upon arrival in Stepanakert it is necessary to immediately register with the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs (more on this below).

On the road. You also stop at the checkpoint, all passengers in the vehicle present documents and registration, and leave.

Incorrect passage of the Nagorno-Karabakh border (personal experience)

At the entrance. Frankly, I don’t know why the military liked us so much that they decided to help us. It’s a pity that instead of help it turned out to be a disservice. Thanks to his rank, Kamo never bothered with the issue of crossing the border, and unfortunately, he did not know that Russians stay in Karabakh for free (unlike residents of other countries). The Armenian decided that we, like other foreigners, needed to pay, so when the car stopped at the border checkpoint, and we were about to get out to present documents, he told us to sit in the car and not get out. Naturally, we were indignant that problems might arise, but he said on the fly that he would solve everything himself. I don’t know why, but we trusted him at that moment.

After 5 min. Kamo returned and we moved on. At my questioning glance, he calmly stated that we had nothing to worry about with him, he had agreed on everything. I did not let up and asked how we could return now, to which I received the answer: “I will personally take you back.” For some reason, I didn’t believe him, taking into account the fact that we didn’t plan to stay in Karabakh for a long time, maybe just a couple of days, and the colonel was going on a business trip for 10 days. But it was too late to twitch, I really wanted to believe that the military man’s word - strength.

On the road. Of course, the military didn’t take us back from Karabakh, but just in case they left one of their phone numbers, in case there were any problems... While we were driving to the border, everyone was thinking about how to get out of it so that we wouldn’t feel bad and wouldn’t expose the military. After all, they wanted the best, I only now realized this, he just wasn’t aware of the details of registration for Russians. And as always, when you imagine in your mind how you will answer possible questions, in fact it turns out completely different. At the very least, it was stupid to say that we went through another border checkpoint, because lying could lead to even worse results.

Much as we had hoped, we were unable to get through without presenting registration. For a long time the border guard could not understand how we slipped past the post unnoticed. We replied that we drove along with the military, to which new questions rained down about what kind of military they were and how it happened. I had to use the same call; the receiver told me to wait for a call. I felt stupid for not immediately insisting on the presentation of documents. Perhaps because of us they will no longer trust the military.

After 20 min. The border guard told us to go back to Stepanakert to register with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Well, yes, it’s already twilight, it’s probably closed there, and we only have a tent behind us. My companion, wandering near the post, noticed a green lawn across the river where he could pitch a tent. Naturally, we asked the guard for permission. He looked at us like we were idiots, but he himself understood that we wouldn’t be sitting in the booth with him all night. He let us go and promised that tomorrow morning he would hitchhike us to the capital.

We went across the river, I didn’t even think that there were still residential buildings here. Since we were stuck here, my companion went to ask the border guards for hot water for tea. While he was gone, a local woman noticed our tent, I looked at her and reassured her that we were not thieves, and by coincidence we would sleep here for 1 night. Instead of answering, the woman invited us both for tea and coffee. When Andrey returned with a bag of buns, cookies and sausage, we decided to drop in for tea with a woman named Lida.

Lida had such a small house, more like a barn, that she was embarrassed to invite us inside, especially since the stove on which the kettle was heated was right on the street, with two chairs right there. Behind the woman’s crooked fence, her brother and nephews lived in a large, nice house; by the way, at that moment they were just tinkering with the car in the yard. But Lida, it seems, was not much favored, since she was left alone in such frail housing. True, a little later I realized that she was a little bit not normal, but it was quite possible to talk, kind aunt. While we were drinking tea, a guard was looking for us with a lantern.

- Well, where did you disappear to?! – I heard a voice that was already familiar to me.
“We’re sitting and drinking tea with Lida,” we answered calmly.
- And here I am, running around the village, looking for you and the dogs. I looked into the tent - there was no one, I thought they had run away or something, but then why did they leave things behind, so I went to look.

The border guard sat down immediately and also asked for tea. It turns out he remembered the very same military men with whom we crossed the border; he himself was on duty then. It turns out Kamo told them that there was no one in the car except the majors, and the colonel’s word is always valuable, and they believed him. We asked the guard not to be too “angry” with the military; they wanted what was best. They immediately asked about other border checkpoints, as if by chance, to which they received the answer that there are now border guards everywhere and departure is impossible without registration.

The young Armenian not only came for this, he still didn’t fully trust us and wanted to know the details, who we were, where we were from, why we were in Karabakh. So we spent half the night chatting in Lida’s yard with the border guard and a cup of hot tea.

Registration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nagorno-Karabakh

Early in the morning, almost in the first car, we were sent to Stepanakert to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. An elderly Armenian was driving, and during the journey we became so “friends” that he gave us an address in Yerevan and a phone number to invite us to visit if we were passing through.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is located in the center of Stepanakert, address: st. Azatamartikneri-28. As I mentioned above, registration for Russians is free, and for foreigners it costs 3,000 drams (245 rubles) for 21 days. And it's done in almost 5 minutes. We fill out a sample form about which cities we want to visit in Karabakh, and how many days we are going to spend, and then give it to a Foreign Ministry employee. In return we receive some kind of receipt for the border guards, that’s all, we are free.

By the way, if you don’t know what sights you can see in Karabakh, then right here there is a stand with pictures and indications of various fortresses, churches, monasteries and so on.

And what sights and cities we saw, I will tell you in. See you again!