Anti-Armenian Pogrom Erupts in Baku as Thousands Flee Azerbaijan's Capital
Organized mobs attack Armenian neighborhoods in Azerbaijan's capital, marking the largest ethnic violence since Sumgait
BAKU, Azerbaijan - Large-scale anti-Armenian violence erupted in Azerbaijan’s capital today as organized mobs began systematic attacks on Armenian residents, forcing thousands to flee the city where Armenians have lived for centuries.
The violence, which began in the afternoon, quickly spread through Armenian neighborhoods in central Baku. Armed groups, some reportedly including Popular Front activists, went building by building, marking Armenian apartments and demanding residents leave immediately or face death.
“They gave us one hour to pack,” said Armen Sarkisian, fleeing with his family to the port. “Our neighbors watched as men with lists checked off our names. This was planned.”
Initial reports indicate at least 48 deaths, though Armenian community leaders claim the toll is much higher. The port and airport are packed with desperate Armenian families trying to escape by any means possible.
Organized Campaign
Unlike the spontaneous violence in Sumgait two years ago, the Baku attacks show clear organization. Participants carry lists of Armenian addresses, use identical marking systems, and coordinate movements through different districts.
“This is ethnic cleansing, pure and simple,” states Andrei Sakharov, the Soviet Union’s leading human rights activist. “The authorities are either complicit or completely impotent.”
Local Communist Party officials appear to have abandoned any pretense of control. Police stations remain closed, and the few militia patrols avoid areas where violence occurs. Some officers reportedly warn Armenian friends to leave before attacks begin.
Historic Community Destroyed
Baku’s Armenian community, numbering over 200,000, has contributed enormously to the city’s development. Armenian oil workers, engineers, and intellectuals helped build modern Baku. The city’s architecture bears heavy Armenian influence, now being systematically vandalized.
“My family has been here for five generations,” weeps Karine Ter-Ghukasova, waiting for evacuation at the port. “We built this city alongside our Azerbaijani brothers. Now they want us dead.”
The violence specifically targets successful Armenians - doctors, engineers, academics. The prestigious oil institute, where many Armenian professors work, suspended classes after several faculty members were attacked.
Soviet Response Delayed
Despite desperate appeals, Soviet military units stationed near Baku have not intervened. Communications with Moscow remain “difficult,” according to military sources, with orders unclear or contradictory.
“We’re witnessing the complete breakdown of Soviet authority,” observes Western diplomat James Morrison. “The army watches as citizens are hunted based on ethnicity. It’s horrifying.”
Soviet Interior Ministry troops finally began moving toward the city late tonight, but their deployment comes too late for many victims. The delay raises questions about Moscow’s willingness or ability to protect minorities.
Regional Implications
The Baku pogrom represents a point of no return in Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. The destruction of Baku’s Armenian community - one of the largest and oldest in Azerbaijan - sends a clear message to Armenians throughout the republic.
“After Sumgait, some hoped for reconciliation,” notes Dr. Levon Abrahamian, an Armenian ethnographer. “After Baku, everyone understands: Armenians cannot live under Azerbaijani rule. This is why Karabakh can never remain in Azerbaijan.”
As evacuation ships leave Baku harbor carrying thousands of refugees, centuries of Armenian presence in Azerbaijan’s capital comes to a violent end. The cosmopolitan city that prided itself on ethnic diversity has become another casualty of nationalism unleashed.
The pogrom’s timing - following Moscow’s return of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani control - suggests a deliberate message: Armenians who refuse to leave voluntarily will be forced out violently. With each act of ethnic violence, the prospect of the two peoples ever living together peacefully grows more remote.