Zabukh () or Aghavno () is a village in the
Lachin District
Lachin District () is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the west of the country, belonging to the East Zangezur Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Kalbajar, Khojaly, Shusha, Khojavend, Qubadli, and ...
of
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
. The village came under the control of the
breakaway Republic of Artsakh
Artsakh ( ), officially the Republic of Artsakh or the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh ( ), was a breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory was internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan. Between 1991 and 2023, Artsakh cont ...
after 1992 and was renamed Aghavno and settled by Armenians. Following the
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war
The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding occupied territories. It was a major escalation of an unresolved conflict over the region, involvi ...
, Zabukh came under the control of the
Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh. On 26 August 2022, Azerbaijan regained control of Zabukh along with other settlements located along the former route of the
Lachin corridor
__NOTOC__
The Lachin corridor was a mountain road in Azerbaijan that linked Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
Being the only road between these two territories, it was considered a humanitarian corridor or "lifeline" to the Armenian population of ...
, including
Lachin
Lachin (, , ; ) is a town in Azerbaijan and the administrative centre of the Lachin District. It was located within the strategic Lachin corridor, which used to link the Nagorno-Karabakh region with Armenia.
The town was under control of Armen ...
and
Sus.
Toponymy
Zabukh (also rendered Zabuk in
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...
) is also the name of a tributary of the
Hakari River that runs by the village.
After coming under Armenian control in 1992, the village was renamed Aghavno, which is one of the Armenian names of the Hakari River. The village is also known as ''Ariavan'' ().
History
Several Armenian authors identify Zabukh with the village of Shabaki or Shapoki mentioned by the medieval Armenian historian
Stephen Orbelian
Stepanos Orbelian (, originally spelled ; – 1303) was a thirteenth-century Armenian historian and the metropolitan bishop of the province of Syunik. He is known for writing his well-researched ''History of the Province of Syunik''.
Biogr ...
, although this is not universally accepted.
In 1898 the German
archaeologist
Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
Emil Rösler studied an archaeological site in the vicinity of the village, which he concluded was as old Armenian cemetery.
In the late 19th century, the village was inhabited by Turkic-speaking
Kurds
Kurds (), or the Kurdish people, are an Iranian peoples, Iranic ethnic group from West Asia. They are indigenous to Kurdistan, which is a geographic region spanning southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northeastern Syri ...
.
First Nagorno-Karabakh War
When the village was seized by Armenian forces in 1992 during the
First Nagorno-Karabakh War
The First Nagorno-Karabakh War was an ethnic conflict, ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in southwestern Azerbaijan, between the majority ethnic Armenians of Nag ...
, its Azerbaijani population fled.
The village was looted and burnt by Armenian forces. Among the looters, there also were civilians from
Stepanakert
Stepanakert officially Khankendi is a city in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. It was the capital city of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh prior to the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, 2023 Azerbaijani offensive in ...
, which had
been shelled by the Azerbaijanis for eight months and had been without light and water for several weeks. A Canadian journalist who visited the village a year later noted that the village was "entirely abandoned", and all that remained were "two dozen charred, roofless houses".
While under Armenian control, the village was administered as part of the
Kashatagh Province
Kashatagh Province () was a Administrative divisions of the Republic of Artsakh, province of the Republic of Artsakh. It was the largest province by area (3,376.60 km2). The population as of 2013 was 9,656. Its capital was Lachin, Berdzor.
...
of the
Republic of Artsakh
Artsakh ( ), officially the Republic of Artsakh or the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh ( ), was a breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory was internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan. Between 1991 and 2023, Artsakh cont ...
. The Artsakh administration renovated the village, and it was settled mostly by Armenians from Armenia and some from Armenian communities in Lebanon and Syria.
In September 2016, the settlement was officially re-inaugurated as ''Ariavan'' ().
Russian peacekeeper control
Following the
ceasefire agreement ending the
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war
The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding occupied territories. It was a major escalation of an unresolved conflict over the region, involvi ...
, the
Lachin corridor
__NOTOC__
The Lachin corridor was a mountain road in Azerbaijan that linked Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
Being the only road between these two territories, it was considered a humanitarian corridor or "lifeline" to the Armenian population of ...
came under the supervision of Russian peacekeeping forces, who set up a post in Aghavno.
According to the ceasefire agreement, a new route connecting Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh bypassing Lachin and Aghavno would be planned within three years.
Ahead of the transfer of the
Lachin District
Lachin District () is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the west of the country, belonging to the East Zangezur Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Kalbajar, Khojaly, Shusha, Khojavend, Qubadli, and ...
to Azerbaijan per the ceasefire agreement, many ethnic Armenians fled from the Lachin corridor, with the ''BBC Russian Service'' correspondent, Yuri Vekdik, stating that the vast majority of the Armenians inhabitants had fled. The Artsakh administration initially called on the ethnic Armenian population to evacuate. However, from 27 November, Armenian media reported that the agreement has been amended, adding that Aghavno, as well as
Lachin
Lachin (, , ; ) is a town in Azerbaijan and the administrative centre of the Lachin District. It was located within the strategic Lachin corridor, which used to link the Nagorno-Karabakh region with Armenia.
The town was under control of Armen ...
(Berdzor), the district's administrative center, and
Sus, would not be handed over to Azerbaijan, citing the Artsakh mayor of Lachin (Berdzor), Narek Aleksanyan.
In May 2021 the village school was renovated with the assistance of the ACAA Artsakh Fund, which also planned the renovation of the municipal building and the construction of a medical centre in the village, and in December 2021, a new bakery was opened in the village.
Return to Azerbaijani control
On 10 August 2022, following renewed clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh to the north of the Lachin corridor, the Armenian residents of the village were told by Artsakhi authorities to leave the village within 20 days.
This came amid demands by Azerbaijan for the Armenian side to speed up the transfer to the new route connecting Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, the Armenian section of which was still not completed.
The village was returned to Azerbaijani control on 26 August 2022, prior to which all of the Armenian residents left.
In March 2023, Azerbaijan's president Ilham Aliyev announced that the village of Zabukh would be completely rebuilt, and over 1000 people would be resettled there.
Economy and culture
The population is mainly engaged in agriculture and
animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, animal fiber, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, management, production, nutrition, selective breeding, and the raising ...
. As of 2015, the village has a municipal building, two shops, and a school.
Demographics
According to the 1856 publication of the ''Caucasus Calendar'', Zabukh in 1855 was populated by
Shiite
Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...
Kurds, who spoke the Tatar (
Azerbaijani) language. According to the ''Collection of Statistical Data on the Population of the Transcaucasus krai'', the population of the village in 1886 was 112, all
Kurds
Kurds (), or the Kurdish people, are an Iranian peoples, Iranic ethnic group from West Asia. They are indigenous to Kurdistan, which is a geographic region spanning southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northeastern Syri ...
. According to the 1910 publication of the ''Caucasus Calendar'' the population of the village in 1908 was 345, mostly Tatar. In the 1912 publication, the population in 1911 was 150, mostly Armenian. According to the 1915 publication of the ''Caucasus Calendar'', the population of the village in 1914 was 83, mostly Tatar.
The village had 149 inhabitants in 2005,
175 inhabitants in 2015,
and 270 inhabitants in 2019. Following the
ceasefire agreement after the
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war
The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding occupied territories. It was a major escalation of an unresolved conflict over the region, involvi ...
, around 200 Armenians remained in the
Lachin corridor
__NOTOC__
The Lachin corridor was a mountain road in Azerbaijan that linked Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
Being the only road between these two territories, it was considered a humanitarian corridor or "lifeline" to the Armenian population of ...
, with around 40 of them being in Aghavno.
By June 2022 another 125 returned but the opening of new road connecting Nagorno-Karabach to Armenia meant Zabukh was no longer within the 5-kilometre wide Lachin corridor and so control of the village passed to Azerbaijan. The last of the Armenians left on 25 August 2022.
In 2023, the Azerbaijani government started works on rebuilding the village. According to the Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons Fuad Huseynov, from February to August 2023, 223 modern private houses and all the necessary social infrastructure were built in Zabukh. On 25 August, the first group of 88
IDPs (20 families), who lived in Barda, Shirvan and Mingachevir, moved to Zabukh. On 16 November 2023, 25 IDP families returned from Baku to Zabukh and the total number of residents in the village reached 288. By the end of November 2023, 121 families consisting of 475 persons resettled in the village. On 25 December, 27 IDP families moved from Baku to Zabukh and the total number of residents in the village reached 783.
Число вернувшихся в Забух переселенцев достигло 783
/ref>
Gallery
Roadside Sign (37595670976).jpg,
Zabux, Azerbaijan - panoramio (1).jpg,
Old image of Zabux village, Azerbaijan.jpg,
See also
*Bəylik, Lachin
Beylik is a village in Zabukh village administrative territorial district of Lachin district of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Lachin district is located in the south-west of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in a mountainous area. It borders Kalbajar to ...
References
External links
*
*
{{Portal bar, Geography
Populated places in Lachin District