What happened on 20 January in Azerbaijan?
At 2 am on January 20, 1990, a contingency of 20 thousand Soviet forces arrived in Baku. In defiance of this constitutional infringement, hundreds of civilians banded together against the troops. In the ensuing clashes which lasted for 3 days, nearly 170 civilians were killed and several hundred were injured.
What is Black January in Azerbaijan?
Black January (Azerbaijani: Qara Yanvar), also known as Black Saturday or the January Massacre, was a violent crackdown on the civilian population of Baku on 19–20 January 1990, as part of a state of emergency during the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Where is the country Azerbaijan?
southwestern Asia
The country is situated in southwestern Asia with the Great Caucasus Mountains to the north. Historically, the name Azerbaijan refers to a larger region that formed part of Persia (Iran). Azerbaijan is bordered by the Caspian Sea in east, by Iran in south, by Armenia in west, and Georgia and Russia in the north.
What is Azerbaijan religion?
Azerbaijan Portal The main religion in Azerbaijan is Islam, though Azerbaijan is the most secular country in the Muslim world. Estimates include 96.9% (CIA, 2010) and 99.2% (Pew Research Center, 2006) of the population identifying as Muslim.
When is the day of mourning in Azerbaijan?
20 January is recognized as The Day of Mourning and it’s commemorated as The Day of Nationwide Sorrow. In January 2010, a memorial for the Black January victims was erected in the Yasamal district of Baku.
When was the special session of the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan held?
A special session of the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR was held on 22 January 1990 at the request of the public and by the initiative of a group of MPs. It tried to initially assess the 20 January events and adopted some documents condemning the crackdown operation by the Soviet army.
How many Azerbaijani soldiers died in Black January?
According to one report, 93 Azerbaijanis and 29 Soviet soldiers were killed in the street skirmishes. Other reports state that 21 soldiers were killed and 90 wounded in the fighting. However, how the soldiers died is still disputed.
When did the state of emergency start in Azerbaijan?
On 19 January, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR approved the decree signed by M. Gorbachev, introducing a state of emergency in Baku and some other places in the Azerbaijani SSR. The decree stated:
