Operation Ring (April 30-May 15, 1991)
17,000 Armenians from 11 villages in Shahumyan (Goranboy Rayon) and 6 villages in Getashen (Göygöl Rayon) were forcibly expelled by Soviet troops of the 23rd Guards Motor Rifle Division and the soldiers of the Soviet Azerbaijani OMOM units.
Some other pictures from the removal from Shahumyan and Getashen. I didn’t include ones that depict the violence due to their graphic nature. 50 Armenian civilians died during the operation.
Two of the larger settlements depicted before and after the expulsion, and their subsequent abandonment.
1 & 2) Getashen (now Çaykənd, Göygöl)
3 & 4) Gyulistan (now Gülüstan, Goranboy)
In addition, some 5,000 Armenians were expelled from 14 villages and hamlets in Hadrut Province, 4 in Shushi Province, and 2 in Askeran Province.
Here are some more pictures of Armenians expelled from their villages in Hadrut, Shushi, and Askeran provinces.
You can learn more about Operation Ring here. #Armenia #Azerbaijan #Artsakh #Karabakh
List of villages depopulated as a result of Operation Ring, I included their native Armenian names and the Azerbaijani names used by Azerbaijani authorities to refer to these villages. This makes them easier to find for those interested in learning more about the settlements.
Left: Here’s an incomplete map from @infographicsam of the villages depopulated.
Right: a map of Shahumyan Province (abolished in 1991 and made part of the Goranboy Rayon) and the Getsashen district of the Khanlar/Xanlar (now Göygöl Rayon)
Armenians of Shahumyan:
1926: 8,975 (91.80%)
1939: 12,048 (85.90%)
1959: 12,707 (77.20%)
1970: 14,599 (74.50%)
1979: 14,623 (73.20%)
1991: Operation Ring
Armenians of Göygöl:
1999: 8 (0.00%)
2009: 2 (0.00%)
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