By the 1960s, Nakhichevan no longer had Armenian-language educational institutions: YSU PhD student traces her roots

– Elen, why did you choose to study the Armenian depopulation of Nakhichevan? Is that topic still relevant today?

– I already had some background knowledge and research experience on the topic, as my graduation paper and master's thesis were also related to Nakhichevan, though in a narrower scope. After consulting with my academic supervisor, Arsen Hakobyan, Associate Professor at the YSU Chair of Cultural Studies, I realized that during my PhD, I have the opportunity to conduct a more comprehensive study. 

A personal factor also played a role: my grandparents were born in Nakhichevan, in the historic Goghtn district (Ordubad region). From a historiographical perspective, it is important to understand how dozens of Armenian villages in Nakhichevan were depopulated in the late Soviet period—a process that culminated in the population displacements of 1988–1989. Nakhichevan Armenians often mention having faced restrictions on cultural activity and discriminatory treatment, which I aim to define and examine in the context of cultural isolation and marginalization. At the same time, it is crucial to consider the social and anthropological aspects, bring Nakhichevan Armenians' stories to wider public attention, and understand how they interpret these events.

– What did your grandparents tell you? When did they leave Nakhichevan? Were they forcibly displaced, or did they leave voluntarily?

– My grandparents moved to Yerevan in the 1960s for work and study. At that time, Nakhichevan—the center of the autonomous republic—no longer had Armenian-language professional or higher education institutions or departments, so many people relocated to Armenia. In other words, during a period marked by urban population growth, Nakhichevan did not offer sufficient conditions for the collective self-realization of the republic's Armenian population, and Armenians often chose to move to predominantly Armenian or multiethnic, multicultural cities. While this was not an act of direct coercion, there were elements of structural pressure that warrant further study.

– What sources will your research be based on? What gaps are you trying to fill compared to previous studies?

– We have two main groups of primary sources: archival documents, newspapers and other publications from that period, and printed memoirs of Nakhichevan Armenians. I will also collect oral histories through interviews. Finding interesting archival material related to the topic will be a real revelation for me, given the overall scarcity and limited availability of documents pertaining to the Nakhichevan ASSR. I think it will be necessary to study archives outside of Armenia. Nakhichevan Armenians' memoirs and oral histories will provide rich material, but working with memory-based sources requires careful methodological approaches.

– You mentioned that your graduation paper and master's thesis also focused on Nakhichevan. What studies did you carry out, what conclusions did you reach, and where were the results published?

– During those studies, I collected oral histories and examined the pre-Soviet period, which is essential for understanding later developments. My article on the 1919 massacre of Armenians in the village-town of Agulis, Goghtn district, was published in 2025, Issue 2 of the scholarly Genocide Studies Journal. I have also collaborated with the Department of Ancient and Modern Civilizations at the University of Messina (Italy) under the Erasmus+ program, where I presented my research and participated in discussions. In addition, I am preparing another article that I hope will be published soon. 

– Could you share a few excerpts from the oral histories you have collected from Nakhichevan Armenians?

– For previous studies, I collected oral histories from Armenians from the historic Goghtn district (Ordubad region). Their memories include events from 1918 to 1920. For instance, the figures of General Andranik and local leaders often appear in narrative form. I spoke with Astghik Samvelyan, daughter of the painter Lusik Aguletsi, who recounted remarkable stories about her family's survival during the Agulis massacre, as well as experiences during the Soviet period and in the 1980s. There are also testimonies about the displacement of Armenian populations from these villages in November 1988, preceded by anti-Armenian demonstrations in Nakhichevan and intimidation, including throwing stones at houses and damaging electrical wires. 

– Who is involved in the project, and where will the results be published?

– I am conducting the project under the supervision of Arsen Hakobyan, PhD, Associate Professor at the Chair of Cultural Studies, YSU Faculty of History. The research results will be published as scholarly articles in scientific journals, including international journals indexed in scientific databases. Depending on the outcomes, I also plan to prepare materials for the general public.