33 Years Since Shushi’s Liberation: Remembering the Courage, Honoring the Sacrifice

May 8, 2025, marks the 33rd anniversary of the historic Shushi liberation – a crucial moment in the Nagorno-Karabakh War that altered the course of the conflict and forever etched itself into the collective memory of the Armenian people. The operation, led by the Artsakh Defense Army and Armenian volunteer detachments, was a strategic military maneuver that liberated the fortress city of Shushi from Azerbaijani armed forces.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, as the Soviet Union crumbled, tensions escalated between the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan. By 1991, Shushi, a mountainous stronghold overlooking Stepanakert, had been transformed into a military base by Azerbaijani forces. The city’s high elevation provided a strategic vantage point from which Azerbaijani forces relentlessly shelled the Armenian capital of Artsakh, inflicting severe civilian casualties and wreaking widespread destruction.

Between February and April 1992, Stepanakert endured a relentless barrage of rocket fire, including BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers. Azerbaijani forces sought to break the Armenian resistance by targeting civilian infrastructure, leaving 111 civilians dead, 332 wounded, and nearly 370 homes and buildings reduced to rubble. By early May, the situation in Stepanakert had become untenable. The city's existence was under imminent threat, prompting Armenian commanders to take decisive action.

The Shushi Liberation Operation, codenamed 'Wedding in the Mountains,' was meticulously planned and executed under the command of Arkadi Ter-Tadevosyan, a seasoned military strategist. On the night of May 8, 1992, Armenian forces launched a multi-pronged assault against Shushi. The operation’s frontline stretched for 45 kilometers, with Armenian forces advancing from several directions simultaneously.

Despite being heavily outnumbered and facing fortified Azerbaijani positions, the Armenian units displayed exceptional courage, coordination, and determination. The 26-hour operation saw intense firefights as Armenian forces advanced through Shushi’s narrow streets and steep terrain. By 4 AM on May 9, the city had been successfully liberated, and Azerbaijani forces were driven out. The operation cost the Armenian side 57 lives, while Azerbaijani losses ranged between 250 and 300.

The victory at Shushi was not only a military success but also a symbolic triumph for the Armenian people. It marked a turning point in the Nagorno-Karabakh War, solidifying the defensive lines of Artsakh and providing a crucial morale boost to Armenian fighters and civilians alike. Shushi’s liberation became a rallying cry, symbolizing the resilience and determination of the Armenian people to protect their ancestral homeland.

For the next three decades, Shushi remained under Armenian control, serving as a cultural and spiritual center for the Armenian community in Artsakh. However, the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War once again altered the dynamics of the region. Shushi fell under Azerbaijani occupation, leading to significant demographic, cultural, and geopolitical shifts that continue to impact the lives of Artsakh’s Armenians today.

As Armenia and the Armenian diaspora commemorate the 33rd anniversary of Shushi’s liberation, the memory of those who fought and fell during the operation remains a powerful reminder of the enduring spirit of the Armenian people. It is a day to honor the sacrifices made, to reflect on the consequences of war, and to reaffirm the commitment to peace, justice, and the protection of cultural heritage in Artsakh. For Armenians, Shushi is not just a city – it is a symbol of their ancestral roots and a place they aspire to return to, reclaiming their indigenous homeland and restoring its Armenian identity.