Nearly Four Decades Since Armenians Began the Movement To Reclaim Artsakh — Today, No Armenians Remain

February 20, 2025, is the 38th anniversary of the Artsakh Liberation Movement, a historic moment in Armenian history that reshaped the region’s geopolitical region. The movement, which began in 1988, was a response to decades of economic and social discrimination faced by the Armenian population in the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) under Soviet Azerbaijani rule.

The first demonstrations began on February 12, 1988, in Hadrut, then part of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). Thousands of Armenians gathered to demand the reunification of the NKAO with Soviet Armenia. The protests quickly spread and gained broad public support. On February 20, 1988, the NKAO Supreme Council formally appealed to transfer the region from Soviet Azerbaijan to Soviet Armenia, a decision that became a historic milestone for Armenians worldwide.

The request by the Karabakh Armenians was followed by violent retaliation. Azerbaijani authorities imposed economic blockades and Armenians in Azerbaijan were subjected to ethnic violence. Pogroms took place in Sumgayit, Baku, Kirovabad, and Shamkhor, forcing large numbers of Armenians to flee. An estimated 450,000 Armenians were displaced, seeking refuge in Armenia and other parts of the Soviet Union.

The developments of 1988 is a turning point for Armenia. The movement contributed to the weakening of Soviet authority in the republic and paved the way for Armenia’s independence in 1991 and the establishment of the Third Republic. It also led to Nagorno-Karabakh’s declaration of de facto independence.

In 2018, the 30th anniversary of the movement was commemorated with an open-air exhibition at Freedom Square in Yerevan, where photographs documenting the events of 1988 were displayed to the public.

Speaking at the event, Armenian National Congress co-president Aram Manukyan noted that the commemoration was not political in nature but intended to honor a historic and symbolic chapter in Armenian history. Babken Ararktsyan, former president of Armenia’s Parliament from 1991 to 1998, showed what he described as the movement’s three key achievements: Armenia’s independence, the establishment of the Third Republic, and the removal of Karabakh from Azerbaijani rule, which resulted in its de facto self-governance.

Today, 38 years after the beginning of the Artsakh Liberation Movement, its legacy remains deeply rooted in Armenian society. The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh continues to influence regional politics, especially following the 2020 war and the subsequent Azerbaijani occupation of Artsakh.

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