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37 Years Since the Artsakh Liberation Movement: A Look Back at February 1988

37 Years Since the Artsakh Liberation Movement: A Look Back at February 1988

On February 20, 2025, marks the 37th 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.


On February 12, 1988, the first demonstrations erupted in Hadrut, a province in the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). Thousands of Armenians took to the streets, demanding the reunification of NKAO with Soviet Armenia. The movement quickly gained momentum, culminating in a formal request on February 20, 1988, by the NKAO Supreme Council to transfer the region from Soviet Azerbaijan to Soviet Armenia.

37 Years Since the Artsakh Liberation Movement: A Look Back at February 1988

The Karabakh Armenians’ request was met with violent retaliation. In response, Azerbaijani authorities initiated a campaign of economic blockades and ethnic violence against Armenians under their control. Pogroms against Armenians took place in the Azerbaijani cities of Sumgayit, Baku, Kirovabad, and Shamkhor, leading to mass displacement. Roughly 450,000 Armenians were forced to flee from their homes, seeking refuge in Armenia and other parts of the Soviet Union.


The events of 1988 were a turning point for Armenia, paving the way for its independence and the eventual declaration of Nagorno-Karabakh’s de facto independence. The movement was instrumental in the collapse of Soviet control over Armenia, leading to the establishment of the Third Republic of Armenia in 1991.

37 Years Since the Artsakh Liberation Movement: A Look Back at February 1988

Thirty years later, in 2018, the anniversary of the movement was commemorated with an open-air exhibition at Freedom Square in Yerevan. The event showcased photographs capturing the entirety of the Artsakh Liberation Movement.


Armenian National Congress co-president Aram Manukyan, who spoke at the event, emphasized that the rally was not politically driven but was meant to celebrate a symbolic and historic milestone for Armenians. Babken Ararktsyan, the former president of Armenia’s Parliament (1991-1998), reflected on the movement’s three major accomplishments: Armenia’s independence, the establishment of the Third Republic, and the removal of Karabakh from Azerbaijani rule, resulting in its de facto self-governance.

37 Years Since the Artsakh Liberation Movement: A Look Back at February 1988

The Artsakh Liberation Movement remains a significant chapter in Armenian history, symbolizing the Armenian people's enduring struggle for self-determination. However, decades later, the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh continues to shape regional politics, with new challenges emerging after the 2020 war and the recent Azeri occupation of Artsakh. 


As Armenia marks the 37th anniversary of the movement, its legacy serves as a reminder of the resilience of the Armenian people and the ongoing quest for justice and recognition for Artsakh.

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