Artsvashen

Arzwaschen ( Արծվաշեն Armenian, Azerbaijani Başkənd, English transcription Artsvashen ) is a city in Armenia in the province of Gegharkunik. It is an exclave surrounded by Azerbaijani territory. Since the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the territory of the municipality of Azerbaijan is occupied.

History

The village was founded in 1845. Until about 1980 it was known by its Azerbaijani name Başkənd. In August 1992, the enclave was occupied by the Azerbaijani army. When taking the place by Azerbaijani details enemy tanks were destroyed and 300 killed Armenian brigands, Armenia, however, spoke only of 29 missing persons. The Armenian population was expelled, ten families fled to Jivikhlu where Azerbaijani families had been driven before.

Personalities

• Aramais Sahakyan, Armenian poet
• Saribek Chilingarian become known to have hoisted the red flag in Berlin, and awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union