Çardaqlı, Shamkir


Çardaqlı is a village in the Shamkir Rayon of Azerbaijan. It is also known as Çənlibel. Prior to the Karabakh War the village was populated by ethnic Armenians.

History

At the times of Russian Empire there was Armenian village of Yelizavetpol district of Yelizavetpol province. According to the Caucasian Calendar for 1908, the entirely Armenian village of Khachisar had a population of 1,862 people.

During World War II

The village is known as a home of many heroes of the Great Patriotic War. Of the able bodied Armenians of the village, 1250 went to the front. Half of them were awarded with orders and medals, one gained the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union Hamazasp Babadzhanian, 12 became generals, and seven Hero of the Soviet Union. Another, Marshal of the Soviet Union Ivan Bagramian, was born in Yelizavetpol of parents who were from the village.

Deportation of the Armenian population

In September–October 1987 the first secretary of the Shamkir Rayon district committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan M. Asadov came into conflict with the population of the village in connection with their protests against the dismissal of the Armenian director of the local sovkhoz, and his replacement with an Azerbaijani. Villagers were beaten up by the police after protesting against the replacement of Armenian farm director by Azeri one. This is considered to be the first violent event of Karabakh conflict. In connection with this, protest broke out in Yerevan. At the end of November 1988 all Armenians living in Chardakhlu were expelled from their native village.

Famous Natives