Scholar examines Nakhichevan's Armenian erasure as Artsakh precedent
The Nakhichevan protocol: A blueprint for the destruction of Artsakh
An article in The Armenian Weekly examines what the author calls the "Nakhichevan Protocol"—a pattern of cultural and demographic erasure in the historically Armenian region of Nakhichevan under Azerbaijani rule since the Soviet period.
The piece traces Nakhichevan's Armenian heritage through its etymology and historical documentation, noting that Armenians comprised over 40 percent of the population into the 20th century. During Soviet Azerbaijani rule from 1920 to 1991, the Armenian population declined to zero due to migration pressures and Azerbaijani settlement policies, including closures of Armenian schools and cultural institutions.
The author argues this systematic erasure of Armenian cultural and religious sites parallels recent destruction in Artsakh following the 2023 military conflict, suggesting a deliberate strategy of eliminating Armenian historical presence from the region.
