The postcards and photos picturing the views of the formerly flourishing Shushi are of great interest for me researchers of the history and architecture of the city. The postcards were printed in Shushi, Tiflis, Moscow and Baku between 1897-1913. These valuable relics are the guardians of people's memory, vivid evidence of the past glory of Shushi. The photos portray the old streets, houses, dozens of workshops, edifices and religious monuments. Marietta Shahinian describes that "The travelers and everyone that knew Shushi prior to its destruction spoke about it as of one of the most beautiful cities. Charmingly designed and upraised Shushi, despite its rugged relief, opens to the eye like an amazingly radiant castle. Immaculately paved streets with lifted sidewalks, graceful marble chapels, willowy cathedrals, fountains, the spacious market with the embroidered pattern of its arches, and, finally, the broad and well-groomed boulevard densely (but not tightly) and gracefully spread over a pair of symmetrical hills." (Marietta Shahinian, Nagorno Karabagh, M.-L., 1927, p. 36)
    Many houses of the city were built without a preliminary design, but were based on the ideas of Armenian craftsmen, and can therefore be considered to represent pieces of folk art. The fundamental principles of architecture of Shushi were common to (he neighboring areas - Mets Tagher, Hardout, Tokh, Avetaranots, and to die cities of Syunik, particularly Goris and Meghri. This was a natural phenomenon, since the majority of the builders of Shushi came from Agulis, Meghri and other areas of Zangezur. Together wiui the Karabagh craftsmen they contributed their skills and experience to die prosperity of Shushi.
    The People's Architect of the USSR Rafael Israelian visited Shushi in 1955. His notes on the architecture of the city contain, although in an outline format, important observations about the functional propriety and the aesthetic expression of the standard architectural patterns of die city. "When you walk the streets of Shushi," he wrote, "it never comes to your mind that all the buildings without exception are built in accordance with a standard pattern. The floors are separated with stone belts. The buildings differ only in the length and number of floors. Thus, in architectural terms, it is impossible to tell one building from another. Diversity is attained by the arrangement of the houses: one building comes out from the main row, the second stands at an angle, die third stands by itself, the fourth is higher than the others, etc. This beautiful and remarkable arrangement helps avoid monotony in spite of the repeating architectural patterns." (Rafael Israelian. Articles and Publications, Yerevan, 1982, pp. 20-21) In this respect, Shushi is a vivid illustration to how "the same patterns can be used to create diverse residential areas, quarters, and streets." The architect further refers to the diverse architectural solutions of the city "that are mostly determined by locally available building materials." The facades of the buildings are split by stone belts, cornices, window frames with ornate metal grates. All these are not Just functional details, but also decorations that render the buildings local flavor and attractive appearance. These repetitions by no means deprive Shushi of diversity, but rather create a play of colors due to the different height of the buildings, suppleness of the relief, abundance of niches and balconies and the unexpected twists of the streets. "You walk along a street," depicts the architect, "and all of a sudden a new vista unfolds in front of your eyes, then again and again, and the shades in illumination render the architectural solutions a surprisingly affluent spatial harmony."
    The small architectural components (water springs, memorial steles, cornices, bas-reliefs, floor belts, portals, etc.) represent the simple and expressive elements of Armenian monumenlal architecture, that reflect the mutual influence of religious and civil architecture.
    A thorough understanding of the roots of the architectural principles, forms and styles of Shushi required a familiarity with the entire wealth of its architectural monuments, including the masterpiece of the Armenian architecture - Gandzasar, the majestic monastery of Dadi (Khuta), repeatedly looted but reconstructed Amaras, Gtchavank built in the style of the Armenian capital of Ani of the age of Baghratids, the early Christian Okhli-Dmi church, a large complex of Surb Hakobavank, the fully preserved Ijevanatun, the melik castles of late Middle Ages and many other edifices that surrounded Shushi. Indeed, the festive and vivacious image of Shushi, viewed against the background of the above monuments illustrates that the builders of the city-fortress were nourished on the legacy of centuries and borrowed abundantly from the treasury of local architecture, perfecting and furthering the accomplishments of preceding generations. The rich architectural traditions of Shushi were maintained in the construction of the residential areas of Stepanakert.
    The three-storey building of the College of Shushi stands out among the administrative and cultural buildings of pre-revolutionary Shushi. The facade of the building bore an inscription in capita] Cyrillic script that read: "This building was erected between 190I - 1908 with funds donated by the hereditary honorary citizen Grigory Martinovich Arakelov." The City Hospital for 46 beds, that belonged to Jamgarian family stood across the street from the College building. This was (he first professional hospital in Nagomo Karabagh that offered complex medical treatment. Next to the hospital was the residense of Jamgarian family.
    In the 19th-20th centuries Shushi was known as one of the cultural, musical and theatrical centers of the region. The city maintained close cultural ties with several European countries: in the Summer of 1913, when the Armenians of Artsakh were celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Shushi Parish School, the administration of the University of Tartu sent them a special telegram that expressed wishes of "more success in the future for this source of spiritual light to the benefit of the Armenian people and for the glory and prosperity of beloved Russia." (Stale regional history museum of NK, f. 4, list 3,1. 10).
    Until 1920, 22 newspapers were published in Shushi: 20 in the Armenian, and 2 in the Russian languages. The first Armenian book was published in Shushi in 1828.
    By the end of the 19th century the city had 10 schools. The first large school - the Armenian Parish School, opened in 1838, the Royal Maidenly Mariamyan School opened in 1864.
    The Armenian part of me city had two clubs - the winter building and die summer building. The two-storey building of the winter club had billiard rooms, a reception hall, a concert hall, a ball room, reading halls, etc. In 1889, the Armenian Benevolent Union inaugurated a library that held 4,000 books and magazines in the Armenian and Russian languages (Azgagrakan Handes, 1891, p. 103).
    The city boulevard was the favourite recreation and socializing area for the Shushi residents. The city had a park frequented by the rich, while other estates preferred to visit the sanctuaries in the outskirts of the city on the weekends, particularly the Nahataki Gerezman (Martyr's Tomb).
    The musical and theatrical life received an impetus with the opening in 1891 of a theatre, built at the expense of the manager of the company Mkrtich Khandamiriantz. The auditorium had 350 seats. For fifteen years the Khandamiriantz theatre was in the focus of attention of every renowned Armenian theatre and company of the time. During the events of 1905 the downtown, including the theatre, was looted and destroyed.
    The Armenian part of the city housed the city baths, the bank, the military hospital, two-storeyed military barracks, the drugstores of Visotski and Saghian, Ter-Sargissian's, Asrian's and Babajanian's printing shops,the large city market Topkhani Shuka, and eight ijevanaluns (lodges). There were 570 workshops, factories,and plants that supported the economic viability of Shushi. The most important was the carpet-weaving factory founded in 1906 - 1907 at the initiative of women benefactors. It pursued a charity objective of offering employment to women that lost their husbands during the massacre of 1905. The factory produced 600 - 700 carpels annually, mostly for export. The album "Description of Armenian Carpels" published in the USA (Lucy Ter-Manuelian, Murrey L. Aland. "Weavers, Merchants, and Kings," Kimball Museum of Arts, Fort Worth, 1985) describes over forty "Karabagh" carpets with Armenian inscriptions that are kept in the museums of Europe and North America. Some of the Armenian "Karabagh" carpets from a large collection of the Baku Museum of Carpets are presented in the album "The Azerbaijani Carpet" published in 1985.


    It is hard to find another city like Shushi that has played such a controversial or, rather, fatal role in the destiny of the people that had founded it. The drama of Shushi commenced at the beginning of the 20th century. It is well-known that after continuous failures in the Caucasus, Crimea and the Balkans in the war against Russia The Ottoman Turkey was forced to change its tactics. It insidiously plotted lo weaken and destroy Russia from within. Taking advantage of the confusion and disturbance in Russia at the beginning of the century, it infiltrated the Caucasus with Turkish secret agents, Moslem missionaries and military instructors that conspired with greedy local officials, governors and certain purported Bolsheviks (in the Caucasus - Joseph Stalin, Lavrenty Berya, Nariman Narimanov, A. Karayev, M. Bagirov, etc.). Moreover, a "Musavat" nationalist party was established to unite the Turkic tribes of the Caucasus which immediately asserted its adherence to Pan-Turkic nationalistic ideals. The members of the party instigated ethnic clashes that in some provinces turned into a massive extermination of Armenians. These horrific slaughters did not spare Shushi.

In 1905, the rampaging gangs of Turks, beaded by Turkish secret agents and Musavat speculators annex the Armenian provinces, including Shushi. They manage to incinerate a number of Armenian villages andsome districts of Shushi, loot houses, shops and churches. "It was" writes Joseph Stalin, "the secret agents of the government that stirred lowbrowed Tartars against peaceful Armenians. They gave them weapons and ammunition and set them on the Armenians." (J. V. Stalin, Moscow, v. 1, 1951, p. 82)     Only by virtue of the drastic measures taken by the Armenian militia the Turks had to surrender and raise the white feather. However, the victory of 1905 did not last through 1920.     Following the October Revolution (1917) Shushi fell prey to the Turkish-Azeri Pan-Turkic expansion. With the assistance of Turkey, in 1918, a second Turkish-Azeri state was established on other people's territories in the Transcaucasus.5

According to a confession of the Turkish diplomat Sukro Elenkag, made to "Turkish Times" daily ("Ei-kir", 10.11.93), "The idea of creation of Azerbaijan was contrived by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in betrothal with the Bolsheviks, as a bridge connecting Turkey with the vast regions of Middle Asia. as their convergence point." Therefore, as mentioned earlier, up to the beginning of the 20th ceniury no source in whatever language makes any reference to the existence of Azerbaijan. And if is not by chance that Baku until now racks its brains over the identity of their nation and the selection of an appropriate alphabet which they, due to lack of an original one, had to change several times during the century. Subsequently, one should not be surprised if the Albanians one day turn out to be "Turkic tribes," and their kingdom ... "an Azeri state of the Caucasus - Albania." And not only Albanians, but also Sumerians and the Scythians are declared to be Azeris (see "Communist of Azerbaijan." 1989. No. 3. pp. 56-65).     Finally, forefather Noah is also an alleged Azeri. In short, there has been a gross national appropriation of history and culture. primarily of foreign history and culture (for details, see Paruyr Mouradian. History - The Memory of Generations. Yerevan, 1990, p. 118).

    From the very first days of the newly-created state its a goal was not only to expand territorially, but to establish common borders with Turkey and, ultimately, seize the entire Caucasus. It was not by chance that marching Turkish-Azeri askers sang "Bir, iki, Kavkaz bizimki" ("One, two, the Caucasus is ours"). Even today, the words of this bravura march are not stripped of their actual meaning.

On December 16, 1917, an Armenian National Council was established in Shushi, and on July 22, 1918, it was transformed into the government of Nagomo Karabakh. The independent domestic and external policy implemented by the Council is documented in the decrees and declarations of eight congresses of the national representatives of Karahagh Armenians, that were convened between July 1918 and February 1920.

It was natural that for Armenians these ambitions bore threats of new victims, if not of total physical extermination. Having survived the horrors of the Turkish genocide (which took the lives of over 1.5 million Armenians), and striving to retaliate the assaults by the Turkish troops in the West, Armenia was forced to animate defense operations in the East as well. In Karabagh, the struggle was led by the Armenian National Council6.

    The steadfast defense of (he Karabagh people averted the seizure of the regions, although forces were uneven and the victims tremendous.


    The elderly dwellers of Shushi still remember die following legend, m 1830, some of the respected and rich Armenians of Shushi turned to the leader of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Church Metropolitan Baghdasar Hasan Jalalian with a request to open a native language school for the children of their Moslem servants. The Metropolitan replied, "Remember my words. The grandchildren of these literate Tartars (the present Azeris) in 100 years will set Shushi on fire." This was a prophecy of the God's servant! After 90 years, in March of 1920, the Turk-Azeris set the Armenian quarters of Shushi on lire. Seven thousand prosperous houses, dozens of magnificent cultural, education and administrative edifices were turned to ashes, paved streets were deserted, me first urban sewer system in the Transcaucasus was ruined, libraries, printing houses, shops and warehouses were burned and looted. Over 20 thousand Armenian residents of Shushi fell victim to manslaughter. Only a few managed to escape and find refuge in the adjourning villages. The terrible massacre started on March 22,1920-the day of the Islamic holiday of Navruz Bayram - and became a "holiday present" to the fanatical and bloodthirsty followers of Allah.
    One of the witnesses and participants to the Shushi tragedy, a soldier of the Azeri army Alimardanbekov, proudly wrote to his brother on April 7, 1920, "The Ermani Shushi (me Armenian Shushi) that you had seen is burnt down. Only 5 - 10 houses are left. Over 1,000 Armenians are captured. All men are exterminated, even the khalif (bishop), all prominent and wealthy people. The Moslems took the immeasurable wealth of Armenians and are now so rich they became insolent." (State regional history museum of NKR,f. 11,1. 107).
    Through the fault of our political leaders the world until now is not aware of these and other facts pertaining to the Armenian genocide in Shushi. Instead, we keep stubbornly and inexplicably quiet, and they - our adversaraies - have already learnt to prove the improvable and demand things that never belonged to them. Their objective is a new seizure of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic (including Shushi) and, ultimately, the cleansing of Karabagh from Armenians. This is the goal of Azerbaijan and of all who justify the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
    The genocide of the Armenians of Shushi committed with Turkish arms and upon the order of general Nuri Pasha and the Musavatist governor Khosrovbek Sultanov (who proclaimed himself a chairman of the Revolutionary Committee of Shushi the next month) was only an episode in the monstrous policy of the Young Turks aimed at elimination of the Armenian people. Sergo Orjonikidze bitterly commented on this in the office of Stalin on January 21, 1936, during a reception by the leaders of the Communist party and the government in Kremlin of a delegation from Soviet Azerbaijan. "I am terrified to recall what we saw in Shushi in May of 1920. The beautiful Armenian city was completely destroyed, and we saw corpses of small children and women in the wells." (Partizdat CC CP(b), 1936, pp. 60-63).


    What happened afterwards? Soviet rule was established in the Transcaucasus. Frenzied Panturkists Asad Karayev, Khosrovbek Sultanov, Shakhtinski and many other musavatists turned into "Bolsheviks" literally overnight (April 28, 1920). With the red attire on, they assume key posts in the Soviet apparatus, sabotage, repress thousands of heroes of the Karabagh self-defense, incite an anti-Soviet riot in Gyanja and the adjacent regions of Azerbaijan. Further, they exert all efforts to seize yet another region from Armenia - Zangezur. Here is just one self-explanatory document - a circular report by Assad Karayev, the chairman of the "Karabagh Province Revolutionary Committee," of July 21, 1920, Shushi, "Until now, the Armenian community of Zangezur has not yet been beheaded. Keep on working day and night. Try to make sure that all the required Armenians are arrested. Forget humanity. It is not fit for creating a state and conquering a country... Try to re-elect the Revolutionary Committee and include Moslems only... If your powers are not enough, money should be enough... To weaken the Armenians, kill a Russian soldier and put the blame on Armenians. Do not leave a single decent man in Zangezur, a single speck of gold... This blasted tribe should never recover again." (CPA IML of USSR, f. 64, op. 1,d. 10,1.3).
    This document stuns with explicit cynicism and is illustrative of not only the sordidness of Soviet Azerbaijan leadership, but of me essence of their anti-Armenian policy. And these Armenophobic "pillars of the Red Revolution in the East" on July 5,1921, were given Ihe Armenian region of Artsakh - Karabagh as a gift.
    The most decisive role in this issue, as rightly noted by the famous Russian author Alexander Solzenitsin, fell to the naive intentions of the Bolsheviks "to please the buddy of the Soviets - Turkey." ("Komsomolskaya Pravda, September 18, 1990), allegedly in order to involve the Islamic world in the global revolution. Armenia and the Armenian people were sacrificed to this purpose.
    Although the Armenian region was subordinated to Azerbaijan in view of political considerations, it was not a full subordination: Karabagh was not completely integrated into Azerbaijan, and autonomy was granted. The establishment of an autonomous region is explained by me fact that this was an Armenian land, populated for centuries by Armenians. According to the same decree, Shushi was to become the capital of the autonomy, and even a rehabilitation programme was designed for the destroyed parts of the city. However, the Azerbaijani authorities did their best to assure that Shushi does not become the capital of Nagono-Karabagh. They were against its rehabilitation as such to prevent the native inhabitants that fled from the massacres from returning to the city. They realised that sooner or later the Armenians of Karabagh would rebel against their bitter fate and snuggle for seccession from Azerbaijan, and therefore hurried to populate the city with Azeris and fixed a special role for Shushi in the implementation of the anti-Armenian policy of Azeri chauvinists.
    In 1930, the famous Russian poet Osip Mandelshtam visited Armenia and Nagomo Karabagh "with yearning for the world culture." In Shushi he saw a tattered and burnt city where:
    Forty thousand dead windows
    Are seen everywhere

The poet's expression: 'Predatory town of Shushi' refers to the atrocities against Armenians perpetrated in 1920 by Turk/Azeris.

These lines are from the "Coachman" by Osip Mandelshtam:     There in Nagorno Karabagh     In the predatory town of Shushi7     I felt the fears     Intrinsic of the soul.

    Moreover, since 1960 and especially during the peaks of anti-Armenian hysteria in Azerbaijan, Shushi was overwhelmed with brutality with no mercy even for Armenian graveyards with their tombstones and khachkars. The instructions were received from above. The "Stroitel" ("Draftsman") daily published in Baku on February 2,1966, placed an article by architect K.Saidov who complained that the Turks of Shushi should be rescued from the dead Armenians, that is, in his own words, "the dead (the Armenians - Sh. M) consumed the living" (the Azeris - Sh. M). Their next argument was the powerful demolition equipment.
    Our "internationalist" neighbours either hushed up all of the above facts or, especially during the leadership of Heydar Aliev, invented stories of de-Amienised Shushi and concocted its new "chronicle" frill of blood and disgrace. This was accompanied by unprecedentedly zealous defilement, destruction, and transformation of Armenian monuments that had miraculously survived. Even the tombstone of distinguished benefactor Tadevos Tamiriantz in the courtyard of the most magnificent cathedral of Surb Amenaprkich Kazanchetsots was not spared. This was the man who at the end of the 19th century granted large amounts to the Turkish-Azeri community for education and installed the largest number of water fountains to supply water to the Azeri part of the city from the pipe he had built. "They need water more," joked Tadevos agha, "they are in greater need of purification." But did they really get any cleaner? The illustrations question this. Out of six churches, ten educational centres and five printing houses, only two churches and one college survived in a defiled and semi-destroyed condition. All the monuments to the Armenians of Shushi - twice hero of the Soviet Union Nelson Stepanian, statesman Ivan Tadevossian, participants of the liberation movement Bagrat Avagian and Aram Kostandian - were destroyed. Three out of 6 Armenian cemeteries were wiped off from the face of the earth, after which the territory of these cemeteries was covered with skeletons and bones from the Armenian graves. These were graves of (he well-known Armenians of Shushi - entrepreneurs and benefactors, revolutionaries and heroes, artists and writers, skillful craftsmen and stone carvers. The oldest and largest cemetery at the gates of the city was covered with a forest to conceal the Armenian graves. This is how the Azeri Turks tried to eliminate the least and last memories of Armenians. None of us, Armenians, is able to calmly walk in the streets of Shushi and wander among the trees concealing the Armenian graves and tombstones. The exquisite ornaments and epitaphs engraved on many of these tombstones make them masterpieces of stone-carving of the 18th - 19th centuries.
    At the end of the 1960's and beginning of the 1970's Shushi becomes a lair of the "Gray Wolves" and the gathering place for all kinds of charlatans. In the "predator city of Shushi," "the living consumed the dead." The vandalism was absolutely unconstrained especially at the beginning of 1970's when the authorities declared Shushi a national reserve. The borders of the reserve comprised only the eastern (Azeri) part of me city, and the large northern (Armenian) part of the city with its numerous monuments was doomed to destruction by the authorities.
    And it was immediately destroyed, as were the Armenian churches of Meghretsots, Aguletsots, Kusanats Vank, and the Greco-Russian church. Even this was not enough, and they started erasing the Armenian and Russian inscriptions from water ponds, houses and edifices. Everything beyond the Islamic principles and standards of Islamic architectural tradition was destroyed or transformed.
    A natural question was raised about the equal importance of Christian monuments located next to each otherin a small city with the population of only 5.2 thousand people. Was it possible to steer all effort and resources towards the reconstruction of mosques and houses of nobility, at the same time neglecting such magnificent architectural monuments of the 19th century like schools, hospitals, water ponds and churches?
    One more thing: in Shushi, especially in the Eastern part of the city, many old buildings have been reconstructed and integrated into the modern city environment. It is not difficult to notice that the formerly arched apertures of the buildings after reconstruction acquired a lancet shape. However, the key principle of architectural restoration is the rehabilitation of the initial shape of monuments, and not their alteration to suit the requirements of the day. The Azeri authorities obviously tried to "rectify" the history and architecture of the city and make the desirable become real. The original design and style of the edifices was lost and they acquired an image incompatible with their original utility and different from that of the other monuments of Shushi.
    Finally, one more example of "moral sclerosis." Various publications by Azeri authors make impressive references to outstanding residents of the city (F. Sushinski. "Shushi," 1968; El. Avalov, "Architecture of Shushi," 1977; Sadikhov, "Shushi Tourist Camp," Baku, p. 22). They mention "extraordinary personalities," mostly referring to famous Azeris, and conveniently forget a long list of names of no less famous Armenians and Russians of Shushi. Mausoleums, museums and monuments were built for Azeris, and the others did not even deserve a street of their name.


    During the last years, the resort city of Shushi was turned into a weapon depot. Since November 1991, Stepanakert, Karin Tak, Shosh, Karashen and other areas were shelled in a direct line of tire. About 15 thousand missiles and rockets, including 13 thousand "Grad" missiles, were fired at Stepanakert only. Due to the shelling, hundreds of Stepanakert residents were killed, over 400 houses were completely destroyed, the industrial infrastructure of the city was completely devastated, and 10 thousand inhabitants (27%) became homeless.
    Continued shelling would have finally destroy the Stepanakert and its residents, and on 8-9 May 1992 the self-defense forces of NKR retaliated and attacked Shushi. When the Azeris had to retreat, they again set the city on lire and... started shouting for help, "The Armenian aggressors are in our way and prevent us from solving our internal problems," i.e. do not allow to completely (like what they did in Sumgait, Baku and Gyanja) cleanse the Armenian Karabagh of Armenians.
    Moreover, only two days after the liberation of Shushi from Azeri occupants, on May 11,1992, the Azeris started knocking on UNESCO's door, and in four days this international organisation made a statement expressing concern over destruction by Armenians of the Azeri monuments of Shushi. The statement mentions: Adjikouli (18th century) without any reference to the nature of this monument, Govkharagi Mosque (1768 - 1969) which, in reality is built in 1874 -1875 as per the epigraph, Pahakh Kars Basilika(18th century), Gaji Abbas Mosque (18th-19th centuries). Shaakhi Govarakhi Mosque (18th-19th centuries). Mekhamandarov residence (18th century) built, according to the epigraph, at the end of the 19th century, Katkhye Beyuk Karan (18th century), Karvan-Saray (18th century), the fortress (18th century) (the latter two monuments are Armenian and werrc built by Melik Shahnazar and Centurion Avan).
    How come Shushi has so many Azeri monuments built in the 18th century? The unawarcness of UNESCO is really surprising! I have studied the history of Shushi and know every comer of the city. Out of the nine monuments mentioned in the statement, the live thal are underlined have never existed, two others are Armenian, and only the remaining two are Azeri and, thanks God, in good shape. The Azeris, according to their habit, "invented" them and raised hullabaloo in the international community. However, the five imaginary monuments would not leave me alone. I gofered the archives, official documents, publications on the monuments of Shushi, and never found any reference to these mysterious monuments. I lore are the most trustworthy documents: decrees of the Council of Minislers of Azerbaijani Republic No.140 of April 2, 1968, and #145 of April 27, 1988, with established lists of architectural monuments in the territory of Azerbaijan (including Shushi). Even common one-storey houses are mentioned in these lists, but those communicated to UNESCO are not. As it goes, the right hand is not aware of what the left hand is doing (for details see Sh. Mkrtchian, "In Artsakh I saw another kind of war," Yerevan, 1966, pp. 166- 167).


    The most prominent or, more precisely, the golden page of the modem history of Shushi was written on May 9, 1992. The Artsakh Armenians not only wiped off and silenced the weapon emplacements of the Azeris, but also liberated the city from its long captivity. Although defaced and destroyed, Shushi became an Armenian city again. Thanks God that although late, the hour of retribution came (for details see Z. Balayan, "Between Heaven and Hell," Moscow, 1996, pp. 97 - 115). Armenians forcibly displaced in 1988 started to come back to their native city. They come back joyfully, although their homes were destroyed and looted. The peace has not yet come to Karabagh, but Shushi is again in agitation and rehabilitation operations are underway.
    Karabagh Armenians never had a problem with Shushi, it had always been an Armenian city in NKR. For Azerbaijan, this is more of a psychological problem. Therefore, they keep expatiating about Shushi in spite of the statements by the leadership of the NKR that this issue is to be resolved within the general framework of the right of all refugees - both Armenians and Azeris - of voluntarily repatriation to their places of residence.
    The rehabilitation of the city is underway, and the residents are confident that their native, thrice looted and destroyed during the 20th century has been liberated for good. They fix the ruins with the care of a master, and build their defiled homes anew.
    There is no doubt that the houses will be rebuilt, the streets will be restored, but I should painfully mention that the former charm of Shushi is gone forever, since, as Victor Hugo has remarked, "The Turks have been here." The pictures in this album show that there are no traces of the formerly prospering Aimeniac city - "the little Paris," as it was called by many. What a bitter paradox - the Armenians build, the Azeris destroy!
    In spite of the bitter past, Shushi will be born anew from ashes and ruins.