| Grabnedelya | |
|---|---|
| Part of Red Army invasion of Azerbaijan | |
 Kirov, Mikoyan, Orzonikidze, Levandovsky and soldiers of the Red Army in front of the armored train in Baku during the April invasion. 1920 | |
| Native name | Talan həftəsi |
| Location | Baku |
| Date | 1920 |
Plunder week (Azerbaijani: Talan həftəsi) or Grabnedelya refers to a week-long event of looting committed by the Bolsheviks in Baku following their invasion in April 1920.[1][2][3][4]
Events
editAccording to the Jörg Baberowski, Bolsheviks came to Azerbaijan as invaders. They transformed the republic into a scene of slaughter and pillage. The reign of terror, which persisted for several months, left behind devastating traces of destruction.[5] Following the occupation, the Bolsheviks seized personal property and plundered valuable items. They took up residence in the homes they had confiscated or whose owners they had killed.[6] During a meeting of the Baku Executive Committee on December 23, 1920, it was reported that Baku was teeming with soldiers, with 10-12 thousand of them residing in private apartments.[7]
The Special Department of the 11th Red Army, along with other bodies, escalated the persecution and arrest of leaders and members of various political organizations in Azerbaijan. They targeted and executed representatives of the Azerbaijani intelligentsia. Hundreds of individuals were dispatched to prison camps in remote locations such as the Solovetsky Islands, Suzdal, and Novgorod.[8] Reports indicate that 300 individuals were executed in Bayil prison within the first two days alone. The subsequent arrests, persecution, and pillaging of cities sparked dozens of uprisings throughout the country. Moreover, soldiers who pillaged homes under the guise of confiscating the wealth of the affluent frequently hosted lavish parties in upscale restaurants. These gatherings often led to public disturbances, as the soldiers would cause trouble for local residents, particularly when inebriated.[9][10] The 11th Red Army blamed alcohol sellers for their soldiers' disorderly actions and drunkenness. Thus, on 23 June 1923, the head of the Baku city garrison gave orders to the commandant of Baku to declare people selling alcohol without any trial or investigation and shoot them as enemies of the workers' and peasants' government.[11]
The arbitrariness of the Red Army soldiers escalated to such a degree that the commander of the 11th Red Army, Mikhail Levandovsky, in his directive No. 269 issued on June 8, 1920, acknowledged the involvement of the Red Army soldiers in thefts and robberies. He noted that they frequently desecrated mosques and sacred sites for Muslims. He observed that Armenians were often implicated in these incidents, leading to public uprisings against them. Levandovsky urged soldiers to abstain from extreme brutality and favoritism towards any nation.[12]
At the Second Congress of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan, which took place from 16-23 October 1920, Nariman Narimanov proposed that local customs and the mindset of the Muslim population should be considered during the expropriation against the bourgeoisie. He argued that expropriation should target plants, factories, banks, and theaters. He dismissed the idea of seizing personal items such as men's suits, women's jewelry, or even the undergarments that some radical comrades demanded.[13]
Situtation in the city
editSoldiers riding on city sidewalks resulted in their collapse. Merely two months later, on 6 July 1920, the city garrison's head prohibited riders from using the sidewalks.[14] Nariman Narimanov arrived in Baku on 16 May. His initial objective was to establish a republic that would serve as a model for the East. However, upon witnessing the "Plunder week", the arbitrariness of the 11th Army, and rampant pillaging, he wrote his resignation letter.[15][16] In this context, Nariman Narimanov addresses the issue in his letter to Stalin, titled "On the History of Our Revolution in Remote Areas":
| “ | Some comrades greeted me in Bilajary, seemingly quite pleased with my arrival. "Perhaps the disgrace will end with your arrival?" they speculated. I reassured them and requested their assistance with the challenging task ahead. At that time, the Presidium of the Revolutionary Committee consisted of myself as chairman, Mirza Davud Huseynov as deputy, and one member, Garayev. "They are plundering Azerbaijan from top to bottom, firing indiscriminately", some comrades informed me (neither Garayev nor Huseynov were among them). After acquainting myself with the situation, I convened a meeting of the Presidium of the Revolutionary Committee, inviting Pankratov, who was effectively in charge at that time. I proposed that no one should be executed without the sanction of the Revolutionary Committee. However, Mirza Davud Huseynov and Garayev opposed this, and thus, things continued as before…[17][18] | ” |
References
edit- ^ Nazarli 2014, p. 161.
- ^ Ilkin, Gylman (2006). Bakı və bakılılar (in Azerbaijani). Baku: Nurlar. p. 210. ISBN 9952426127.
- ^ Yurdsever, Abdulvahab (2020). Azerbaycan İstiklal Savaşından Sahneler. Ankara: Gece Kitaplığı. p. 56. ISBN 9786257904827.
- ^ Yaqublu, Nesiman (2018). Azərbaycan Milli Azadlıq Hərəkatı Ensiklopediyası. Baku: Qanun. p. 19. ISBN 978-9952-36-521-4.
- ^ Baberowski 2010, p. 249.
- ^ Lətif Şamxal (23 November 2019). "Советизация Азербайджана" (in Russian). Kaspi. Archived from the original on 5 May 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Azerbaijan State Archive, f. 1933, in. 1, i. 12 v.201
- ^ Institute of History of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (2008). Guliyev, Jamil (ed.). Azərbaycan tarixi : Yeddi Cilddə (in Azerbaijani) (VI ed.). Bakı: Elm. p. 11. ISBN 9789952448368.
- ^ Baberowski 2010, p. 251.
- ^ Nazarli 2014, p. 173.
- ^ Nazarli 2014, p. 174.
- ^ Mustafazade 2006, pp. 149–150.
- ^ Ahmedova, Firdovsiyye (1998). Nəriman Nərimanov – ideal və gerçəklik: 1920-ci il. Baku: Elm və həyat. p. 88.
- ^ Nazarli 2014, p. 180.
- ^ Sevda İsmayıllı (3 May 2018). "'Ruslar Bakıdadır!' və ya 'Talan həftəsi' (23-cü yazı)" (in Azerbaijani). Azadlıq Radiosu. Archived from the original on 3 May 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
- ^ Sevda İsmayıllı (25 May 2015). "Gizli sənədlərdən görünən Nərimanov" (in Azerbaijani). Azadlıq Radiosu. Archived from the original on 12 September 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
- ^ Narimanov, Nariman (1992). Ucqarlarda inqilabımızın tarixinə dair (PDF). Baku: Azərnəşr. pp. 12–13. ISBN 5-552-01028-0. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ Nazarli 2014, p. 96.
Literature
edit- Nazarli, Aziza (2014). XI Красная армия в Северном Азербайджане: оккупация, расправы, бесчинства (PDF). Baku: Elm və təhsil. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-04-26. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
- Mustafazade, Rahman (2006). Две Республики: азербайджано-российские отношения в 1918–1922 гг (PDF). Moscow: МИК. ISBN 5-87902-097-5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-05-13. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
- Baberowski, Jörg (2010). Враг есть везде. Сталинизм на Кавказе. Moscow: Российская политическая энциклопедия. Archived from the original on 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2022-05-13.