Shurnukh
Շուռնուխ
Mountains around Shurnukh
Mountains around Shurnukh
Shurnukh is located in Armenia
Shurnukh
Shurnukh
Shurnukh is located in Syunik Province
Shurnukh
Shurnukh
Coordinates: 39°22′39″N 46°23′29″E / 39.37750°N 46.39139°E / 39.37750; 46.39139
Country Armenia
ProvinceSyunik
MunicipalityGoris
Area
[1]
 • Total8.83 km2 (3.41 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)[2]
 • Total153
 • Density17/km2 (45/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+4 (AMT)

Shurnukh (Armenian: Շուռնուխ) is a village in the Goris Municipality of the Syunik Province in Armenia.[3]

The village is located on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. Following the end of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war and the withdrawal of Armenian forces from the adjacent Qubadli District of Azerbaijan, a small part of the village, including 12 houses, was determined to be part of the Qubadli District and fell under the control of Azerbaijan.[4][5]

History

Shurnukh is first mentioned in Stephen Orbelian's 13th-century work History of the Province of Sisakan as Shornokho (Armenian: Շոռնոխոյ), located in the Baghk (or Kashunik) canton of the Syunik province of historic Greater Armenia.[6] According to one theory, the name of the village comes from Old Armenian and originally had the meaning of "running water, a place of running water, a damp area."[6] The date of the destruction of the historic village is unknown; however, it is known that there were ruins at its site at the end of the 19th century, including remnants of a church.[7]

Shurnukh and the surrounding area was the sight of fighting during the Armenian–Azerbaijani conflict of 1918–1920.[8] The area was strategically important due to its proximity to the road connecting the towns of Goris and Kapan (then called Ghapan).[8] In January 1920, forces under the command of Garegin Nzhdeh attacked and captured Shurnukh and several nearby villages and heights.[8]

The modern village was founded in 1930 on the site of the ruins of the historic village.[9][10] In Soviet times, the village council also included the nearby villages of Aghbulagh and Vanand (now both uninhabited) and a settlement attached to a woodworking factory.[11]

Geography

Shurnukh is located on a scenic, thickly forested mountainside near the river Shurnukh, a small tributary of the Vorotan.[10] It is located on the Goris-Kapan road.[10]

Demographics

Shurnukh's population consisted of 84 residents in 1897, 101 residents in 1926, 351 residents in 1939, 363 in 1959 and 1970, 324 in 1979, 0 in 1989, 148 in 2001 and 197 in 2004.[10][12] The community's population increased to 224 in 2010,[13] but reduced to 207 people in the 2011 census.[3] In 2016, the population was recorded as 153 people.[2]

According to Syunyats Yerkir magazine, Shurnukh was populated by Azerbaijanis from 1930 to 1989 who fled as a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, after which the village was repopulated by Armenians who fled from Azerbaijan.[7][11]

Sights

In the late 2010s, an iron cross was erected on the hill in the centre of the village. The cross lights up in the night.[7]

Border dispute

On 24 December 2020, Shurnukh village head Hakob Arshakyan said that Azerbaijanis were in Shurnukh negotiating with a representative of the Armenian National Security Service and Russian border guards. The Azerbaijani representatives demanded that the Armenian side cede twelve houses located on the eastern side of the Goris-Kapan road to Azerbaijan which, according to Soviet-era maps, fall in the Qubadli District of Azerbaijan bordering Armenia's Syunik Province. Most of Qubadli District was captured by Azerbaijani forces during 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, and the remaining parts still under Armenian control were transferred to Azerbaijan according to unwritten provisions of the trilateral agreement which ended the war.[14] Further demarcation according to the administrative borders of the Soviet era raised tensions among the villagers living close to the border and residents of Syunik in general. On December 21 residents of Syunik blocked roads to prevent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan from entering the region.[15] The 12 houses were ceded to Azerbaijan on 4 January 2021. There is no frontier post yet, just a small sign, and people can cross freely between parts of the village.[4]

On January 9, the Armenian government announced that it would build 12 new houses in the village to compensate the villagers whose homes came under the control of Azerbaijan.[5] In February 2021, the government announced a compensation package of 300,000 Armenian drams (about US$577) as a single payment followed by a monthly payment of 68,000 Armenian drams (about US$130) for six months, and the start of the construction of a new residential block to provide permanent accommodation to those villagers who lost their homes.[16]

References

    1. ↑ "Syunik regional e-Governance System" (in Armenian). Syunik Province provincial government. Click on link entitled "Համայնքներ" (community) and search for the place by Armenian name.
    2. 1 2 "Սյունիքի մարզպետարան". syunik.mtad.am. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
    3. 1 2 "Marzes of Armenia and Yerevan City in Figures, 2010" (PDF). Statistical Committee of Armenia.
    4. 1 2 Synovitz, Ron; Badalian, Susan (7 February 2021). "Fear And Loathing Vs. Trade Across The Armenian-Azerbaijani Border". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
    5. 1 2 "Armenia government to build 12 houses in Shurnukh village". news.am. 9 January 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
    6. 1 2 Kumunts, Mher (October 2020). "Պատմական Սիւնիքի Բաղք գաւառի Շոռնոխ բնակավայրը (ստուգաբանութեան փորձ)" [The settlement of Shornokh of the Baghk district of historical Syunik (an attempt at etymology)] (PDF). Etchmiadzin (in Armenian). ՀԷ [77]: 50–66.
    7. 1 2 3 Aleksanyan, Samvel (28 December 2019). "Այցելություն Սյունյաց աշխարհի Բղեն գավառի սրբավայրեր, որոնց պսակը Նորավանքն է" [Visiting the holy places of the Bghen district of the province of Syunik, the crown of which is Noravank]. Syunyats Yerkir (in Armenian). Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
    8. 1 2 3 Yalanuzyan, Mikayel (29 January 2020). "Դրոյի եւ Նժդեհի հարձակումը Շուռնուխի ուղղությամբ" [Dro and Nzhdeh's attack in the direction of Shurnukh]. republic.mediamax.am (in Armenian). Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
    9. ↑ "Հայաստանի Հանրապետության բնակավայրերի բառարան" (PDF). ՀՀ կառավարությանն առընթեր անշարժ գույքի կադաստրի պետական կոմիտե “Գեոդեզիայի և Քարտեզագրության կենտրոն” ՊՈԱԿ (in Armenian). 2008. p. 160. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2021. Շ. հիմնադրվել է 1930թ. պատմական Շոռնոխո ավերակ գյուղի տեղում:
    10. 1 2 3 4 Hakobyan, Tadevos Kh.; Melik-Bakhshyan, Stepan T.; Barseghyan, Hovhannes Kh. (1986). Հայաստանի և հարակից շրջանների տեղանունների բառարան [Dictionary of Toponymy of Armenia and Adjacent Territories] (in Armenian). Vol. 4. Yerevan: Yerevan State University Publishing House. p. 164.
    11. 1 2 "Շուռնուխ, Վանանդ, Ձորակ և Աղբուլաղ գյուղերի բնակչությունը․ Գորիսի շրջան" [Population of the villages of Shurnukh, Vanand, Dzorak and Aghbulagh (Goris district)]. ANI Armenian Research Center (in Armenian). 11 March 2021. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022.
    12. ↑ Հայաստանի Հանրապետության բնակավայրերի բառարան [Republic of Armenia settlements dictionary] (PDF) (in Armenian). Yerevan: Cadastre Committee of the Republic of Armenia. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 March 2018.
    13. ↑ "Report of the Results of the 2011 Armenian Census" (PDF). National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia.
    14. ↑ "Protests Force Pashinyan to Cancel Visit to Goris, Kapan and Meghri in Syunik". Asbarez. 21 December 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
    15. ↑ "Armenia says that Azerbaijan laying claims to half of Armenian village". JAMnews. Yerevan. 24 December 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2021. Representatives of Azerbaijan have demanded 12 houses located in the village of Shurnukh, in the Syunik region of Armenia be transferred to them
    16. ↑ Բադալյան, Սուսան (1 February 2021). "Այս շաբաթ Սյունիքի մարզի Շուռնուխ գյուղում կսկսվի բնակելի նոր թաղամասի շինարարությունը" [A new residential block construction will begin this week in Shurnukh village of Syunik province]. Azatutyun (RFE/RL) (in Armenian). Retrieved 2 February 2021. Շուռնուխը պետք է ավելի լավ գյուղ լինի։ Խոսքը նվազագույնը 12 տների մասին է, որոնց շինարարությունը այս տարի կավարտեն։
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