131
whelming. I did not witness this horror personally but I heard of this
from reliable sources. The Armenians were killing everyone they could
get hold of, men or women, boys or girls, kids. I heard they raped up
to a hundred Muslim girls. Names and surnames of these ill-fated
girls are kept in secret by their parents and kin, following our tradi-
tions. Some of them got pregnant and passed away, however some of
them are still alive. Akhund Mullah Hajjibaba Akhundzadeh, now sta-
ying in Baku, could provide more information on these victims. As far
as I know, rapes occurred at Hajji Muhammadgasym Hajjiagha Rahim
oghu’s home, where most of the girls were hiding.
I have no explanation to these atrocities towards the Muslims
by the Armenians. I heard they were avenging the Muslims for the
events in 190532. However not a single Armenian suffered in Guba
in 1905. When some thugs were threatening Armenians we stood at
their defense, and when for their security they were placed in pro-
perly guarded prison premises we were providing them with food. I
personally was carrying food for Mirza Amirjanov, the local Armenian
merchant. The Guba Armenians returned evil for good. The matter is
that long prior to the events described they sold out all their personal
and real estate in Guba and left the town. When we asked them the
reason of doing this, they said they want to live in Baku. Now we
realized the reason of their flight for they knew what their Armenian
brethren were planning to do to us and our town. And they never
warned us about this. I personally did not witness killer or arsonist
Armenians, so I cannot name anyone personally. From my townsfolk
I heard that some Armenian residents of Guba were also involved in
crimes against the Muslims. These were Grigory’s son, a warrant of-
ficer, barber Jevad, Arityun, Mirza Amirjanov (people saw him on a co-
vered wagon during these events). No other persons that I heard of.
As a result of my residence’s being plundered and all my mov-
ables looted by the Armenians I suffered the loss equal to seventy
thousand rubles in the old exchange rate. There is nothing I can add
to this.
Signed by the witness
Signed by A.Novatski, the member of the Commission
Reference: SARA, f.1061, op.1, d.96, ll.28-30
Documents on the Devastation of Guba
Witness Testimonies of Residents of the Town of Guba