Guba, April-May 1918. Documented Pogroms of the Muslims
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the Armenians, the Russians and the Jews and led by Ghelovani, a
Georgian. The unit enforced its own order and imposed the Bolshevik
rule. Several days after, the Lezghins from adjacent villages came into
clash with this unit. I sheltered four Armenians and three Russians
fearful of the Lezghins at my home. Pressed by the Lezghins, the unit
was forced to retreat, however while withdrawing, they were walking
door to door collecting all Russians and Armenians to evacuate them.
While retreating, the Armenians set fire on several public building re-
turning the fire to Lezghins from cannons and machineguns.
Some ten days or more after the unit had left, we got to know
that a numerous military unit of trained and organized troops under
Amazasp’s command is on its way to our town, staying just 5 versts
away. We decided to sent envoys and welcome them with bread and
salt. However we changed our mind once we got to know that similar
delegations from Davachi Bazar and Gyzyl Burun villages were turned
back and all envoys slain by the Armenians. So we employed a wait-
and-see attitude.
The next day, large groups of Armenians flooded the town and
unleashed violent actions towards all the Muslim population indis-
criminately killing anyone they got hold of in the streets, breaking
into homes, abusing religious sentiments, robbing money, golden
works, jewellery and then slaughtering the whole households, tortu-
ring a lot of people, murdering fathers and husbands and raping their
wives and daughters. They ordered men to deliver young and pretty
girls. This was, by the way, an order given to me too. I refused to per-
form it, so they started mocking at me and were about to kill me. This
horror lasted for three days.
On the forth day, public criers appeared in the streets calling
the Muslim men to appear with white bands to bury the dead bodies.
Many people responded, however they never got back home as they
were shot down by the Armenians. We had to hide again. Dead bodies
stayed uncollected unless the Armenians had withdrawn. Majority of
those slain were women and children. Many of them were beheaded. I
saw a lot of women’s dead bodies chopped by daggers. As far as spe-
cific cases of violence are concerned, I am aware of the following ones:
the whole family of Meshadi Heybat was slaughtered, wife and son of
Ali Akhund oghlu were killed and buried at their home. Alipasha Kerbe-
lai Maharram oghlu was ordered by the Armenians to deliver money