147
sons to arrive. So once, all of a sudden, at 8 o’clock in the morning we
heard the gunfire around the town. Soon, a number of armed Arme-
nians entered the town, and with no visible reason and warning, they
started murdering Muslim men, women and children, anyone step-
ping outdoors was killed on the spot. They were bursting into homes,
robbing and killing. The next day arsons began. Demirch Meshadi Ali
and his wife were killed in front of me. Among my own kin the death
toll included me brother-in-law Meshadi Mussa Zeynal oghlu, my
cousin Mammadali and his son Jabbar.
I left home on the fourth and fifth days only, when they allowed
burying the dead bodies. I saw some 200 dead bodies, no traces of
torture. As for the female dead bodies, I could only see them inside
the households, not in the streets. According to what the Armenians,
their unit numbered about three thousand and was manned by the
Armenians only. Some people said there were also Jews among them,
both the local ones and outsiders, however I saw none. In fact, none
of the Armenians I saw in the squad was familiar to me. People said
there were some Guba Armenians among them, like Vartan, son of
Grigori, Arutyun. The squad was headed by Amazasp.
On the 9th day, Amazasp addressed the Muslims gathering in
front of the mosque. He said he had got an order to exterminate all
Muslims but he spared them. He claimed he was not responsible for
what happened in Guba as he was unable to prevent the Armenians
avenging their slain brethren and the Armenian priest. Akhund Mul-
lah Hajjibaba told Amazasp openly that the Armenians were not Bol-
sheviks but killers and robbers.
On the 9th day, the Armenians left Guba. What the Armenians
stole from me was 1200 rubles in cash and 1000 rubles worth per-
sonal assets. There is nothing I can add to this.
Read aloud to the witness
Translated by E.Khanbudaghov (certified by a signature)
Signed by A.Novatski, the member of the Commission
Reference: SARA, f.1061, op.1, d.96, l.53
Documents on the Devastation of Guba
Witness Testimonies of Residents of the Town of Guba