177
they set ablaze later), attacked our community. Three villages were
looted and burned down completely. Only the village of Gara was
spared. As far as Alikhanly, Eyni-Bulagh and Kui-Bulagh villages are
concerned, even mosques were set on fire there, with Holy Qur’ans
torn apart and burned. A piece of one of the Qur’ans desecrated re-
mained and was presented by the community as an evidence. None
of the Armenians is known to me. Only 2 persons were murdered,
i.e. elder Mirza Mammad Dostali oghlu and his fellow-villager Gul-
husseyn Maharram oghlu. They were sent as envoys to the Armenians
with the request to spare the villages, however the Armenians killed
them both. The reason that there were no casualties was because we
all fled the villages in advance. The verdict on damages is hereby en-
closed. I have nothing to add to this.
Testimonies read out loud to the victim
Translated and signed by E.Khanbudagov
Signed by A.Novatski, a member of the Commission
Reference: SARA, f.1061, op.1, d.97, l.25-25(verso)
File No.101
Record of Examination
On this 22nd day of December, 1918, in Guba
Novatski, the member of the Ad Hoc Investigation Commission
established by the Government of Azerbaijan, examined the following
aggrieved person:
Balaami Zulfugar oghlu, aged 46, elder of Siyazan Commu-
nity, Davachi Precinct, Guba Uyezd, illiterate.
I am the elder of Siyazan Community that includes three villages:
Nardaran, Gara-Siyazan and Ag-Siyazan. The community comprised
250 households adjacent to the railroad. It was approximately mid-
April this year, when armed Armenians arriving from Baku attacked
our community and plundered it setting fire at a number of house-
holds, plundering personal assets of the villagers and murdering 17
residents. 10 more residents were killed in the exchange of fire, as we
tried to resist, whereas another group of 10 was slain at the fields. The
verdict on damages is attached. Nothing to add to this.
Records on Devastation of Villages of Guba Uyezd
Witness Testimonies of Residents of Guba Uyezd