We present to your attention rare footage of street battles that took place in Yerevan in May 1990 between Armenian fighters and the 7th Soviet Army.
To imagine the picture of those events, we need to remember that at that time, military operations were already taking place in Artsakh (Karabakh). The Soviet army sided with the Azerbaijanis against the Armenians of Artsakh. Together with the Azerbaijanis, they conducted operations against the “Armenian terrorists”.
So, in the morning of the same day (when the clashes began), a skirmish between Soviet soldiers and six Armenian volunteers began at the Yerevan railway station, which grew into a shootout. All six Armenians died in the clash.
A few hours later, Soviet armed forces arrived in Yerevan. General Surkov was ordered to pacify the militants. And here began the actual events. Vazgen Sargsyan successfully headed the Armenian resistance.
As a result, the Soviet army had several dozen dead, while the Armenian side lost 27 people. The then mayor of Yerevan Artashes Geghamyan drove on his car towards the Soviet army and personally negotiated with General Surkov. After the negotiations, the Soviet army retreated, and the Armenian fighters continued the liberation of Karabakh.
Ճիշտ ժամանակին եկար, Զորավար Վազգեն Սարգսյան
