It is difficult to define the exact number of victims of Sumgait massacre
due to refusal of Azeri government to help. Basing on the data provided by
the Prosecutor�s office of Azerbaijan, the Prosecutor�s office of the USSR
announced that 26 citizens of Armenian nationality perished in Sumgait (�Izvestiya�,
03.03.1988).
Lola Avagyan, born in 1961
Place of residence: Sumgait, block 45, 10/13, apt. 37
On February 29th, 1988 after her apartment was attacked, Avagyan was undressed
and taken to the street. They made her dance, stabbed her with knives, cut
her breast, stuck her body with lit cigarettes, and raped her. After death
the body was mutilated; relatives recognized her by the little finger. Her
father, Pavel Manvelyan said he had been in three morgues in Sumgait, Baku
and Mardakyans (20 km away from Baku), and found body of his daughter in Mardakyans;
she was number 71 among other corpses. Pavel Manvelyan testified in Moscow
and signed the testimony. He has seen more than 100 piled dead bodies in three
morgues. L. Avagyan�s husband, Alexander Avagyan was beaten within an inch
of his life.
Yury Avagyan, born in 1936 in the village of Mohrenes,
Hadrut region, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous District
Place of residence: Sumgait, 3 micro district, 5/2, apt. 47
�Cerebral and ventricle hemorrhage, calvarium fracture, head wounds, burns
all over the body� (After his apartment was attacked, Avagyan was taken to
the street, beaten, cut up, burnt in the fire).
Albert Avanesyan, born in 1955
Address: Sumgait, block 5, 19/28, apt. 1
Acute hemorrhage, left lung and intercostal artery injury, penetrating stab
and cut wounds on left side of the thorax. Albert was murdered with his brother
Valery in the street.
Valery Avanesyan, born in 1957
Place of residence: Sumgait, block 5, 19/28, apt. 1
Cerebral and ventricle hemorrhage, compound wound of left zygomatic region,
rib fracture, penetrating stab and cut wound of abdomen, mesentery injury.
Valery was murdered with his brother Albert in the street.
Misha Ambartsumyan, born in 1941 in the village of
Zamzur, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous District.
Place of residence: Sumgait, 4 micro district, 18/24, apt. 2
Murdered in the street. �Burn shock, third-degree burn of 2/3 of body surface,
comminuted fracture of cranial bones, cerebral hemorrhage�
Artash Arakelyan, born in 1937 in the village of Chardakhlu,
Shamkhor region, Azerbaijani SSR.
Place of residence: Sumgait, block 41A, 5A, apt. 9
�Cerebral hemorrhage, fracture of cranial bones and ribs, lung injury. Blunt
trauma. Charred corpse�.
Armo Aramyan, born in 1928 in the village of Kyatuk,
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous District.
Place of residence: Sumgait, 3 micro district, 6/2, apt. 21
�Cerebral membrane and ventricle hemorrhage, fracture of cranial bones�. Was
murdered together with his son Arthur; his wife was saved by a miracle.
Arthur Aramyan, born in 1963 in the village of Kyatuk,
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous District.
Place of residence: Sumgait, 3 micro district, 6/2, apt. 21
�Cerebral membrane and ventricle hemorrhage, fracture of cranial bones�. Was
murdered together with his father; his mother was saved by a miracle.
Vladimir Arushanyan, born in 1936 in the village
of Arjadzor, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous District.
Place of residence: Sumgait, 3 micro district, 6/2, apt. 16
�Cerebral soft membrane and ventricle hemorrhage�. His wife, R. Arushanyan
(officially recorded as missing), was also killed.
Razmella Arushanyan, born in 1939 in the village
of Chldran, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous District.
Place of residence: Sumgait, 3 micro district, 6/2, apt. 16
EXTRACT FROM AN APPEAL: COMRADES! On 28.02.88 about 24:00 citizen Razmella
Arushanyan, born in 1939, left the central checkpoint of the tube-rolling mill;
she is missing. Last time she was seen naked among an outrageous crowd of people
on Mir Street near the railway crossing.
INVESTIGATORS:
PAVLOVSKY S.
KOZLENKO A.
Arshak Babayan, born in 1931 in the village of Akaku,
Hadrut region of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous District.
Place of residence: Sumgait, 4 block, 27A, apt. 12
He was killed at home. �Cerebral soft membrane and ventricle hemorrhage, fracture
of cranial bones and left ribs, blunt trauma of the body�.
Yelena Babayan, born in 1932 in the village of Metsashen,
Martakert region of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous District.
Place of residence: Sumgait, 12 micro district, 29, apt. 52
According to her husband Artyusha Babayan, she was beaten on February 28th
on her way home from work. She lied at home motionlessly until March 16th.
The ambulance refused to take her to hospital. Yelena Babayan died on March
16th.
Alexander Gambaryan, born in 1926 in the village
of Verkhny Chaylu, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous District.
Place of residence: Sumgait, 3 micro district, 17, apt. 40
Was killed at home by a crowbar blow. Craniocerebral injury.
Emma Grigoryan, born in 1930 in the village of Armyanskie
Borisy, Shahumyan region.
Place of residence: Sumgait, 3 micro district, 5/2, apt. 45
Naked, she was taken to the street from the 4th floor and set on a bench in
front of the doorway. They burnt cigarettes on her body, raped her, smashed
her head, broke the ribs, stuck a metal pipe into her vagina.
�Shock, hemorrhage, rupture of posterior wall of vagina, rectum wall injury,
retroperitoneal haematoma, fracture of II � VI right bones and X thoracic vertebra�.
Nikolay Danielyan, born in 1939 in the village of
Badara, Askerna region, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous District.
Place of residence: Sumgait, 3 micro district, 4/2, apt. 25
Was taken to the street together with his wife and son. His wife was also killed;
son was badly wounded.
�Cerebral membrane and ventricle hemorrhage, cranial bones fracture, blunt
head trauma�.
Seda Danielyan, born in 1938.
Place of residence: Sumgait, 3 micro district, 4/2, apt. 25
Was taken to the street together with her husband and son; was killed after
malicious insults. �Cerebral membrane and ventricle hemorrhage, cranial bones
fracture, blunt head trauma�.
Garry Martirosov, born in 1954.
Place of residence: Baku, Lenin Ave, 43, apt 16
�Cerebral hemorrhage, cranial bones fracture, 3rd- and 4th-degree burns all
over the body. On 29.02.88 in 15:30 � 16:30 was taken out of a �RAF� or �UAZ�
minibus near the railway crossing; was beaten; then burnt.
Soghomon Melkumyan, born in 1931 in the village
of Jilan, Hadrut region, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous District
Place of residence: Sumgait, block 41A, 26, apt. 21
Was killed with his wife and three children. �Burn of the body, open penetrating
craniocerebral injury�.
Raisa Melkumyan, born in 1934 in the village of Jilan,
Hadrut region, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous District
Place of residence: Sumgait, block 41A, 26, apt. 21
Was killed with her husband and three children. Was taken naked to the doorway.
After the murder the teenagers scoffed at the body. �Acute hemorrhage, chopped
calvarium wound, rectum wound with hemorrhage, fracture of 5th right rib, grazes
and bruises over the body�.
Igor Melkumyan, born in 1957 in the village of Jilan,
Hadrut region, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous District
Place of residence: Sumgait, block 41A, 26, apt. 21
Was killed with his mother, father, sister and brother. After being beaten
was burnt alive. �Burn shock, 2nd and 3rd degree burns of the body. Carbon
monoxide gassing. Compound occiput wound.�
Irina Melkumyan, born in 1961 in the village of Jilan,
Hadrut region, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous District
Place of residence: Sumgait, block 41A, 26, apt. 21
Was killed with four other members of her family � mother, father, and two
brothers. Was raped, then taken naked to the street. Was burnt after being
mocked at and beaten. �Cerebral membrane and ventricle hemorrhage, chopped
head wound, fractures of calvarium and skull base, charred corpse�.
Eduard Melkumyan, born in 1960 in the village of Jilan,
Hadrut region, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous District
Place of residence: Sumgait, block 41A , 26, apt. 21
Was killed with his mother, father, sister and brother. Accomplished his military
service in the Soviet Army in Afghanistan. �Cerebral membrane and ventricle
hemorrhage, cranial bones fracture. (Was burnt and mutilated so much that his
body was recognized by the shoes.)
Phiruza Melkumyan, 70 year old
Was born in the village of Garnakar, Martakert region of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous
District
Place of residence: Sumgait, 17 micro district, 51, apt. 59
Was killed at home on February 29 at 16:00. She was beaten, then her body was
cut by numerous axe blows. Her screams were heard throughout the whole 17 micro
district; no one came for help.
Yersilya Movsesova, born in 1902 in Martuni region
of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous District. Lived in Baku, was killed in Sumgait, 3 micro district, 6/2A, apt 18.
�Cerebral hemorrhage, fracture of cranial bones, multiple rib fracture, blunt
head and body trauma�. Among other wounds 31 knife wounds were recorded.
Shahen Sarkisyan, born in 1927 in the village of Karakend,
Martuni region, of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous District.
Place of residence: Sumgait, block 5, 14, apt. 16
�Radial fracture of occipital bone, fracture of sternum and 6 ribs�Death was
caused a severe craniocerebral injury�, thus 62-year old carpenter Shahen Sarkisyan
was dying, being thrown out by the outrageous mob from his car on Mir street
(STREET OF PEACE) in Sumgait (Moskovskie Novosti, N 21, 22.05.88)
Rafik Tovmasyan, born in 1956 in the village of Vank, Martakert
region, of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous District.
Place of residence: Sumgait, 3 micro district, 6/2, apt. 8
Acute hemorrhage. (Was defending himself during 8 hours with his father-in-law
at their neighbours� place, the Trdatovs. Azeri gangsters tried to get into
the apartment through the broken partition of the neighbouring apartment, the
balcony of the upper floor and then with the help of the ladder of the fire
engine that came to help. Was killed in the unequal fight.)
Gabriel Trdatov, born in 1925 in the village of Kerkenj,
Shemakhi region, Azeri SSR.
Place of residence: Sumgait, 3 micro district, 6/2, apt. 6
Was defending himself with his son, wife and two neighbours (Hrant Adamyan
and his son-in-law � Rafik Tovmasyan) during 8 hours from gangster Azeris who
tried to get into the apartment through the door, the broken partition of the
neighbouring apartment, the balcony of the upper floor and then with the help
of the ladder of the fire-engine that came to help. He got 3 knife wounds,
two axe blows, his left eardrum burst from a stone blow. He died in the hospital
on March 4 night.
Tamara Mekhtieva, 70-75 year old
Was born in the town of Sisian, Armenian SSR.
Place of residence: Sumgait, 3 micro district, 16, apt. 49
A single woman with no relatives. Was killed and thrown out to the hallway.
A neighbour saw her dead body.
Arusyak Sayan, born in 1914 in Fizuli.
Place of residence: Sumgait, block 14, Azizbekov Str. 38/5, apt. 8
On February 29 Sayan�s state of health deteriorated abruptly due to events
happening in the city. She was refused emergency medical aid; the refusal motivation
was: �Armenians should have it more�. She died the same day. Arusyak Sayan�s
body was buried on March 1st without her daughter�s and relatives� participation;
they could not leave the city committee building where troops evacuated the
Armenian population of Sumgait.
A several month old infant
Died in the building of Vurgun club, where troops evacuated part of the Armenian
population of Sumgait. The baby died on the hands of Badasyan Zaven. There
were no wounds or bruises on his body, but the chaos, insanitariness, and
absolutely absence of medical care during the first days allow to consider
the baby a victim of Sumgait tragedy. On March 6th, after the baby�s death
all the Armenians were forced to leave the club building due to the reason
that any moment dysentery and typhus epidemic may burst out in the club.
Translated from original Russian
version by Gayane Soghomonyan
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