Empire, Names and Renaming: The Case of Nagorno Karabakh

Abstract

This chapter examines an experiment in large scale social engineering with regard to place names (toponyms). The Soviet Union’s attempt at nation-building redrew the maps of Eurasia, as new republics were created and the names of geographic features were changed on a mass scale. In the volatile Caucasus, the Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, was designated as a place of unity between nations. Therefore the toponyms of the oblast were changed to represent the Armenian and Azerbaijani people who lived there. Though some of the toponyms represented both ethnicities, the majority of them did not, and the changes throughout the century aggravated existing tensions in the oblast. The Soviet experiment in making nationality obsolete failed in this way, as the Armenians and Azerbaijanis continue to debate over the history and toponyms of Nagorno Karabakh. Although the debate continues today over the “correct” toponyms of Nagorno Karabakh, this aspect of its history suggests that toponyms may be short-lived. As such, they may not be strong indicators of a place’s ethnic history.