Lachin,
or Berdzor in Armenian maps, is located in the narrow strip of territory
between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. As
a consequence of the war this strip of territory is under the control of
Armenian troops. In the present cold peace climate, in order to reach Lachin
you must go through Armenia. This should not be very difficult as the Nagorno-Karabakh
(Artsakh) region is eager to welcome tourists. See the section on visas,
for details.
Of
all towns and villages outside Nagorno-Karabakh under Armenian occupation
Lachin is the most important, not for it's size of resources, but for controlling
what became known as the "Lachin corridor". The Lachin Corridor
was conquered in May 1992, and today is the umbilical cord that attaches
Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh. The road that divides Lachin in to halves,
starts in Goris in Armenia and weaves its way through totally bombed out
villages, until it reaches Xankandi/Stepanakert, passing by Shusha/Sushi.
Due to its strategic value the road has obviously been hit hard during
the war and has recently received very substantial repairs and improvements,
making it one of the best road in the region (much of the work has been
paid by contributions from the Armenian diaspora).
Entering
Lachin is when you start seeing the war close up. The town is scenically
built on the side of a mountain. It was pretty much destroyed - but Armenians
are moving in and rebuilding it, the government has provided incentives
for refugees to settle, mainly in the form of cattle, building subsidies,
subsidized utilities and tax breaks. Currently the population reaches about
10.000, many are Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan.
Near
the centre a small hill is crowned by a dilapidated crescent shaped monument,
dating from soviet times and constitutes the best spot for a panoramic
view of the area. A couple of guests houses provide basic accomodation.
On condition that Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh is recognized the status of international legal party, the Armenians are willing to return to Azerbaijan all the territories they occupy outside Nagorno-Karabakh, with the exception of the "Lachin Corridor".
Before
the war there was a Kurdish minority in the
area, part of which has been internally dislocated. In fact the town of
Lachin was the capital of the short-lived (1923-1929) 'Kurdish Autonomous
Province', often known as 'Red Kurdistan'.
Near Lachin you can find the monastery of Cicernavak, which traces its origins to Caucasian Albania.
(320 km southwest of Baku)