Kurdistan Uezd
Kurdistan Okrug (also known colloquially as Red Kurdistan from Kurdish Kurdistana Sor, Azerbaijani Qızıl Kürdistan, Russian Красный Курдистан) was a Soviet administrative unit that existed for six years from 1923 to 1929.[1] Its capital was Lachin (Laçîn in Kurdish).
The presence of Kurds in today's Azerbaijan dated back to the 9th century. The area between Nagorno-Karabakh and Zangezur became inhabited by nomadic Kurdish tribes in the 18th century. Eventually, this population became the majority in most parts of the region, particularly around Lachin, Kalbajar (Kelbajar in Kurdish), and Qubadli (Qûbadlî in Kurdish).
Kurdistan Okrug was created by the Soviet authorities to attract sympathies of Kurdish people in neighboring Iran and Turkey and take advantage of Kurdish movements in those countries. It was established on July 7 1923, under the official name "Kurdistan Uyezd". The official language was Kurmanji and Kurdish cultural life flourished during the existence of this entity. On April 8 1929, the Kurdistan uyezd was dissolved. On May 30 1930, a Kurdistan Okrug was founded instead. However, due to the protests of Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was concerned that open support of Kurdish movement could damage the relations with both of those countries, the okrug was liquidated on July 23 1930. In late 1930s Soviet authorities deported most of the Kurdish population of Azerbaijan and Armenia to Kazakhstan, and Kurds of Georgia also became victims of Stalin’s purges in 1944. [2]
In 1992, after occupation of Lachin by Armenian forces during the Nagorno-Karabakh war, the Lachin Kurdish Republic was declared in Armenia by a group led by Waqil Mustafayev. However, since all the Kurdish population was expelled along with Azeris and found refuge in other regions of Azerbaijan this attempt failed. Mustafayev took refuge in Italy.