Tag: Baku

Gorbachev’s ‘Greatest Mistake’ – Black January In Baku 25 Years Ago Today

January 19, 2015

Staunton, January 19 – Twenty-five years ago today, on Mikhail Gorbachev’s order, Soviet troops invaded the Azerbaijani capital of Baku by land, sea and air, killing hundreds and enflaming ethnic hatreds, in an action the Soviet president five years after the events acknowledged was “the greatest mistake” of his political career. That event, known to […]

Water Dispute Between Azerbaijan and Dagestan Taking On Ethnic Dimension

August 14, 2014

Staunton, August 14 – Hot weather in the Caucasus has reduced the flows of river water and increased demands for its use, hereby triggering a dispute between Azerbaijanis and Dagestanis. This local conflict appears set to involve Moscow and Baku because it is rapidly taking on an ethnic dimension. For most of its route, the […]

Putin Reaches Out to Declining Demographic – Russian Speakers in Former Republics

April 23, 2014

Staunton, April 23 – Not only have the number of people in the former non-Russian republics identifying as ethnic Russians fallen dramatically since 1991, but the number who speak Russian or who study it in school has fallen precipitously as well, a trend that means Vladimir Putin is reaching out to an ever-smaller group and […]