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In January 1990, in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan SSR, pogroms of Armenian were being carried out by the Azerbaijani nationalists for a week. Information about these events are mentioned in the book written by the former KGB of Azerbaijan SSR chairman Vagif Huseynov; excerpts of the book are published by the "Haqqin.az" portal.

Former Chairman of KGB of Azerbaijani SSR writes that during two weeks crowds of Azerbaijani nationalists who were led by Khalil Rza and Vekila Hajiyev were going to ministries and governmental agencies with lists of Armenians who were holding jobs.

Huseynov notes while describing the situation: "Pogroms of apartments of those who have Armenian nationality continue. In Baku airport the youth groups (40-50 people) beat Armenians, or rather to say, those whom among the passengers they consider to be Armenians. In Narimanov district of Baku the NFA demands the withdrawal of all military units. Otherwise, they promise to attack and seizure the weapons. "

The publication notes that on January 14, in 1990 Huseinov participated in a meeting with First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan SSR A. Vezirov. The meeting was also attended by Yevgeny Primakov, newly arrived member of Presidential Council of the USSR, the Secretary of the CCCP Andrei Girenko as well as Deputy Interior Minister USSR Liskauskas, commander of the Internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of USSR Y. V. Shatalin, deputy chairman of the KGB G.E. Ageev. All them criticized the law enforcement bodies for inaction.

Liskauskas immediately rejected the proposal of introducing a curfew in Baku. E. Primakov stated that there is an agreement with the senior administration on transfering the reserves and on their usage. Then he notices, "Yesterday, we once again pondered all the pros and cons and came to a decision to refrain from violent methods and to try to resolve the situation by political means again."

After the meeting Huseynov told Yevgeny Primakov, the chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, and Vezirov that it would be better to join the leaders of the Popular Front of Azerbaijan and the leadership of the Republic’s KGB to the negotiation processes. They had promised to think over the proposal. I did not receive invitation to participate in a meeting neither then, nor later.

"January 15. Pogroms in Baku continue. Police are trying to counteract in some special cases. At the rally many people are screaming for the formation of volunteer groups to enter the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region. Hundreds have signed, but no one moves to NKAR yet, though there are talks over this issue for two months already," Huseynov writes.

The material also provides a daily summary: there are 11 people killed in Baku, 19 cases of pogroms, 2 arsons. KGB and Interior Ministry received 239 phone calls for help in a day.

The next day, V. Huseynov received a call from Mikhail Gorbachev, the President of the Soviet Union; he noted in particular, "You have enough forces, to take the situation under control. Keep in mind that it is necessary to stop the pogroms in Baku by all means."

V.A. Kruchkov calls. I inform him about the situation, about the meeting of the Central Committee. "What decision did you make? To nothing substantive. We hope that we will be able to convince the top of the NFA at the evening."

In the records of the AzSSR KGB chief made on January 16 is also noted, "Baku - city of anarchy. The total number of corpses - 43, pogroms - 29, hundreds of signals for help. NFA started blocking military units. Near the building of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan crowd were gathered with slogans: "Down with the bloody perestroika!" Large group of demonstrators marched passes the KGB building. Nothing like this has happened before."

V. Husefnov writes that there were rumors in Baku that 80,000 fighters from Armenia had crossed the border of Azerbaijan. "January 17. It is reported that the forces of NFA are left for picketing the highways, military units. Buses, cranes, bulldozers are used, the main areas are barricaded," Huseynov writes.

"The Center is well aware of the situation. Everyone was amazed by the rally held in front of the Central Committee, angered with the blocking of military units, and the gallows in front of Central Committee was a finishing blow to the leadership of the country," Huseynov quotes Vezirov, the head of the Central Committee of Azerbaijan.