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In January of 1990 the people who called them the members of Azerbaijani Popular Front acted like terrorists; they were armed, they opened fire on the soldiers, killed civilians without any hesitation. Moreover, the activists of Popular Front pushed women and children under the tanks. The direct witnesses of 1990 Baku events Aleksandr Korolyov and Evgeni Uvachov told about this to the news portal Ridus. At the time of the events they were serving in the 800th squadron of MID of the Ministry of Defense of USSR.

As it is stated in the article, where all the conclusions are based on the interviews conducted with Aleksandr Korolyov and Evgeni Uvachov, on the 20th of January in 1990 some events occurred in the capital city of Azerbaijan that were later called “Black January.” At the end of 1980s the atmosphere in Azerbaijan started to heat up. “New political organization “Popular Front of Azerbaijan” is rapidly winning over the population. The Popular Front demands an immediate solution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the resignation of top officials of the state, greater independence and national sovereignty for Azerbaijan,” the article reads.

The article states that in 1980s the “perestroika hunger” as well reached to Azerbaijan: food by coupons, queues, deficit, while the wealthy people of Azerbaijan were not accustomed to this kind of life. “Moscow as well as the Russians is losing their credibility in their eyes. Slogans appear like “Tatars to Kazan, Russians to Ryazan,” the article states.

“As it has already been mentioned, in late 1980s the situation in Azerbaijan begins to worsen. Every day the special forces of the separate squadron of MID report about the frequent cases of attacks against civilians (mainly the intermarriages between Armenians and Azerbaijanis are affected), provocations against other minorities, robberies and murders. The term “Russian-speaking population” appears in Azerbaijan. According to the witnesses, those people start to have difficulties in getting the food coupons as well as encounter other non-accidental challenges. The Armenian families start their preparations for moving to another country, they leave their jobs and wrap up all their belongings,” the author notes.

“Ridus” writes that protest actions and rallies are being held in Baku regularly. For security purposes the Special Forces get involved to patrol the streets of the city, guard the houses located near a military unit on the street called after Michman Manin, where the Soviet servicemen live with their families. “More often the name of political oppositional organization of “Popular Front of Azerbaijan” is heard. According to the rumors the Popular Front is gaining power. It is the organizer of the most “actions of intimidation” and is preparing a coup in the republic,” the article states.

“In January of 1990 the situation reaches its “acute phase”. The gunshots, information on armed attacks, including the attacks on Soviet army servicemen are heard in Baku more frequently. The information about the cases of mob law and massacres of individual families comes from the city regularly. At nights the Armenian families quickly leave the city and go to the airport. Some rumors are made up that “the Russians to suppress the resistance” specially brought to Baku “bearded mercenaries.” In fact, “the mercenaries” were the soldiers of the military reserve form the city of Novocherkask arrived in a planned manner for the military training,” the article reads.

Starting from 16th of January mass protests once more are launched in Baku, enterprises strike, the protesters build up barricades near the “Salyan barracks”, where the whole complex consisting of various departments of the Ministry of Defense of USSR is situated. Post-control points are blocked by vehicles, concrete slabs and even by fuel tankers.

Starting from 19th of January TV and Radio of the city stop broadcasting; firstly, the Central TV, and then the local Azerbaijani one as well. Only a few little-known radio stations from Moscow and Azerbaijan are running. Some of these stations play rock music and no word about the current events is pronounced. The others continuously preach and read Muslim prayers.

“The columns of Soviet troops arrive to Baku to restore order. The top heads of the Ministry of Defense and other departments as well arrive to Baku. The special forces of 800th squadron of MID provide the security of the troops, protection of the officials and escort the refugees to the airport. Scouts get shot in the first fire. Besides, the priority of the special forces becomes the neutralization of the centers of the resistance, fire nests of the APF,” the article posits.

It is also said in the article that one of the groups of these Special Forces was commanded by Aleksey Efentiev (later known as “Gyurza”). In the course Baku events he skillfully shot the snipers of “Popular Front” and, most importantly, taught the soldiers how to operate in a real environment of combat.
“Now we can definitely say that in Azerbaijan the card of big political game on the collapse of USSR was raffled. The people who called themselves the members of Popular Front of Azerbaijan acted like terrorists, they were armed, they fired towards the servicemen, killed the civilians without any hesitation, carefully designed provocations, manipulated the crowds of protesters.,” the article states.
The special forces of 800th squadron of MID watched videos on how the protesters died when coming out from “Salyan barracks.”
“It was obvious that the activists of the protest put women and children ahead of the crowd, and they were the ones who fell under the wheels of the vehicles when the Soviet tanks left the territory. Once, the soldiers defused a woman-machine –gunner, who was hand-cuffed to her weapon. The woman explained that her children were handicapped by the combatants who promised that would start “killing them one by one” as soon as the shooting of her gun would stop,” the article says.

As it is stated in the article, the Soviet soldiers in this situation acted as peacekeepers. They prevented the mass bloodshed, neutralized targeted fighters and defended the civilians. Repeatedly the civilians sought refuge in the territory of the military unit of the special forces of 800th squadron of MID.

“It cannot be claimed that the Soviet Army committed atrocities on the territory of Azerbaijan. In general, what atrocities we are speaking about, if according to official figures in mass riots 134 civilians and more than 20 Soviet soldiers were killed. It should be noted that the combatants of Popular Front were also calculated as civilians and no one until this day officially calls them combatants,” the article posits and as well mentions that the military had strict order not to commit the use of force until there is no attack while shooting towards the unarmed population was strictly forbidden.

“The facts, brought in this article, refute the version that the military committed autocracies,” the Ridus states.