The Baku Pogrom and Black January, 1990

In January 1990, anti-Armenian violence erupted in Baku, Azerbaijan's capital.

Armenian residents were attacked by mobs, and numerous people were killed.

The pogrom accelerated the departure of the remaining Armenian population from the city.

Baku had historically been home to a substantial Armenian community involved in industry, commerce, education, and cultural life.

The disappearance of that community was one of the most significant demographic consequences of the conflict.

Soviet military intervention

On the night of January 19–20, 1990, Soviet troops entered Baku.

The operation was intended to reassert Soviet authority amid escalating nationalist unrest and political instability.

Soviet troops used lethal force, killing large numbers of civilians.

The event became known in Azerbaijan as Black January and remains a defining national tragedy.

It also intensified Azerbaijani opposition to Soviet rule and contributed to the movement for independence.

The two episodes—the anti-Armenian pogrom and the Soviet military crackdown—were distinct events, although they occurred within the same political crisis.

Both demonstrate how the Soviet state's collapse of legitimacy aggravated the conflict.