ARTSAKH HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

Annenfeld 2 Monuments

Azerbaijan (Country) / Northern Artsakh (Area) / Shamkhor (District) / Shamkhor (City) / Annenfeld (Colony)

Location

The settlement extends on the right bank of the river Jagir, at an altitude of 400 to 500 metres above sea level.

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 519.

Historical Introduction
1817 — 1818 yy․

Between 1817 and 1818, the Government allocated some lands lying on the left bank of the river Shamkor (the site of the present-day village of Yenihayad) to 67 families of German immigrants who were to become the founders of a colony “...named after Great Princess Ann Pavlovna, the queen of the Netherlands...”

Lalayan, Yer. Gandzak District. In: “Azgagrakan Handes,” vol. 5, Tiflis, 1899, No. 1, p. 330.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 519.

Soon, however, many of the resettlers fell victim to the unfavourable climatic conditions of the area characterized by “...a severe climate and fertile soil, if only there was sufficient irrigation water...”

Meves, V. Articles on Yelizavetpol District. In: “Kavkaz,” 1865, No. 35, p. 197 (the original reads, “...с убийственным климатом и плодороднейшей почвою, если бывает достаточно воды для поливки полей”).
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 519.

1826 y․

Hardly a decade after its establishment, in 1826, Annenfeld was reduced to ruins by the troops of Persian Prince Abbas-Mirza. Although the Government rendered some financial aid to the local inhabitants after the termination of the Russo-Persian war,737 the rigorous climate made “them scatter in different villages: by 1831 360 people had died, whereas the number of the newly-born amounted to only 94. The former residents of Annenfeld, however, were soon obliged to return, failing to find unoccupied territories anywhere.”

Lalayan, Yer. Gandzak District. In: “Azgagrakan Handes,” vol. 5, Tiflis, 1899, No. 1, p. 331. The author repeats the record by the “Nor-Dar” periodical (1890, N 119, p. 2) with almost no changes.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, pp. 519-520.

1873 y․

Eventually, in 1873 the authorities moved these people “...to a place of healthy climate situated eight versts northward. They were given 1,500 logs and 6,000 rubles for the construction of new dwellings.” That marked the establishment of Nor Annenfeld constituting half of the eastern part of the present-day city of Shamkor.

Lalayan, Yer. Gandzak District. In: “Azgagrakan Handes,” vol. 5, Tiflis, 1899, No. 1, p. 331.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 520.

1938 y․

In 1938 it was renamed Shamkor.

The Azerbaijanian SSR: Administrative-Territorial Division. Baku, 1979, p. 211.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 520.

Construction Activity
1864 y․

In 1864 a visitor described Annenfeld in the following way, “...approaching the colony, I was fascinated by its finely-cultivated fields, the golden wheat swaying in the wind, the wonderful, green meadows as well as the orchards and vineyards, that lay in silent manifestation of the uttermost care and great skills thanks to which they had come into being: in a word, it was an oasis in an uninhabited desert...”

Meves, V. Articles on Yelizavetpol District. In: “Kavkaz,” 1865, No. 43, p. 235 (the original reads, “...Подъезжая к колонии, я был обрадован видом прекрасно обработанных полей, зыблющихся волною золотистых хлебов, превосходною зеленью лугов, живописными пейзажами отлично обработанных садов фруктовых и виноградных. Словом, это-что то в роде оазиса в безлюдной пустыне...”).
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 520.

1890 y․

According to the same visitor, in the 1890s Annenfeld was distinguished for its well-thought-out plan: “The straight, regular streets, planted with tall trees, and the finely-built houses with their large yards imparted a perfect appearance to the village... There is not anything worthy of mention regarding this colony, which is almost identical to Helenendorf... Unlike the latter, however, it does not enjoy an advanced stage of development, for it is farther from the centre.”

Meves, V. Articles on Yelizavetpol District. In: “Kavkaz,” 1865, No. 43, p. 355.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 520.

Population
1903 y․

In 1903 Annenfeld had an Armenian population of about 25 houses.

“Nor-Dar,” 1903, No. 14, p. 2.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 520.

1905 — 1906 yy․

In the days of the Armeno-Turkish fights of 1905 to 1906, the number of the Armenians oscillated between 25 and 30. They had over 30 large and small shops all of which were plundered and destroyed by the Turkish residents of Morul.

A-Do, The Armeno-Turkish Fights in Caucasia. Yerevan, 1907, pp. 340-341.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 520.

Monuments
19 c․

The archaeological monuments preserved in the neighbourhood of Annenfeld include some tumuli which were studied by Yer. Lalayan in the late 19th century.

Lalayan, Yer. Gandzak District. In: “Azgagrakan Handes,” vol. 5, Tiflis, 1899, No. 1, p. 355.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 520.

Name	Year/Century	Etymology
Annino

The scanty statistical data regarding the number of the local inhabitants represent the following picture:

Dates	German Houses	Total (Germans)	Notes	Source
1886	116	492	The majority of the local population were Germans who constituted 97 houses with 201 male and 236 female inhabitants. The available records on the number of the representatives of other nationalities are as follows: 16 Armenian houses with 23 male and 20 female inhabitants; a single Russian house with 3 males and 4 females; a single Georgian house with 2 males and a female, and a Persian house with 2 males.	Yelizavetpol Province: A Statistical Survey Based on the Family Lists of Caucasia's Population. Tiflis, 1888, pp. 76-77; Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 520.
1914		942		Caucasian Calendar for 1915, Tiflis, 1914, p. 89; Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 520.