The Nakhchivan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR) functioned as an administrative entity with a distinctive legal and geopolitical status during the Soviet period. While constituting an integral part of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, it simultaneously represented a strategically significant border region located along the southwestern frontiers of the USSR. In this context, the issue of Nakhchivan’s territorial integrity constituted a complex and multilayered problem shaped by historical, ethnic, legal, and international dimensions. This study examines the origins of these challenges and analyzes the policies of the Soviet administration within a systematic analytical framework. Nakhchivan’s affiliation with Azerbaijan was grounded not only in ethnic and cultural factors but also in international legal instruments. The Moscow Treaty of 16 March 1921 and the Kars Treaty of 13 October 1921 formally established Nakhchivan’s status as an autonomous region within the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan, based on an agreement reached among Turkey, Soviet Russia, and the South Caucasian republics. These treaties explicitly stipulated that Nakhchivan would remain an autonomous entity under Azerbaijani jurisdiction and that this status could not be transferred to any third state. On the basis of this legal framework, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was established in 1924. As a constituent part of both the Azerbaijan SSR and the Soviet Union, the Nakhchivan ASSR developed a distinct administrative structure supported by its own political and legal institutions. This status evolved into a functional mechanism that safeguarded the region’s territorial integrity and provided resilience against external claims and interventions.
Yegane Mammadova (2026) studied this question.