Arzakend

Arzakend is a village in the Novo-Bayazid uezd of the former Iravan governorate, later in the former Akhta (Hrazdan) district, and currently in the Kotayk province. The provincial centre lies 21 km to the northwest of the town of Hrazdan, to the right of the Dallar River, the left branch of the Zangi River, at the foot of Gullu Mountain and at a height of 1,500 m above sea level. It was mentioned as “Arzgan” in “The Iravan Province Review Book”, as “Arzakend” on the five-verst map of the Caucasus “ and as “Arzakan” in the works of Armenian authors.

The main inhabitants of the village were Azerbaijanis. Armenians moved there in 1828–1830 from the Iranian provinces of Maku and Khoy, and the Turkish provinces of Bayazid and Mush, as well as Tiflis. The village was inhabited by 33 Azerbaijanis in 1831, 239 in 1873, 312 in 1886, 255 in 1897, 528 in 1908 and 786 Azerbaijanis in 1914, whereas 1,633 Azerbaijanis and Armenians lived there in 1916. In 1918 the Azerbaijanis were massacred or ousted by Armenian armed units. The surviving Azerbaijanis managed to return to their own village after Soviet power had been established in present-day Armenia. The village was inhabited by 20 Azerbaijanis in 1922 and 16 in 1926. In 1928-1930 the Azerbaijanis were forced to desert their village. Presently, only Armenians live in the village.

The toponym was formed by combining the words “arz” and “kend”.

At present, the name of the settlement is written in Armenian as “Arzakan” in official documents. According to the law “On the administrative-territorial division of the Republic of Armenia” dated 7 November 1995, it was integrated into the administrative area of the Kotayk province.

Geographic coordinates: latitude: 40°26′ N., longitude: 44°36′ E.