Maralzami

Maralzami is a village in the Zangezur uezd of the former Yelizavetpol (Ganja) governorate, later in the former Mehri (Meghri) district, and currently in the Syunik province. It lies 1 km to the north of the Vartanizor village, on the left bank of the Migri River, at a height of 1,200 m above sea level. Following the establishment of the Zangezur uezd in Soviet Armenia on 31 August 1921, the settlement was integrated into the administrative territory of Armenia.

The village was was solely inhabited by Azerbaijanis: 18 in 1831, 123 in 1873, 174 in 1886, 193 in 1897 and 951 Azerbaijanis in 1904. In 1918 the inhabitants of the village were exposed to aggression of Armenian armed forces, deported or massacred, and Armenians were settled in the village. Following the establishment of Soviet power in the territory of present-day Armenia, the Azerbaijanis expelled from the village managed to return to their historical and ethnic lands. The village was was solely inhabited by Azerbaijanis: 28 in 1922, 72 in 1926, 98 in 1931, 134 in 1939, 161 in 1959, 179 in 1970, 178 in 1979 and 800 Azerbaijanis in 1987. In November 1988 the Azerbaijanis were deported from their historical and ethnic lands by the Armenian government. At present, the village is inhabited by Armenians.

The toponym was coined by combining the animal name “maral” (deer) and the Persian word “zami”, which implies “a field, farmland”.

The village was renamed “Verin Vardanazor” and then “Tkhkut” by decision of the Armenian Parliament dated 4 July 2006. According to the law “On the Administrative-Territorial Division of the Republic of Armenia” dated 7 November 1995, it was integrated into the administrative territory of the Syunik province.

Geographical coordinates: latitude: 38°59’ N., longitude: 46°14’ E.