Kharkh-Oba and Urian-Oba are moving to Russia

The situation surrounding the populations of the villages of Kharkh-Oba and Urian-Oba in the Khachmaz district in Azerbaijan, inhabited by Lezgians, remain in the field of vision of Azerbaijani and Russian authorities. The villages are situated on the territory of the Khachmaz district of Azerbaijan. However, till September 2010 they were a part of the Magaramkent district of Dagestan. In 1954, the pastoral territories were temporary separated from the Azerbaijani SSR and given to the Dagestani autonomous republic of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.

In an agreement concerning the border between Azerbaijan and Russia, signed in September 2010, Russia acknowledged recognition of Azerbaijan's ownership of the villages. However, many inhabitants of the villages refused to become Azerbaijani citizens and expressed a desire to move to Dagestan, remaining Russian citizens. A special bilateral commission deals with all the questions of the move. However, there are still some difficulties. 

According to the Dagestani weekly "Vastoayshee Vremya" (Present Time), children of the two villages have no opportunity of receiving a school education. The inhabitants called on the Russian President, as well as the head of Dagestan, to solve the problem.   

Previously, the inhabitants carried out multiple rallies in Makhachkala. Members of Russian embassy in Azerbaijan explained that, after the signing of the agreement, the inhabitants of the villages were to legalize their status in accordance with Azerbaijani law or leave the country, remaining Russian citizens. The deadline for a decision on their status expired on August 24. However, it has been prolonged after an address of the Dagestani party. The Dagestani authorities managed to find a solution to the question of the settlers' compact settlement in the Magaramkent district of Dagestan. 

Commenting upon the situation around the inhabitants of Kharkh-Oba and Urian-Oba, a deputy of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan, Rasim Musambekov, noted that these villages have always been a part of Azerbaijan. They were just rented as pastoral territories. Honestly, I don't know if there was a school or what its syllabus and sources of financing were.  And if it will continue functioning as a Russian school in Azerbaijan, an agreement between the Russian and Azerbaijani governments must be concluded, and there is no other solution to this question - the Azerbaijani deputy noted.

According to Rasim Musambekov, 60 thousand Lezgians live in the Khachmaz district of Azerbaijan and they have no special problems. "These 300 people may become Azerbaijani citizens and live without any problems, like their neighbors. If they aim to move to Dagestan, it's their choice. I think they will be rendered assistance in this.

However, it is impossible to live in Azerbaijan under Russian law: there are millions of Azerbaijanis living in Russia. They live under Russian law, not Azerbaijani. I think there should be understanding. Anyhow, I will repeat myself - there was a school and people studied there. I think a solution should be found before the parents make their decision, so that the children can avoid a gap in their education. A Russian school is impossible in Azerbaijan without a corresponding agreement at the level of the ministries of education. What efforts might Azerbaijan make? We have our laws. According to our laws there are Azerbaijani schools, with their own syllabus, containing the history of Azerbaijan, not the history of Russia. They should choose: they may live like 200 thousand other Lezgians under Azerbaijani laws," the deputy concluded. 

Evgeny Krishtalev, exclusively to VK