Day of Remembrance for Victims of Massacres in Armenia Date in the current year: February 28, 2024

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an ethnic conflict between Armenians and Azerbaijanis that began in the late 1980s. Nagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region in Azerbaijan populated mainly by Armenians who strive for independence.

In the course of the conflict, numerous pogroms took place. Armenian population was killed by Azerbaijanis, and vice versa. The Sumgait pogrom was one of the most notorious massacres of the civilian population. It took place in late February 1988 in the Azerbaijani town of Sumgait. Armenians were killed on the streets and in their apartments by ethnic Azerbaijanis.

Other anti-Armenian pogroms took place in the cities of Baku and Kirovabad (now Ganja). The Kirovabad pogrom occurred during November 1988. The Baku pogrom started on January 12, 1990 and lasted for seven days.

On February 28 (the anniversary of the Sumgait pogrom), Armenians honor the memory of those who were massacred by Azerbaijanis during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. This memorial day also focuses on protecting the rights of refugee Armenian population who were forced from their homes during pogroms.