 Nyorera kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Munguva yeSoviet, dunhu rine vanhu vazhinji veArmenian rakatongwa senzvimbo yakazvimiririra mukati meAzerbaijan SSR. Sezvo Soviet Union yakatanga kupararamukupera kwema1980 nyaya yechikamu cheNagorno-Karabakh yakabudazve, uye musi wa20 Kukadzi 1988 paramende yeNagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast yakapa chisarudzo chekukumbira kuendeswa kwe oblast kubva kuAzerbaijan SSR kuenda kuArmenian SSR. Azerbaijan yakaramba chikumbiro ichi kakawanda, uye mhirizhonga yemadzinza yakatanga nguva pfupi yapfuura nekurwiswa kwevaArmenian muSumgait, Ganja neBaku, uye vaAzerbaijan muGugark neStepanakert. Kutevera kubviswa kwenzvimbo yeNagorno-Karabakh yakazvimiririra, referendamu yekuzvimiririra yakaitwa mudunhu iri musi wa 10 Zvita 1991. Referendamu yacho yakarambwa nevanhu veAzerbaijan, avo panguva iyoyo vaiumba 22.8 yevagari venzvimbo iyi; 99.8 yevatori vechikamu vakavhota. Pakuvamba muna 1992, pashure pokuparara kweSoviet Union, nharaunda yacho yakapinda muhondo chaiyoiyo. 