recogn ised ▁Republic ▁of ▁Mountain ous ▁Kar ab akh ▁( N K R , ▁Arts akh ) ▁claims ▁that ▁Men ash en ▁and ▁the ▁Shah um yan ▁region ▁should ▁fall ▁within ▁the ▁NK R . ▁ ▁Today ▁M ə n ə ş li ▁has ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 2 9 8 , ▁and ▁the ▁municipality ▁consists ▁of ▁two ▁villages : ▁M ə n ə ş li ▁and ▁Er ke ç . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁village ▁was ▁founded ▁as ▁Man ash id ▁( or ▁Mon ash id ) ▁by ▁Swiss - G erman ▁sett lers ▁and ▁was ▁once ▁ren owned ▁for ▁its ▁che ese . ▁Later , ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁Shah um yan ▁district ▁of ▁Soviet ▁A zer ba ij an , ▁it ▁became ▁populated ▁by ▁Armen ians . ▁During ▁the ▁Nag orno ▁Kar ab akh ▁conflict , ▁the ▁area ▁around ▁Man ash id ▁was ▁at ▁the ▁heart ▁of ▁the ▁fighting ▁during ▁Operation ▁Ring ▁in ▁spring ▁ 1 9 9 1 . ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Trib une ▁reported ▁that ▁the ▁residents ▁had ▁lived ▁" without ▁electric ity , ▁gas ▁and ▁supplies ▁for ▁months " ▁and ▁that ▁school ▁had ▁been ▁cancel led ▁as ▁" res idents ▁fear ▁putting ▁all ▁the ▁children ▁in ▁one ▁place ▁that ▁could ▁be ▁sh elled " ▁▁ ▁At ▁that ▁time ▁the ▁reports ▁still ▁doubt ed ▁that ▁the ▁A zer ba ij ani ▁forces ▁would ▁prev ail ▁as , ▁according ▁to ▁one ▁eth nic - Ar men ian ▁who ▁had ▁come ▁as ▁a ▁volunte er ▁to