Baku, August 1, 2025 — A new front has emerged in Azerbaijani-Russian tensions — the battle over geographic names. The use of Armenian-origin toponyms such as “Stepanakert” and “Nagorno-Karabakh” by Russian state media and Telegram channels has sparked sharp protests from Baku.
Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an official statement demanding Russian outlets correct these terms, warning that Azerbaijan might begin using the historical names of Russian cities in retaliation. Among the examples listed:
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Kaliningrad – Königsberg
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Orenburg – Orynbor
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Volgograd – Sarısu
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Grozny – Solzha-Gala
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Novorossiysk – Sudzhuk-Kale
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Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk – Toyohara
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Petrozavodsk – Petroskoi
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Izhevsk – Izhkar
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Volga River – Itil
The conflict began when TASS, Russia’s state news agency, referred to the Azerbaijani city of Khankendi as “Stepanakert.” Following Azerbaijan’s warning, TASS changed the reference to “Nagorno-Karabakh,” a term Baku also considers invalid, as no such administrative region exists in the country today. Azerbaijan asserts that the Soviet-imposed “Nagorno” and “lowland” divisions of Karabakh are outdated and politically loaded.
Analysts from the region say this is part of a deliberate political strategy by Russia. Georgian expert Gela Vasadze remarked to Media.Az:
“Toponyms are political. When Russia uses ‘Nagorno-Karabakh’ or ‘Stepanakert,’ it signals a refusal to recognize Azerbaijani sovereignty and implies a justification for interference.”
Ukrainian political scientist Petro Oleshchuk agreed, framing the rhetoric as a sign of Russian weakness:
“Russia is out of resources. It can no longer assert influence on the ground and resorts to symbolic provocations. The civilian airliner incident — when Russia downed an Azerbaijani plane and refused to fully acknowledge its responsibility — only worsened relations. Now, they fall back on media manipulation to keep tensions simmering.”
Oleshchuk added that Azerbaijan’s reciprocal warning is proportionate and justified:
“Azerbaijan’s response is measured. If Russia cannot respect sovereignty in language, it cannot expect soft diplomacy in return.”
This naming dispute reflects broader regional shifts, where Baku is increasingly assertive and less tolerant of what it views as imperialist remnants in Russian policy and language.
