In December 1991, with the Soviet Union imploding, Shahumyan was claimed by the Republic of Artsakh and became the flashpoint of considerable fighting during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. This reached a climax in summer 1992, when the Azerbaijani army was able to retain its control over most of the area. Damage was severe and the Armenian population fled. Shaumian was renamed to Aşağı Ağcakənd in 1992, and the town has since been partly re-populated by Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons.