The breakup of the Soviet Union unleashed a ‘parade of sovereignties’. One of the least understood cases in this cascade is the Talish-Mughan Autonomous Republic (TMAR) declared in southeastern Azerbaijan in the summer of 1993. What explains its sudden rise and abrupt downfall? We address this question using first-hand insights from interviews (N=20) with participants in and observers close to the regional project. We find that long-standing stigmatization as a backward part of Azerbaijan, which earlier had served to incentivize assimilation, turned into a stimulus for mobilization among Talishis in the late-1980s. Fears for the future led regional elites to push for self-determination, but their project faced steep collective action problems. Once Baku restored its coercive clout, regional elites defected from the TMAR and locals rushed to dissociate themselves from their Talishness. Fifth column accusations induced outward allegiance to the state and a sudden ‘flip’ in social identification.