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Investigations show that a part of the religious and cultural heritage of Nagorno Karabakh has been destroyed, and the rest is either being destroyed or is endangered.
As a result of the 44-day war in 2020, about 2,000 cultural monuments came under the control of Azerbaijan: monasteries and churches, khachkars (cross stones), tombstones, tombs, cemeteries and sanctuaries. Among them were the Holy All Savior Ghazanchetsots Church in Shushi, Saint John the Baptist Church (Kanach Zham) in Shushi, Zoravar Saint Astvatsatsin Church in Mekhakavan.
The Monitoring the Cultural Heritage of Artsakh (Monument Watch) program published an analysis in 2022, according to which the total number of religious and cultural monuments in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) exceeds 4,000, of which 10 percent are pre-Christian, about 1.5 percent are Muslim, the rest are Armenian Christian monuments and date from the 4th to the 19th centuries.
As a result of the September 2023 war, Nagorno-Karabakh lost its entire Armenian population, and three months later, the Caucasus Heritage Watch released its Monitoring Report #6 on the state of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The document mentions 44 religious and cultural monuments, 8 of which are destroyed, 12 are damaged, and 24 are endangered.
In June 2024, the the Caucasus Heritage Watch released its Monitoring Report #7 on the state of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.
In just 6 months, the number of destroyed cultural monuments reached 14, the number of damaged monuments reached 12, and the number of endangered monuments reached 31.
The Fact Investigation Platform has referred to examples of religious and cultural monuments of Nagorno-Karabakh, which Azerbaijan damaged, partially or completely destroyed after the wars in 2020 and 2023.
Holy All Savior Ghazanchetsots Church in Shushi
Holy All Savior Ghazanchetsots Church in Shushi was targeted by Azerbaijan during the 44-day war of 2020. On October 8, 2020, Ghazanchetsots was shelled twice, as a result of which the roof of the church partially collapsed, and the dome was damaged.
The construction of Holy All Savior Ghazanchetsots Church began in 1868 and ended in 1887, as we can learn from the lithographs of the church. During the Soviet period, the church was turned into a grain warehouse. In the 1960s, the statues of angels placed at the entrance of the church were damaged, the dome was destroyed. And during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, Azerbaijan used the church as a military warehouse. The church was fully restored in 1998.
As a result of the 2020 war, Holy All Savior Ghazanchetsots Church in Shushi came under the control of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan announced that it will start restoration works of the church. In May 2021, it was revealed that the dome of the church had been dismantled, and a round mosque-like structure had been installed in its place.
In April of this year, the Azerbaijani sources wrote that the “restoration works of the walls of the church are ongoing”.
Holy All Savior Ghazanchetsots Church in Shushi in February 2021 and April 2024
Saint Sargis Church of Mokhrenes
St. Sargis Church in Mokhrenes was built between the 18th-19th centuries. It was located in the northeastern part of Mokhrenes village of Hadrut region. During the Soviet years, the church was plastered from the inside and was used for economic purposes. As a result of the 44-day war, the village of Mokhrenes came under the control of Azerbaijan. The church was not damaged during the war. However, as the Caucasus Watch stated, the photo taken from space on July 6, 2022 shows that the church has been completely destroyed. A picture taken on September 26, 2023 clearly shows that another structure has been built on the site of the church.
Saint Sargis Church in Mokhrenes in July 2021 and September 2023.
Church of Saint John the Baptist in Shushi (Kanach Zham)
Saint John the Baptist Church in Shushi was built in 1847. The church is located in the western part of the city of Shushi. Previously, it was also called the Karabakhtsots Church. During the Soviet period, Azerbaijanis turned the church into a tavern.
Shortly after the 2020 war, on November 15, a video was posted on Facebook showing the church in a half-destroyed state. The dome and bell tower of the church had almost completely been destroyed. The identification of the dilapidated building in the video with the Kanach Zham church was done by fip.am in an article published on November 19, 2020.
On April 18, 2024, the Caucasus Heritage Watch issued a statement that St. John the Baptist Church in Shushi has been completely destroyed. The satellite photos clearly show that the church building is no longer there.
The Kanach Zham Church in Shushi in October 2020 and April 2024
Since the war in 2020, the Caucasus Heritage Watch has been regularly taking satellite photos of cultural monuments under the control of Azerbaijan, which allow comparing their condition in the past and today. In this way it was recorded that a number of cultural monuments have been destroyed.
We often learn about the destruction of other Armenian monuments from Azerbaijani users who post relevant videos or photos on their personal accounts or groups on social networks.
On February 1, 2024, a video was published on the Azeri togrulavshar Instagram page, which showed the church on the left side of the highway leading from Stepanakert to Martakert, on the top of Vankasar Mountain. The cross on the church dome had been removed.
The Vankasar Church was founded in the 7th century. It was mentioned for the first time in Sargis Jalalyan’s work “Journey to Great Armenia”. In the 80s of the last century, entertainment venues were built in the area adjacent to the church. During the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, they were damaged. As a result of the 44-day war in 2020, the church came under the control of Azerbaijan. We learn about the current state of the church from various Azerbaijani social media posts.
On November 8, 2023, Без Тормозов Azerbaijani Telegram channel published a picture of the statue of Stepan Shahumyan. The statue installed in the park named after Shahumyan in Stepanakert has been taken down and thrown upside down on the ground in another area. The picture was shared by Azerbaijani Telegram channels and Armenian media. Satellite photos of the park show that there is nothing left on the site of the statue.
The park named after Shahumyan in Stepanakert in November 2021 and April 2024
On February 2, 2024, the Azerbaijani Karabakh Today I Карабах Сегодня Telegram channel referred to the statue of Ashot Ghulyan (nicknamed Bekor). It was mentioned that the statue has been dismantled. It was located in the park behind the Park Hotel Artsakh in Stepanakert. Satellite images show that there is nothing on the statue site.
Park named after Bekor in November 2021 and April 2024
Starting from April 21, 2024, the pictures taken from space show that the Holy Ascension Church of Berdzor has been completely destroyed. The alert was issued by the Foundation for the Study of Armenian Architecture. The church had been functioning since 1998. In 2021, the Azerbaijani Non-Governmental Organization for the Protection of Monuments submitted a project proposal to turn the church into a mosque. In 2022, the city of Berdzor together with the church came under the control of Azerbaijan. There was no information about the state of the church until recently.
Holy Ascension Church in Berdzor in April 2022 and April 2024
Evidence shows that Azerbaijan has been destroying, damaging or expropriating Armenian cultural monuments since the 20-30s of the 20th century, and in the 50s it became the targeted policy of that country. One of the prominent examples is the monastery of Charektar village in the upper valley of Tartar. During the Soviet period, the village was depopulated and inhabited by Azerbaijanis, who turned the monastery into a barn. Over the years, it had been destroyed and altered, and the khachkars and tombstones had been broken and damaged.
Alyona Hayrapetyan
To be continued
