Destruction of Armenian Cultural Heritage of Artsakh

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As a result of Azerbaijan’s military operations initiated on September 19, 2023—which targeted civilian infrastructure and cultural heritage sites in Artsakh and involved killings, captivity, intimidation, and racial discrimination—approximately 100,600 ethnic Armenians were forcibly displaced from the region. This mass displacement followed the 44 Day War of 2020, which had already forced the populations of Shushi, Hadrut, and other regions of Artsakh to flee areas that fell under Azerbaijani control after the  November 9, 2020 tripartite agreement. The crisis was further exacerbated by the nine-month blockade of the Lachin Corridor and the systematic destruction and appropriation of unique cultural heritage. Today, there are 120,000 forcibly displaced people, including 20,000 who were displaced after the 2020 war.

Azerbaijan’s targeted state policy has systematically cut off Artsakh Armenians from their socio-cultural values, depriving them of the opportunity to practice, enjoy, and transmit their cultural knowledge, customs, and traditions tied to nature, monuments, community, and the cultural landscape of their historic homeland. The forced removal of historical monuments in Artsakh, along with the destruction and desecration of numerous heritage sites, have made it impossible to maintain rituals, traditions, and holidays associated with churches, sanctuaries, and pilgrimage sites. These actions directly violate the cultural rights of Artsakh Armenians and pose challenges to their cultural preservation. 

Artsakh’s Cultural Heritage and Azerbaijan’s Policy of Its Destruction

Artsakh boasts a rich cultural heritage, much of which has survived from ancient times. The region’s inventory of monuments exceeds 4,000, including monasteries, churches, khachkars (stone-crosses), tombstones, mausoleums, cemeteries, sanctuaries, fortresses, castles, palaces and chapels. Of these, 10% predate Christianity, about 20 date from the 14th-16th centuries, and the rest are Armenian Christian monuments from the 4th-19th centuries. 

The majority of Artsakh’s material heritage consists of Christian monuments, dozens of which are renowned landmarks in the global scholarly and cultural community. These include: Amaras Monastery, Vankasar Church, Apostle Yeghisha Monastery, Dadivank, Gandzasar Monastery, Charektar Monastery, Tsitsernavank, Kataro Monastery, Gtchavank, Spitak Khach, Handabert  Monastery, Yerits Mankants (The Three Children) Monastery, Shakhax Monastery,  Varazghom Monastery.

Additionally, the region is home to thousands of khachkars and tombstones.

The 2020 war was marked by widespread destruction, desecration, and usurpation of Artsakh’s irreplaceable cultural treasures. For the past four years, even during lulls in military activity, a systematic campaign against Armenian heritage has persisted. 

Azerbaijan’s policy of physically destroying Artsakh’s cultural heritage is multifaceted, encompassing several approaches. 

Azerbaijan’s policy of destroying churches in Artsakh is aimed at damaging the spiritual connection of Artsakh Armenians to these sites. It deprives them of important spaces for practices, rituals, and prayers, hindering their ability to carry out spiritual activities—a crucial component of realizing the right to culture.

Clear examples of the destruction of such heritage include the complete demolition of Zoravor St. Astvatsatsin Church in the Jebrayil (Mekhakavan) settlement, St. Sargis Church in Mokhrenis village, and the Kanach Zham St. Hovhannes Mkrtich Church in Shushi in 2020. Additionally, Azerbaijan obliterated the Surb Hambardzum Church of Berdzor․ Furthermore, the targeting of the Holy Saviour Ghazanchetsots Church in Shushi––including the destruction of its dome, ongoing damage, removal of inscriptions under the pretext of restoration, and destruction of the ornament of Christ and cross symbols—serves as powerful evidence of this policy. 

Azerbaijan turned the historical layers of the Meghretsots St. Astvatsatsin Church in Shushi, built in 1838, into a garbage heap. They removed the cross from the 7th-century church of Vankasar, toppled the 50-meter illuminated cross located on a hill near Stepanakert, destroyed unique inscriptions on the medieval churches of St. Sargis and St. Grigor in Tsar village, and defaced cross sculptures. The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, aptly noted: “Attacks on historic monuments and buildings dedicated to religion are de facto attacks on the very people that hold such tangible possessions near and dear to their cultural identity.”  

Khachkars, alongside churches, are among the most distinctive and original symbols of Armenian identity, making them primary targets of Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian policy. Due to their large numbers and outdoor locations, khachkars are also among the most accessible sanctuaries in Armenian culture. These sacred stones, with a historical legacy spanning over a thousand years, also represent a modern cultural expression, with hundreds installed in Artsakh over the past 30 years. 

Azerbaijan’s coordinated campaign is particularly evident in the destruction of several significant khachkars. This includes: khachkars from Arakel village in Hadrut region, those from the city’s freedom fighters memorial complex, the unique 14th-century khachkar at the Lachin historical cemetery in 2020, numerous khachkars from the 15th-16th centuries. The chapel of the Union of Karabakh War Veterans and surrounding khachkars in Mataghis were destroyed in 2022, unique 12th-13th century khachkars from the ancient Armenian-Greek cemetery in Shushi and khachkars dedicated to the Artsakh Liberation War in Ukhtadzor in Hadrut region and Vorotan were also destroyed. Additionally, the khachkar installed in 1995 at the Kavakavank church has disappeared. In 2024, the khachkar-monument of Simon’s Fountain in Martakert, which was erected in October 2021, and the spring-monument of Aghanus village in Kashatagh, along with two khachkars, were destroyed. In Shushi, the khachkars in the Tank Monument area were destroyed. 

Notably, “The Art of Armenian Khachkars: The Symbolism and Craftsmanship of Khachkars” has been included in UNESCO‘s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2010. This recognition means that cross-stone art has an exceptional universal value and requires enhanced international protection. Moreover, it highlights its considerable relevance to the global cultural treasury. The destruction of these treasures is therefore a serious blow to the common heritage of humanity and universal values and constitutes a grave crime against humanity․

The Second Additional Protocol (adopted in 1999) to the 1954 Hague Convention for “The Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict”, places the entire culture of khachkars under enhanced protection. According to Article 15 of the Protocol, any damage to these cultural artifacts is considered a serious violation, potentially prosecutable in international courts as a war crime. Article 10 of the Protocol stipulates that cultural property may receive enhanced protection if it holds the greatest importance to humanity. Indeed, UNESCO recognized the entire cross-stone art as such in 2010. Furthermore, Article 12 of the Protocol mandates that in occupied territories, the Parties to the Protocol, in this case, Azerbaijan, shall ensure the immunity of cultural property under enhanced protection. This involves refraining from attacking such property or using it to support military action. 

Destruction of Monuments Commemorating the Victory of the Artsakh Liberation War and the Armenian Genocide

After the war, Azerbaijan destroyed symbols of the Artsakh liberation struggle and victory from 1988-1994, as well as monuments commemorating victims of the 1915 Armenian Genocide. Notable examples include the demolition of the memorial monument complex dedicated to Hadrut freedom fighters and those honoring the Armenian Genocide, the Artsakh Liberation War, and WWII victims in Shushi. 

The monument to Artsakh Liberation War victims, located next to the St. Astvatsatsin Church (built in 1904) adjacent to the school in Madatashen village, Askeran district, was also destroyed. Three memorials in Azokh village, Hadrut, honoring victims of WWII, the First Artsakh War, and the Armenian Genocide were also destroyed. Monuments dedicated to the Artsakh Liberation War in Zardanashen and Avetaranots were desecrated, while those in Talish, Karintak, and Mokhrenis were destroyed.  

New monuments in Talish, including the “Reborn Talish” monument in the village, the Artsakh Liberation War monument in Ukhtadzor, and monuments in Getavan, Krkzhan, and other locations were also demolished.  

Azerbaijan’s destructive campaign, aimed at erasing memory, extended to memorials dedicated to WWII, and its heroes and victims. These included the bust of Armenak Khanperyants (Sergey Khudyakov), Aviation Marshal of the USSR, located in Mets Tagher village, Hadrut region, and the nearby MiG-17 fighter aircraft memorial. The bust of Hovhannes (Ivan) Tevosyan, a Soviet politician from Shushi, was destroyed in Shushi. The statue of Sparapet Vazgen Sargsyan, national hero of Armenia and Artsakh, was vandalized and destroyed. 

In Stepanakert, several statues and memorials were destroyed, including the statue of Alexander Myasnikyan, the memorial stone for Artsakh hero Ashot Ghulyan, and the bronze statue of Stepan Shahumyan. The bust of Anatoly Zinevich, the statue of the Eagle in the upper park, and the statue of Charles Aznavour in the Armenian-French park were also demolished. 

In August 2024, it was revealed that Azerbaijan had destroyed the bust of Vahram Papazyan, a prominent Armenian actor, writer, novelist, People’s Artist of the USSR, which stood in the courtyard of the State Theater in Stepanakert.

Destruction of Historical Cemeteries

After the war, Azerbaijan targeted Artsakh’s historical cemeteries under the guise of large-scale road construction, with the aim of erasing Armenian traces. The 18th-century Armenian cemeteries in Shushi, and those in Sghnakh of the Shosh community in Askeran were completely destroyed. Hadrut’s fraternal cemetery and the military pantheon in Stepanakert met a similar fate. In Togh village, graves of prominent Artsakh Liberation War figures were destroyed.  

In May 2023, Azerbaijan damaged the historical cemeteries in Lachin and Hadrut. By November, the cemeteries in Shushi were also razed. One cemetery contained architectural masterpieces—multi-part monuments up to three meters high with winged crosses—now reduced to rubble.  

The Old Cemetery of Shushi, known for illustrated tombstones, and the Armenian-Greek cemetery, featuring authenticated khachkars from the 12th–13th centuries, were also destroyed. This destruction of historical cemeteries in addition to considerable material loss, created deep emotional distress among Artsakh Armenians, violating their right to culture.

The Azerbaijani campaign to erase Armenian heritage has impacted entire cities, historical districts, burial grounds, and villages. A notable example is the burning of the 18th-19th century Yere Bazar district in Hadrut. In April 2024, the village of Karintak in Shushi was razed, including its khachkars and fountains. 

The obliteration of Avankara, an ancient cave with a rich tapestry of cultural layers spanning from 100,000 years ago to the Bronze Age, was particularly devastating. Furthermore, Azerbaijan has built bunkers at the burial grounds of one of the earliest known Christian settlements and attempted to cover it in cement. The medieval necropolis of Gyavurkala covers about two hectares, in the Haykajur village of the Martakert region and is the second largest after Tigranakert. It is home to the oldest Armenian inscription found in Artsakh. The settlement has a 5th-6th century one-nave church, and an early Christian obelisk.

The destruction of secular monuments, museums, and modern cultural heritage is occuring at an alarming rate, violating the right to culture of both communities and individuals. Azerbaijan has demolished the 19th-century historical Halivor Bridge and destroyed 51 sculptures in the Sculpture Park adjacent to the Shushi State Museum of Fine Arts. Other significant buildings have been damaged or razed, including the Grigori Gabrielyants State Museum in Shushi, the library named after Avetik Isahakyan in Hadrut, and the Artsakh National Assembly building.

This widespread and varied destruction of Artsakh’s cultural heritage clearly shows that these actions are part of a coordinated policy by Azerbaijan. They are not isolated incidents but rather components of a broader agenda rooted in anti-Armenian sentiment. 

Cultural heritage is crucial for cultural self-expression, education, and the transmission of knowledge between generations. Its destruction not only prevents Artsakh Armenians from accessing their cultural heritage but also undermines their future ability to engage in cultural practices, rituals, and traditions. 

The destruction of heritage has increasingly been recognized as a violation of human rights in many international documents. Key among these is the 2016 report “Deliberate Destruction of Cultural Heritage as a Violation of Human Rights” by the UN Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights Karima Bennoune, which highlighted the impact of heritage destruction on people. She says, “Attacks on heritage are primarily attacks on people and their rights.” Similarly, Irina Bokova, the former Director-General of UNESCO argues that destroying heritage is akin to “killing the people a second time.” In this light, hostile behaviour towards the cultural heritage of Artsakh is not just an attack on physical artefacts but a denial of identity and a violation of individual and group rights. The Rome Statute explicitly states that attacks on cultural heritage violate human rights (ICC Policy on Cultural Heritage, para. 28). Furthermore, the ICC Policy on Cultural Heritage affirms that crimes affecting heritage and violating people’s right to culture can be multifaceted, impacting cultural, spiritual, economic, and educational dimensions.

Heritage theorists assert that heritage should be protected as an integral part of human rights. Damage to monuments––both material and non-material––extends beyond their immediate scope and encompasses harm to the human environment. This approach suggests that the destruction of Artsakh’s cultural heritage deeply affects Artsakh Armenian identity. 

Protecting the right of forcibly displaced Artsakh Armenians to participate in their cultural life implies obligations to respect, protect, and fulfill these rights (ESCR, E/C.12/GC/21, para.48).  Heritage should be preserved, developed, enriched, and passed on to future generations as a product of human experience and aspirations (ESCR, E/C.12/GC/21, para.50).  

Furthermore, Article 5 of the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity and Human Rights Council Resolution 10/23 (para.4) stipulate that no one may violate or limit human rights guaranteed by international law, and no one shall be excluded from cultural practices or access to cultural values.

The destruction of heritage today is assessed in terms of wide-ranging effects that extend beyond the immediate socio-geographical area. Any negative interference with material or non-material values significantly damages not only the identity and practices of affected communities but also the entire international community (International Criminal Court, Policy on Cultural Heritage). Consequently, the destruction of Artsakh’s heritage not only erases the unique collective identity of its people but also deals a significant blow to the entire world, destabilizing present and future prospects for peace and security in the South Caucasus. Peace-building processes are inconceivable without deep and unconditional respect for cultural heritage. 

Respect for cultural rights is an obligation under international law. The International Court of Justice has recognized that humanitarian rights apply as lex specialis and operate as customary international law. However, today, approximately 120,000 Artsakh Armenians are denied the right to participate in their cultural life. They cannot visit their heritage sites or relatives’ graves, nor perform rituals and prayers in their historic churches. Respecting the right to culture should ensure Artsakh Armenians can access their heritage sites and carry out pilgrimages and rituals.

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