"We Are Our Mountains" development agency calls on international  organizations to save Artsakh`s cultural heritage

ArmInfo. The "We Are Our Mountains" Development Agency states that it is following with deep pain and alarm the ongoing destruction, vandalism, and attempts to appropriate the Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage of Artsakh.

The organization emphasized that the destruction of the Surb Hakob  Church in occupied Stepanakert, reports of the demolition of the Surb  Astvatsatsin Cathedral, as well as documented cases of vandalism  against holy sites, cemeteries, monuments, and visible symbols of  Armenian identity, are not isolated incidents, but rather a dangerous  and consistent policy.

"In this context, the dangerous rhetoric that has intensified in  recent days in the Azerbaijani media and is directed against one of  the symbols of Artsakh-the 'We Are Our Mountains' monument-is  particularly alarming. Such rhetoric, in essence, paves the way for  its destruction, desecration, or reinterpretation. The recent  destruction of Armenian heritage in Stepanakert makes this threat  real and urgent.

The consistent destruction of cultural heritage and the erasure of  traces of an indigenous people from their homeland contain elements  of the crime of genocide and should be considered not only cultural  vandalism but also a criminal policy directed against identity,  memory, and historical rights," the agency noted.

In light of the above, 'We Are Our Mountains' calls on international  cultural, human rights, and diplomatic organizations, primarily  UNESCO and ICOMOS, to take urgent and effective steps to prevent  another irreparable loss of Artsakh's Armenian heritage.

"It is necessary to ensure independent monitoring, documentation, and  international access to assess the current state of Artsakh's  cultural and spiritual heritage. The silence and inaction of the  international community have already led to dire consequences: the  depopulation of Artsakh by Armenians, occupation, and the ongoing  destruction of the Armenian historical and cultural presence. Today,  the same inaction could lead to yet another irreparable loss," the  "We Are Our Mountains" organization emphasized.

It should be noted that on April 21, it was reported that Azerbaijan  razed the Surb Astvatsatsin Church to the ground. Days earlier, it  was also reported that the enemy had destroyed the Surb Hakob Church  in Stepanakert. The cultural genocide in Artsakh is taking place  against the backdrop of the tacit encouragement of the so-called  civilized international community. Day after day, the Azerbaijani  occupiers are destroying sites that testify to the millennia-long  presence of Armenians on this land.

It should be noted that since the occupation of Artsakh, Azerbaijan  has completely destroyed or significantly damaged the following  cultural and religious sites. The Kanach Jam (Surb Hovhannes Mkrtich)  Church in Shushi was completely destroyed in April 2024, the  Ghazanchetsots Cemetery in Shushi was completely destroyed, the  village of Karintak was completely bulldozed, and monuments and busts  in Stepanakert, including those to Charles Aznavour, Hovhannes  Aivazovsky, Hovhannes Tumanyan, and Marshal Baghramyan, were  dismantled. The Marshal Khudyakov Museum in the village of Mets Tager  was destroyed. Today, approximately 4,000 Armenian cultural sites  remain under Azerbaijani control, including more than 370 churches  and 119 ancient fortresses.