Artsakh Ministry of Culture: Azerbaijan dismantled 25 monuments and  busts of prominent  figures in Stepanakert

ArmInfo. As of July 15, 2025, all 25 statues and busts in Stepanakert, honoring prominent figures who have shaped the cultural identity of the capital of Artsakh for  decades, have been dismantled, as reported by the press service of  the NKR Ministry of Culture, which also provided a map showing the  locations of the statues destroyed by the occupation regime of  Azerbaijan in Stepanakert. The facts of this barbarity, according to  the source, are confirmed by an analysis of Google Earth satellite  images, as well as posts made on Azerbaijani social media platforms.

It is noted that the fate of the dismantled monuments is officially  unknown. However, given Azerbaijan's consistent policy aimed at  destroying Armenian cultural heritage in the occupied territories, it  is highly likely that they were destroyed. The Ministry mentioned  that the destruction of monuments in Stepanakert is a gross violation  of International Humanitarian Law, the 1954 UNESCO Convention on the  Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, and  the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of  Racial Discrimination. The policy pursued by Azerbaijan violates the  decisions of the International Court of Justice, which oblige  Azerbaijan to ensure the protection of Armenian cultural heritage.