Historians call for an end to the destruction of Armenian monuments in Karabakh
Armenian historians have demanded international intervention to prevent Azerbaijan's destruction of cultural heritage sites in Karabakh. The authors of a report to the UK Parliament also reported cases of vandalism in the former Karabakh conflict zone.
As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," Karabakh historians and activists have repeatedly reported the destruction of historical buildings and memorial structures in the region by the Azerbaijani authorities. For example, in December 2025, a video of destruction inside the Yerits Mankants Monastery appeared on Azerbaijani social media, and satellite images showed the destruction of the Holy Savior Monastery. Historians have called on the international community to respond to the destruction of Armenian monuments. Christian monuments in Azerbaijan are protected by the state, Azerbaijani experts insist.
On May 12, 2024, the Foundation for the Study of Armenian Architecture reported, citing satellite images of the area, that the Surb Hambardzum Church in Karabakh had been completely destroyed. The church was built in the 1990s and is therefore not considered a historical monument protected by Azerbaijani law, Baku objected.
Ovik Avanesov, a researcher at the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, announced the destruction of a 12th-century khachkar (cross-stone) in Nagorno-Karabakh.
A 12th-century khachkar, located under a tree in the center of the village, was destroyed.
According to him, this became known from a post by an Azerbaijani TikTok user who posted a video from the village of Khnapat. "A 12th-century khachkar, located under a tree in the center of the village, was destroyed. This incident is further evidence of Azerbaijan's systematic policy of destroying Armenian cultural heritage. In parallel with the physical destruction of monuments, Azerbaijani propaganda is attempting to portray Artsakh's historical monuments as "Albanian" heritage. Earlier, on February 2, 2026, the Geghard Scientific and Analytical Foundation reported on vandalism against the Surb Mariam Astvatsatsin Church in the village of Vaguas in the Martakert region (the Azerbaijani name for Martakert is Aghdere. – Caucasian Knot), where khachkars installed in the courtyard were damaged and icons torn down," Avanesov told a Caucasian Knot correspondent.
He emphasized that "Armenian khachkars are part of world cultural heritage." "The art of khachkars has been included in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2010. Their deliberate destruction is contrary to international law and can be considered a serious violation of international conventions for the protection of cultural property," he said.
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (Artsakh) is an unrecognized state on a territory that has been the scene of interethnic clashes and conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan for several decades. In the fall of 1991, the NKR declared its independence. On September 19-20, 2023, Azerbaijan carried out large-scale military operations and took control of the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which began a mass exodus of the Armenian population. By October 7, 2023, 100,632 internally displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh had arrived in Armenia, and by September 2024, only 14 Armenians remained in the region. The "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report entitled "The Beginning and End of the Unrecognized Republic of Artsakh".
Armine Hayrapetyan, former director of the "State Service for the Protection of the Historical Environment of Artsakh," believes that what is happening represents "not only the destruction of historical and cultural heritage, but also a deliberate policy to alter the historical and cultural identity of the region."
Armenian churches, monasteries, and khachkars are presented as "Albanian" heritage.
"Along with the physical destruction of monuments, a process of historical appropriation is also underway. Armenian churches, monasteries, and khachkars are presented as "Albanian" heritage, while secular structures, such as melik (princely) palaces and fortresses, are declared "Azerbaijani."" - Hayrapetyan told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
She noted that "the exact scale of the destruction remains unknown, since access to information is limited and only what the Azerbaijani side allows gets into the public space."
"The actions of the Azerbaijani side could be influenced by an effective response from the international community, but this is not the case. The position of the authorities of the Republic of Armenia also remains an important factor - the lack of an active state policy to protect the rights of Artsakh refugees and preserve cultural heritage actually creates favorable conditions for the continuation of Azerbaijan's current policy," said Armine Hayrapetyan.
Authors of a report to the British Parliament stated about the destruction of cultural sites in Karabakh
As a reminder, in February, information about the destruction of the cultural heritage of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh became the subject of a joint investigation by the British Parliament and the International Association lawyers.
As part of this investigation, the Armenian Center for International and Comparative Law, in collaboration with the Armenian Legal Center for Justice and Human Rights, presented a written report to the UK Parliament on March 12 on the destruction of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.
"Since the 2020 war, and especially since the military actions of September 2023 and the forced displacement of more than 100,000 Armenians, numerous cases of destruction, modification, and appropriation of Armenian cultural sites have been recorded. In addition to individual monuments and churches, cases of the destruction of entire residential areas and settlements have been recorded," says the report, which was translated into Russian by a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
The information is based on the analysis of high-resolution satellite images, verification of open sources, consultations with international experts, analysis of official statements from Azerbaijan, and testimonies of representatives of displaced communities, the authors of the report explained.
According to the study, since 2021, numerous Armenian cultural heritage sites - churches, Monasteries, cemeteries, historic villages, and monuments were "subject to vandalism, structural alterations, or complete destruction."
States are obligated to protect cultural property during armed conflicts
"Under the 1954 Hague Convention, States are obligated to protect cultural property during armed conflicts, and the destruction of cultural monuments or alteration of their identity may entail both international legal responsibility of the State and individual criminal liability," the report's authors recalled.
They stated the need for "an international response, including ensuring access of independent international specialists to the region to monitor the state of cultural heritage, as well as protecting the cultural rights of forcibly displaced residents."