This week the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin issued a statement decrying the ongoing destruction of Armenian Christian monuments in Artsakh, in areas controlled by Azeri forces.
“We regret to place on record that Azerbaijan’s encroachments and desecrations of the spiritual and cultural heritage of the Armenian people, which were widely noted during the second Artsakh war, have not ceased in the post-war period,” the statement said.
The Mother See cited an October 11 report by the organization “Caucasus Heritage Watch” (of Cornell University’s Institute of Archaeology) that presented comparative satellite photos and elevation images, documenting the “before and after” effects of the destruction wrought by Azeri forces. The CHW report made specific note of the demolition of the 18th-century St. Sarkis Church in Artsakh’s Hadrut region (pictured above, pre-destruction, alongside CHW’s more recent satellite images showing its disappearance.). Its surrounding village of Mokhrenes was also largely reduced to rubble.
In addition to this demolished church, CHW documents that in the past year seven Armenian churches and cemeteries have been threatened with total destruction, and an historic bridge has been damaged. The report also expressed concern over earthmoving equipment and construction in close proximity to Armenian heritage sites, including St. Yeghishe Church in Mataghis, and Zorakhatch Church in Arakhish.
Holy Etchmiadzin condemned these acts of “cultural upheaval” as contributing to the continuing hostility between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and as erecting barriers to lasting peace in the region. It called on international authorities to officially recognize the situation, and take practical steps to rescue Artsakh’s Armenian heritage from eradication.
Click the following links to:
- FOLLOW Caucasus Heritage Watch’s Twitter updates.
- LEARN about the destroyed St. Sarkis Church on MonumentWatch.org.
- READ CHW’s latest monitoring report.
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