Preservation of Armenian Cultural Heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh Discussed at Event in Athens

29 March, 2025

An event dedicated to the endangered Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh was held at the hall of the Association of Editors of Athenian Newspapers, with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Greece and at the initiative of the Greek-Armenian Friendship Association.

Speakers at the event included Tigran Mkrtchyan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to Greece; Antonis Pavlidis, President of the Greek-Armenian Friendship Association; and a special guest from Armenia—Dr. Armine Tigranyan, Ph.D. in History, lecturer at Yerevan State University, and expert in cultural heritage.

The event was moderated by Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos, the first Ambassador of Greece to Armenia and former Secretary General of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Mkrtchyan stated:
"Following the ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023, Armenian cultural heritage with millennia of history is under threat of destruction. In this regard, Armenia strongly supports the immediate deployment of an independent UNESCO expert mission to assess, document, and protect the endangered Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh. The deliberate and systematic destruction, desecration, and appropriation of Armenian cultural and religious sites and artifacts constitute a direct violation of the legally binding ruling of the International Court of Justice, which obliges Azerbaijan to take all necessary measures to prevent and punish all acts of vandalism and desecration affecting Armenian cultural heritage—including churches and other religious structures, monuments, landmarks, cemeteries, and artifacts.”

Among the endangered monuments, the Ambassador mentioned the Amaras Monastery, Dadivank, Gandzasar, Tsitsernavank, Kataro Monastery, the Monastery of Yeghishe the Apostle, Vankasar, thousands of khachkars (cross-stones), tombstones, and many other sites. He emphasized that “these monuments are not merely remnants of the past, but living testimonies of Armenian civilization in the region.”

In his speech, Antonis Pavlidis stated:
“Religious and cultural monuments are cornerstones of each nation’s history, and their existence is irrefutable evidence of peoples’ past. If these are destroyed, that history will be distorted.”
He condemned Baku’s policy of artificially obstructing the UNESCO mission’s access to Nagorno-Karabakh.

The main speaker of the event, cultural heritage expert Dr. Armine Tigranyan, presented a detailed report on the destruction of Nagorno-Karabakh’s cultural heritage by Azerbaijan and the protection of the cultural rights of Artsakh Armenians. The report outlined the cultural foundations of the historical Armenian identity in Nagorno-Karabakh, highlighting the unique and universal value of its heritage and the mechanisms for its protection.

It further analyzed the mechanisms of destruction employed by Azerbaijan—emphasizing the demolition of historical Armenian churches, khachkars, cemeteries, memorials dedicated to the Armenian Genocide, entire villages and cities, as well as modern monuments.
The report also documented Azerbaijan’s policy of appropriation of Armenian spiritual heritage, through which Armenian identity is falsified and Armenian heritage is attributed to other ethnic groups.

Additionally, the report included evidence of the distortion of the cultural landscape of Nagorno-Karabakh and the erasure of historical traces. Dr. Tigranyan underscored the need to protect the cultural rights of forcibly displaced Artsakh Armenians, including the right to access heritage sites and the importance of passing this heritage on to future generations with accurate and truthful knowledge.

At the beginning of the event, a short video was shown featuring scenes of vandalism against Armenian cultural monuments.

At the end of the event, attendees were given printed 2025 calendars prepared by the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy, dedicated to Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.

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