Watchdog warns of systematic erasure of Armenian cultural identity in Stepanakert

The capital of Artsakh, Stepanakert, has become the epicenter of Azerbaijan’s campaign of appropriation, desecration, Islamization, and outright destruction of Armenian cultural heritage, according to findings by the Artsakh Monument Watch.

Since the wars of 2020–2023 and the subsequent ethnic cleansing of Artsakh’s Armenian population, Azerbaijan has systematically destroyed monuments across the country. Stepanakert, as the symbolic center of Artsakh’s statehood and identity, has faced particularly aggressive targeting. In December 2023, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared in Stepanakert’s stadium that the city, referred to by its Azerbaijani name, Khankendi, was “an old Azerbaijani settlement” founded by the Karabakh khan. Observers note that such rhetoric is part of a broader campaign of historical falsification and Azerbaijanization of Artsakh’s identity.

The Monument Watch has documented numerous cases of deliberate destruction in Stepanakert. Historic neighborhoods dating to the late 19th and early 20th centuries have been demolished. Memorials dedicated to the Armenian Genocide and Artsakh wars have been destroyed, with inscriptions erased. Graves of freedom fighters have been desecrated, with faces carved out from tombstone portraits. Major monuments and statues have been removed or destroyed, including tributes to Ashot Ghulyan (Bekor), Admiral Ivan Isakov, painter Hovhannes Aivazovsky, Soviet statesman Alexander Myasnikyan and singing legend Charles Aznavour. Institutions and landmarks such as the Artsakh Foreign Ministry building, the National Assembly building and the illuminated cross near Dashushen village have been razed. Satellite imagery confirms the destruction of monuments to Marshal Hovhannes Baghramyan, pilot Nelson Stepanyan, writers Hovhannes Tumanyan and Khachatur Abovyan, and human rights advocate Andrei Sakharov. Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani authorities have announced plans to construct a “Victory Museum” in Stepanakert, housed in the former presidential palace of Artsakh — a move widely seen as an attempt to overwrite Armenian cultural presence.

Experts argue that Azerbaijan’s actions violate multiple international agreements. UNESCO’s 1972 World Heritage Convention obliges states to safeguard cultural heritage for future generations. UNESCO’s 1970 Convention on Illicit Import and Export of Cultural Property prohibits forced transfer of ownership of cultural assets under occupation. The 2003 UNESCO Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage protects the spiritual and cultural memory tied to historic environments. The Faro Convention affirms the right of communities to access and preserve their cultural heritage as part of human rights and democratic values. By systematically erasing Armenian cultural traces, Azerbaijan is not only violating heritage protection norms but also depriving Artsakh Armenians of their cultural identity and memory.

The destruction in Stepanakert is part of a broader campaign to eliminate Armenian presence in Artsakh. Analysts warn that cultural erasure is not limited to monuments but extends to dismantling the historical and spiritual continuity of a people. As Azerbaijan advances reconstruction projects under the guise of modernization, the Armenian heritage of Artsakh faces unprecedented risk of obliteration.