Azerbaijan Demolishes Armenian Church in Artsakh as Experts Warn of Systematic Erasure

Azerbaijan, which is currently occupying the region, has demolished a major Armenian Christian church in Stepanakert, the capital of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), in what officials and experts describe as a deliberate act targeting Armenian cultural and religious heritage.

At the center of the case is the Holy Mother of God Cathedral of Protection, one of the most significant Armenian churches built in recent decades in Stepanakert. Artsakh’s cultural heritage ombudsman, Hovik Avanesov, said the destruction shows a broader policy by Azerbaijan to erase visible traces of Armenian history and presence in the region.

The cathedral was not an abandoned structure. Its foundation was laid July 19, 2006, by Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, and it was consecrated April 7, 2019. It quickly became a central place of worship and identity for Armenians in Stepanakert. Designed by architect Gagik Yeranosyan, the church stood 35 meters (115 feet) tall, with a 24-meter (79-foot) bell tower, making it one of the city’s most prominent religious landmarks.

Avanesov said the demolition was not random. He pointed to its timing — coinciding with the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide — and to Azerbaijani social media posts that had called for the church’s destruction before it was demolished. Those calls, he said, were public and went unpunished.

The destruction follows reports that another Armenian church in Stepanakert, St. Hakob Church, was demolished days earlier. Together, the incidents suggest a pattern rather than isolated acts, Avanesov said.

He warned that the destruction goes beyond physical structures, affecting historical memory, religious life and community identity. If the international community limits its response to statements, he said, such actions may continue.

The loss of the Holy Mother of God Cathedral of Protection highlights what Avanesov described as an effort to erase Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.

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