For more than ten days, fires have not been extinguished in the temporarily occupied territory of Artsakh. Unfortunately, they are spreading every day, turning into a large-scale environmental and humanitarian disaster. This was written by Artsakh Ombudsman for Cultural Heritage Hovik Avanesov.
The Artsakh Ministry of Culture is also sounding the alarm over the threat looming over settlements and forests rich in biodiversity, as well as over 100 historical and cultural monuments. In many cases, the damage is irreversible, jeopardizing the existence of Artsakh’s thousand-year-old civilizational layers.
The fires cannot be perceived as a spontaneous or accidental phenomenon. It is obvious that they are deliberately provoked by the occupation regime of “Azerbaijan”, using the same methodology that was used during the large-scale war unleashed by the Turkish-Azerbaijani terrorist tandem against Artsakh in 2020. At that time, “Azerbaijan” repeatedly used phosphorus weapons prohibited by international law, deliberately setting fire to the forests of Artsakh.
This policy has a deep purpose: to destroy the nature and cultural identity of Artsakh. “Azerbaijan” consistently pursues a strategy of cultural genocide aimed at erasing the civilizational codes of the Armenian people. and erasing historical memory.
A clear example is the cultural vandalism that occurred in the temporarily occupied Stepanakert in recent days, when, with the direct participation of Azerbaijani state structures, a bust of the world-famous Armenian marine painter Hovhannes Aivazovsky was destroyed, just on the birthday of the brilliant artist. The Artsakh Culture and Tourism Development Agency public organization made a public statement on this matter. Aivazovsky, being an integral part of not only Armenian but also universal culture, became another victim of the “Azerbaijani” cultural genocide only because he embodies the values against which the Azerbaijani state machine acts.
We clearly state that the inaction of the international community, only ceremonial and “toothless” statements, as well as political and economic patronage of Azerbaijan create an atmosphere of impunity. This atmosphere becomes fertile ground for new, larger-scale crimes. Silence in this case is a form of complicity.
Currently, the entire cultural heritage of Artsakh is on the verge of complete destruction.
The scale of the cultural genocide has even surpassed the tragic reality perpetrated by the Turks on the territory of Western Armenia during and after the Armenian Genocide.
“Azerbaijan” is a vivid example of a parasitic civilization built on the appropriation and destruction of other people’s values. This model contradicts all the principles on which the existence of civilized humanity is based.
We once again appeal to international structures, human rights and cultural organizations. Time is running out. Clear, effective and targeted steps are needed to prevent the ongoing cultural genocide. Otherwise, the planet will lose exceptional historical and cultural values,” he wrote.