«ԳԵՂԱՐԴ»
ԳԻՏԱՎԵՐԼՈՒԾԱԿԱՆ
ՀԻՄՆԱԴՐԱՄ
2026
2026
2026-04-28
«Գեղարդ» գիտավերլուծական հիմնադրամը դիմում-նամակ է հղել միջազգային մշակութային ու կրոնական կառույցներին՝ ՅՈՒՆԵՍԿՕ-ին, Եկեղեցիների համաշխարհային խորհրդին, Հուշարձանների և վայրերի միջազգային խորհրդին (ԻԿՕՄՕՍ), Կաթոլիկ եկեղեցու հովվապետին, Համայն Ռուսիո պատրիարքին՝ Ադրբեջանի Հանրապետության կողմից հայկական պատմամշակութային ժառանգության համակարգված ոչնչացման առնչությամբ։
Արձանագրելով, որ Ադրբեջանը վերոնշյալ միջազգային կառույցների (և ոչ միայն) մասնակից-պետություն է, Հիմնադրամը հիշեցնում է, որ 2020 թվականից ի վեր ադրբեջանական իշխանությունները միտումնավոր ոչնչացնում են հայկական նյութական ու հոգևոր մշակույթն Արցախում, ինչը միջազգային մի շարք կոնվենցիաների ու հռչակագրերի կոպիտ խախտում է։
Հղում անելով միջազգային մի շարք կոնվենցիաներին ու հռչակագրերին, որոնց միացել է նաև Ադրբեջանը, Հիմնադրամը կոչ է անում միջազգային հիշյալ կառույցներին անհապաղ ձեռնարկել անհրաժեշտ միջոցներ՝ վերջ դնելու Ադրբեջանի Հանրապետության կողմից համակարգված ձևով իրականացվող հայկական մշակութային վանդալիզմին։
Դիմում-նամակները` այստեղ
To His Holiness Pope Leo XIV
APPEAL
Regarding the Systematic Destruction of the Armenian Historical and Cultural Heritage of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) by the Authorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan
The Geghard Scientific-Analytical Foundation (hereinafter, “the Foundation”) hereby calls upon UNESCO to take immediate and necessary measures to halt the systematic cultural vandalism being carried out by the authorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). Since 2020, the Azerbaijani authorities have deliberately destroyed Armenian material and spiritual heritage, in blatant violation of numerous international conventions and declarations to which Azerbaijan is a party.
Among the documented cases of systematic destruction of the Armenian heritage are the following:
Destruction of churches and alteration of their appearance
Saint John the Baptist Church (Kanach Zham) in Shushi — completely demolished;
Holy Mother of God Cathedral in Stepanakert — completely demolished;
Saint Hakob Church in Stepanakert — completely demolished;
Holy Ascension Church in Berdzor — completely demolished;
Holy Mother of God Church in Mekhakavan — completely demolished;
Ghazanchetsots Holy All Savior Cathedral in Shushi — directly targeted by missiles during the 2020 hostilities and subsequently deliberately altered, with its architectural appearance significantly changed.
Destruction of monuments and memorials
Bust of Charles Aznavour — demolished;
Monument to Marshal Hovhannes Baghramyan — demolished;
“We Are Our Mountains” monument — vandalized and currently under threat of demolition.
Demolition of Armenian settlements
The villages of Mokhrenes, Karintak, Mariamadzor, and Tsamdzor have been completely razed, including residential homes, infrastructure, and cultural places.
These examples represent only a portion of the documented cases of cultural vandalism committed by Azerbaijan in violation of international law.
Violations of International Conventions by the Republic of Azerbaijan
1972 UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage
Article 4 obliges each State Party to identify, protect, conserve, present, and transmit to future generations the cultural and natural heritage situated on its territory.
Article 5(a) requires States Parties to adopt a general policy aimed at integrating the protection of heritage into comprehensive planning programs.
Article 6(3) prohibits any deliberate measures that might directly or indirectly damage cultural and natural heritage located on the territory of other States Parties.
Article 11 recognizes as illicit the forced export or transfer of ownership of cultural property resulting directly or indirectly from occupation.
2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
Article 1 establishes the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage and the promotion of respect for such heritage as core objectives of the Convention.
Article 2 requires States Parties to identify, document, preserve, protect, promote, and transmit intangible cultural heritage to future generations.
1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict
Article 4(1) obliges Contracting Parties to respect cultural property by refraining from any hostile acts directed against it.
Article 4(4) prohibits any reprisals against cultural property.
Article 5 establishes the obligations of an occupying power to support the competent national authorities in safeguarding and preserving cultural property in occupied territory.
1999 Second Protocol to the Hague Convention
Article 9 prohibits the use of cultural property situated in occupied territory in support of military action, as well as any excavation, alteration, or change to such property.
Article 21 requires States Parties to criminalize and prosecute the illicit export, removal, or transfer of ownership of cultural property from occupied territory.
Article 4 affirms the right of every person to engage with the cultural heritage of their choice.
Article 7 obliges States Parties to promote the protection of cultural heritage and its transmission to future generations.
1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Article 27(1) guarantees everyone the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community.
2001 UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity
Article 4 stipulates that no one may invoke cultural diversity to infringe upon human rights guaranteed by international law.
Responsibility of Azerbaijan as a State Party
The Republic of Azerbaijan is a member of UNESCO, a member of the Council of Europe, and a state party to all the above-mentioned conventions. Under international law, states bear responsibility for ensuring respect for cultural diversity and for preserving cultural heritage within territories under their control, regardless of the ethnic or religious identity of that heritage.
The deliberate policy of destruction, concealment, and reinterpretation of Armenian cultural heritage is not a series of isolated incidents. Rather, it constitutes a systematic state policy aimed at erasing the historical presence of Armenians in the region which may be qualified as cultural genocide under the legal doctrine developed by Raphael Lemkin, who coined the term “genocide.”
Particular concern should be expressed regarding the statement issued by the Caucasus Muslim Board on April 27, 2026. Instead of condemning the destruction of Christian holy sites in accordance with its spiritual mission, it openly justified these actions, claiming that Armenian churches are under state protection in Azerbaijan. In Azerbaijan proper alone—including Baku, Ganja, and Nakhijevan—dozens of Armenian historic churches, monasteries, and cemeteries have been destroyed over the past decades.
The Geghard Scientific-Analytical Foundation respectfully urges UNESCO to:
Initiate a monitoring procedure regarding Azerbaijan under the mechanisms of the 1972 World Heritage Convention;
Place the issue of Azerbaijan’s violations of international cultural heritage conventions on the agenda of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee;
Exert diplomatic pressure on the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately cease the destruction, distortion, and “Azerbaijanization” of Armenian cultural heritage.
We kindly request that this appeal be considered as a matter of priority. The Foundation stands ready to provide additional evidentiary materials, including images, video recordings, satellite imagery, and expert assessments.
Respectfully,
The Geghard Scientific-Analytical Foundation
National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia
24/6 Marshal Baghramyan Avenue
Yerevan 0019, Armenia
+374-77-978895
[email protected]