About 30 state and private museums and collections in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) are under risk of destruction. Ombudsman for cultural heritage of Artsakh, vice chairman of the “Azgayin” Historical and Cultural NGO Hovik Avanesov wrote about this on Facebook.

Avanesov noted as follows, in particular: “The official theme for this year's International Museum Day is ‘Museums Uniting a Divided World.’” However, this unifying mission can be fully realized only if the international community responds in a practical way to situations where cultural heritage is under the threat of systematic destruction and complete loss, as is currently the case in Artsakh.

Of particular concern is the situation in the [Azerbaijani-]occupied Artsakh, where, as a result of the state policy pursued by Azerbaijan, the entire [Armenian] cultural heritage of Artsakh is under a real and continued threat of complete and systematic destruction, distortion, and appropriation. These processes endanger the irreplaceable values of not only Armenian, but also world cultural heritage.

Artsakh, with a history of thousands of years and one of the most important centers of world civilization, has been actively participating in International Museum Day for many years, organizing exhibitions, conferences, educational and cultural programs aimed at presenting the region's unique [Armenian] historical and cultural heritage. Artsakh's museums and cultural institutions have been not only centers of memory preservation, but also key pillars of scientific research and the preservation of [Armenian] cultural identity.

After the events of 2023, about 30 state and private museums and collections in Artsakh, with their unique archaeological, historical, ethnographic and artistic specimens, have found themselves under an existential threat. Today, they are deprived of normal activity, and their collections are at high risk of complete destruction, dismantling, falsification, and targeted appropriation [by Azerbaijan].

The [Armenian] cultural heritage of Artsakh, which has not only national but also universal value, is subject to a systematic policy [by Azerbaijan] aimed at distorting historical memory, erasing [Armenian] cultural identity, and re-writing or physically destroying [Armenian] historical and architectural values. This situation requires more consistent and targeted attention from the international community as an urgent issue of cultural heritage protection.

In these conditions, International Museum Day should be considered not only as a symbolic holiday, but also as a day of responsibility for the international community, aimed at promoting actions to protect cultural heritage, raise awareness of threats and prevent them.”

Source: https://news.am/en/news/1036184