Azerbaijan demolishes 25 Soviet-era monuments in Nagorno-Karabakh

In Khankendi (known as Stepanakert by Armenians), the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, 25 monuments and busts erected in memory of prominent Soviet figures and soldiers of Armenian origin have reportedly been completely dismantled.

Azerbaijan had previously described such demolitions as logical and legal.

The Artsakh Culture and Tourism Development Agency announced on its Facebook account that 25 monuments and busts erected in Khankendi, located in Nagorno-Karabakh (known as Artsakh by Armenians), for heroes of the Great Patriotic War and other prominent figures have been demolished.

The statement noted, “As of July 15, all 25 monuments and busts erected in memory of distinguished figures who shaped the city’s cultural identity for decades have disappeared from the capital of Artsakh.”

The agency stated that these findings were confirmed through an analysis of Google Earth satellite imagery and posts on Azerbaijani social media.

The dismantled monuments include those of military figures such as Marshal Hovhannes Bagramyan, Admiral Ivan Isakov, and pilot Nelson Stepanyan, as well as cultural figures like musician Genrikh Barkhudaryan, poet and writer Hovhannes Tumanyan, and painter Ivan Aivazovsky.

Additionally, monuments to Bolsheviks and revolutionaries, including Stepan Shaumyan and Aleksandr Myasnikyan, as well as statues of Nagorno-Karabakh’s military leaders like Khristofor Ivanyan and Anatoliy Zinevich, were also noted to have been removed.

The fate of these sculptures, created by artists including Russian masters, is unknown, with the agency suggesting they may have been completely destroyed.

Russia reacts to the demolition of the Aivazovsky monument

The monument to painter Ivan Aivazovsky in Khankendi was demolished in July by the Azerbaijani administration in the region. The bust had been erected in 2021 while Russian peacekeeping forces were present in Karabakh.

Mikhail Shvydkoy, the Special Representative of the President of Russia for International Cultural Cooperation, stated that the Azerbaijani authorities’ decision to demolish the monument to painter Aivazovsky caused sadness and “deep dissatisfaction.”

Shvydkoy remarked, “These destructive actions contradict the spirit of alliance, partnership, and good neighborliness between our countries and peoples.”

Baku: Monuments were illegally constructed

Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada stated that the bust of the painter of Armenian origin, Ivan Aivazovsky (Hovhannes Ayvazyan), was “illegally placed” in the region by Russian peacekeeping forces without the permission of the Azerbaijani side.

Hajizada said, “This was a clear sign of disrespect by Russia for the sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The demolition of such so-called monuments, illegally constructed during the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, is logical, legal, and entirely in accordance with the law.”

Nagorno-Karabakh, located in southwestern Azerbaijan, has long been the subject of a territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Following Azerbaijan’s military operation in September 2023, the region came entirely under Baku’s control, and almost the entire Armenian population left the area.