The Artsakh Agency for Tourism and Cultural Development reported that on the first day of the new school year, the Azerbaijani occupation administration demolished a monument dedicated to the Armenian alphabet located in the yard of Stepanakert’s School No. 1.
According to the agency, the destruction of monumental art in the occupied territories of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh has reached massive proportions, particularly in the capital, Stepanakert.
“These facts demonstrate Azerbaijan’s deliberate policy of erasing the cultural footprint of the Armenian people. Silence and inaction in the face of such crimes are unacceptable. The government of Armenia must raise this issue at the highest level and take concrete protective measures. The international community also bears direct responsibility as guardian of cultural heritage, which is a universal value. These monuments are not only part of the Armenian legacy but also an integral element of humanity’s shared cultural memory. Protecting our cultural heritage must become a national and international priority,” the statement said.
Earlier, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) highlighted the systematic destruction of Armenian religious and cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh. The commission recommended that the U.S. government and Congress impose targeted sanctions on Azerbaijan, allow independent international observers—such as UN representatives—to visit Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas to verify and document heritage sites, and hold hearings in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
