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Azerbaijan has vandalized Artsakh's symbol, the We Are Our Mountains (Papik and Tatik) monument, the Geghard Foundation reports, citing social media footage.
In particular, an ethnic Talysh Azerbaijani journalist, Rahim Shaliyev, wrote about this on his microblog on X, posting a video of the monument. “The historical monument "We Are Our Mountains", considered a symbol of Artsakh, was vandalized by Azerbaijanis.” Shaliyev noted.
In the video he posted, various Azerbaijani inscriptions can be seen carved on the front of the monument.
In the comments of the journalist’s post, another user shared a video showing more Azerbaijani inscriptions carved onto other parts of the monument.
Since September 19, 2023, after Azerbaijan’s military aggression against Artsakh, followed by ethnic cleansing and the depopulation of Armenians, the We Are Our Mountains monument has been particularly targeted by Azerbaijanis. During this period, various photos and videos have repeatedly appeared online showing acts of vandalism against the monument, people taking photos next to it with the Azerbaijani flag, making insulting statements about Armenians, and leaving offensive inscriptions.
From time to time, statements are even made in Azerbaijan calling for the destruction of this Armenian monument.
In particular, this August, Gudrat Hasanguliyev, a member of Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis and chairman of the “Justice, Law, Democracy” party, proposed demolishing the monument.
“The monument called We and Our Mountains, built in 1967 in Khankendi (referring to Stepanakert) and turned into a symbol of Armenian nationalism and separatism, must be demolished, and in its place a grand monument should be erected in honor of the Azerbaijani soldier,” Hasanguliyev said.
Azerbaijani political analyst Ramiz Yunus wrote:
“In medicine, when metastases spread throughout the human body, urgent surgical intervention is sometimes necessary. Likewise, in order for the contagious metastases of Armenian ‘miatsum’ to never again appear on Azerbaijani soil, they must be surgically removed from the root. This applies to all Soviet-era monuments, including the ugly pedestal of ‘Grandpa and Grandma,’ installed in 1967 in Khankendi (Stepanakert), which was depicted on the emblem of the so-called ‘NKR’.”
Another member of the Milli Majlis, Fazail Ibrahimli, has also supported statements about removing Armenian traces in Artsakh, especially in Stepanakert. Supporting Hasanguliyev’s proposal to dismantle the “We are our Mountains” monument, he stated that he considers important to completely remove the Armenian traces in Khankendi (Stepanakert).
“There are ugly scenes in Khankendi, and naturally, they must be removed from there…” Ibrahimli said, adding that those “who present this issue as cultural destruction are hiding their real intentions, and this should be understood as the elimination of separatist symbols.”
The “We are our Mountains” monument was erected in 1967. Its sculptor is Sargis Baghdasaryan, and its architect is Yuri Hakobyan. Located at the entrance to Stepanakert on a hilltop, the statue is made of red tuff. It symbolizes the connection between the land of Artsakh and its people. The monument depicts an elderly Artsakh Armenian couple in traditional attire—standing shoulder to shoulder, proud, steadfast, and with a firm gaze.
It is noteworthy that Azerbaijan is not restrained even by the decision of the International Court of Justice from December 7, 2021, which obliged Azerbaijan to “take all necessary measures to prevent and punish acts of vandalism and desecration affecting Armenian cultural heritage…”
Despite its policy of cultural vandalism in Artsakh, yesterday Azerbaijan was once again elected a member of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, thereby formally committing itself to preserving cultural monuments."It is evident that Armenian religious, historical, and cultural heritage in Artsakh remains under threat. Baku has not abandoned, and will not abandon its efforts to erase Armenian traces from the settlements of Artsakh, change their Armenian character and “Azerbaijanize” them," the foundation said. Source: https://www.panorama.am/
