A Letter to President of Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin

Dear Mr. President,

On November 14, you brought to the attention of the president of Azerbaijan the fact that Christian temples and monasteries are located in the regions being returned to the Republic of Azerbaijan in accordance with the trilateral declaration on Nagorno-Karabakh, stressed the importance of preservation and normal church life of these sacred places, and received assurance that "it is in this spirit that the Azerbaijani side will act."

That same day, the Dadivank Monastery in the Kalbajar District outside the parties' line of separation was placed under the protection of Russian peacekeepers. However, it is unclear for how long, since, according to the trilateral declaration, the region should be transferred to the Azerbaijani side as early as on November 15. As of today, the transfer period has been extended to November 25.

Among dozens of monuments of art in the territories, both those to be transferred to the Azerbaijani side in accordance with the trilateral declaration and those transferred to its control as a result of hostilities, are some outstanding ensembles of ancient and Christian Armenian culture of global importance.

In addition to the aforementioned Dadivank Monastery, these include the ancient fortress of Tigranakert, the Vankasar Church near it (Aghdam District; the territory to be transferred by November 20), the Tsitsernavank Monastery (Lachin District; the territory to be transferred by December 1), as well as the ruins of the Okhty Drni Church in Mokhrenis (Hadrut District), the church in the Gtichavank Monastery (Hadrut District), the Amaras Monastery (Khojavend/Martuni District), and the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral (Shusha), which came under Azerbaijani control as a result of hostilities.

While the more famous architectural monuments in these territories have drawn international attention, the murals with Armenian inscriptions, Armenian stone crosses (khatchkars), and buildings dating from the Late Middle Ages remain less protected.

In addition, the list of threatened monuments is not limited to churches. At risk are civil architectural monuments and fortresses as well as necropolises including headstones and memorials to those killed in the Great Patriotic War. Unfortunately, the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict in previous years has set precedents for the destruction of necropolises and memorials. The most well-known incident was in Julfa in Nakhchivan. Based on footage published online, though not officially confirmed, these situations are beginning to recur.

The assurances of the president of the Republic of Azerbaijan instill hope for the preservation of the heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh; however, the tragic record of ethno-confessional conflicts of the last decades in the Balkans, the Caucasus, and the Middle East demonstrates that political declarations from either side are not enough to prevent vandalism in places affected by irregular military operations, exodus and population relocation, and the presence of third party forces. According to Russian officials, members of Syrian radical militias, who are responsible for the destruction of many of the most valuable historical and cultural monuments in Syria, are present in the conflict zone.

As you are aware, the church in Shusha has already suffered during the war; three Russian citizens were wounded during the airstrike. But cultural monuments are vulnerable to the actions of individuals and groups, especially armed, in post-war circumstances as well. For example, the Armenian Apostolic Church reported a new defilement of the same temple in Shusha on November 14.

Dear Mr. Putin, the international record of protecting cultural treasures in territories of armed conflict demonstrates the necessity of long-term efforts to prevent further destruction. We believe that all Christian cultural heritage sites, and other historical and memorial objects and sites in Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent regions remaining outside the line of demarcation require the protection of Russia's peacekeeping force not only until, but also after the transfer of territory, especially where military action took place.

We understand the challenges to the implementation of this proposal. However, in 2016-2017, Russia carried out an effective mission to preserve threatened cultural heritage sites in Syrian territory. We turn to you with an appeal to make a similar mission in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement zone a topic of interstate negotiations concluding with agreements on the protection of cultural treasures in addition to the agreements reached so far.

We believe it is also necessary to create a monitoring mission with the involvement of cultural heritage specialists in Nagorno-Karabakh according to UNESCO international practice as was the case in Kosovo. Until experts arrive, the monitoring can be carried out by Russian peacekeepers themselves.

Sincerely,

Alexey Lidov, art historian, Byzantinist, academician (active member) of the Russian Academy of Art, head of the Institute of World Cultures at Moscow State University, director of the Eastern Christianity Research Center, UNESCO expert (Moscow)

Konstantin Mikhailov, member of the Presidential Council for Civil Society Development and Human Rights, coordinator of the Arkhnadzor social movement, editor-in-chief of the Khraniteli Nasledia website (Moscow)

Rustam Rakhmatulin, writer, coordinator of the Arkhnadzor social movement and the Tour Guide Union of Russia, program director of the Heritage School, recipient of Russian Government Culture and Art Prize and the D. Likhachev Prize (Moscow)

Nikolay Silayev, senior researcher at the Center for Caucasus Issues and Regional Security at Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) (Moscow)

Evgeny Sosedov, deputy chairman of the Central Council of the All-Russian Society for the Preservation of Historical and Cultural Monuments, president of the National Scientific Committee on Legal, Administrative, and Financial Matters of the National Committee of ICOMOS, recipient of the Russian President's Prize for Young Culture Professionals (Moscow)

Vitaly Suslenkov, art historian, assistant professor of the Christian art history and theory department at the St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Humanitarian University (Moscow)

Natalia Dushkina, professor at Moscow Architectural Institute, ICOMOS expert on world heritage sites, scientific director of the Heritage School, recipient of the Alexey Komech Prize (Moscow).

Background information on primary monuments

Tigranakert (near the village of Shahbulag, Aghdam District) Ruins of an ancient city, presumably one of the four cities founded by King of Armenia Tigranes II (Tigranes the Great) in the 1st century BC that carried his name. The city has been uncovered by excavations conducted since 2005.

Church on Mount Vankasar near Tigranakert. The 7th century church survived a 1986 reconstruction, which destroyed its khachkars and Armenian inscriptions.

Tsitsernavank (village of Agoglan / Tsitsernavank; Lachin District) A monastery with the St. George Basilica (5–6th century) and a medieval Armenian cemetery, first mentioned in the 13th century. According to church legend, it is the resting place of a relic — the pinky finger ("tsitsern" in Armenian) of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, the baptizer of Armenia, and relics of Saint George the Victorious.

Dadivank (near the village of Veng / Dadivank, Kalbajar District). A monastery founded in the 9th century. The main structures date back to the 13th century. It was erected over the burial place of Saint Dadi, disciple of the Apostle Thaddeus, who preached Christianity in Armenia in the 1st century. It includes a cathedral, two churches, a bell tower, a refectory, outbuildings, a defensive wall, and memorial khachkars. The cathedral still retains 13th century murals.

Gtichavank (near the village of Tuğ/Togh, Hadrut District). A 13th century monastery with a church and remains of murals within.

Okhty Drni Church (Okhtdrnivank) near Gtichavank (3.5 km from the village of Mokhrenis, Hadrut District). Ruins of a 6th century church, one that is unique in early Christian architecture for its complex, centric plan.

The Holy Savior (Surb Amenaprkich) Cathedral (Ghazanchetsots Cathedral) and the Kanach Zham Church in Shusha. The cathedral was built in 1868–1887 after the Etchmiadzin Cathedral in the original capital, Vagharshapat; the Kanach Zham Church was built in 1847.

Amaras (Khojavend / Martuni District). The monastery was founded in the 4th century by Saint Gregory the Illuminator (known in the Orthodox tradition as Saint Gregory of Armenia). The burial place of Saint Gregory, the Illuminator's grandson. The first Armenian educational center where the inventor of the Armenian alphabet, Saint Mesrop Mashtots, taught. The burial chamber with the grave of Saint Gregory and the church are still extant.