Presentation of second volume of book `Artsakh: Heritage in Danger of  Disappearing` held in Yerevan 

ArmInfo. The presentation of the second volume of the trilingual illustrated book "Artsakh: Heritage in Danger of Disappearing" was held at the Nagorno-Karabakh  Republic Representation in Yerevan.

A statement from the ARF Dashnaktsutyun (ARF) press service received  by ArmInfo stated that the initiative to create the book originated  with the office of the Armenian National Educational and Cultural  Union in Artsakh and Armenia following the 44-day war in 2020. The  illustrated book was compiled by Raffi Kortoshian, Director of the  Armenian Architecture Study Foundation, based on reliable facts and  professional research and aims to dispel Azerbaijan's false  propaganda.

The ARF explained that the book was intended to draw international  attention to the threat of the destruction of Armenian cultural  heritage in the region. Both volumes of the book, published in  Armenian, English, and Russian, are dedicated to the cultural  heritage of Artsakh, which is threatened with extinction due to  Azerbaijan's actions.

During the presentation, Ruzan Arakelyan, Director of the Yerevan  Office of the Armenian National Educational and Cultural Union,  acknowledged that while previous attempts to counter Azerbaijan's  anti- Armenian propaganda had been unsuccessful, today there is no  room for error. "Many ancient churches and historical monuments are  threatened with destruction. Azerbaijan continues to commit a new  genocide before the eyes of the civilized world, and no one condemns  these actions. This book is a small but important step in countering  our neighbors' efforts to destroy everything Armenian and showcase  our cultural values," Arakelyan emphasized.

In turn, ARF Bureau representative Armen Rustamyan addressed the  issues of the return of Armenians to Artsakh and the preservation of  Armenian heritage during his speech. He expressed his conviction that  the publication and distribution of such books is crucial for a  reasoned dialogue with international diplomats.  "Unlike the current  Armenian authorities, who consider the Artsakh issue closed, we  emphasize that this is not the case. The cultural genocide committed  in Artsakh once again confirms that the conflict exists and is  unresolved. As long as the issue of preserving Artsakh's heritage  exists, we are obliged to raise it at high international levels and  achieve results. The ARF "Hay Dat" offices and related structures,  including the Armenian National Educational and Cultural Union, serve  this purpose," Rustamyan noted.

As a reminder, back in the summer of 2024, Caucasus Heritage Watch  (CHW), in its 7th report on the situation in Artsakh, reported a 75%  increase in the destruction of Armenian heritage in the occupied  territories of the NKR by Azerbaijan, and a 29% increase in the  number of sites classified as endangered.

As reported by the Artsakh Cultural Heritage Ombudsman, more than 800  cases of vandalism were documented during and after the large-scale  2020 war unleashed by the Turko-Azerbaijani tandem against the  Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, as well as the complete occupation of  Artsakh and the forced displacement of its entire population. He  expressed his conviction that this is one of the largest cultural  genocides ever recorded in history.

Azerbaijan is pursuing a deliberate policy not only to destroy  Artsakh's cultural heritage, but also to change the architectural  appearance of the occupied territories, erasing the Armenian trace in  this region.