The Holy Astsvatsatsin Church of Mets Shen village of Shushi region is under the threat of possible destruction. warns Hovik Avanesov

Artsakh cultural heritage ombudsman, vice president of “Azkayin” historical and cultural NGO Hovik Avanesov

ALARM!
The Church of the Holy Mother of God in the Mets Shen village of the Shushi region of the Republic of Artsakh, which is temporarily occupied, is under serious danger and the immediate threat of possible destruction.

Using “Planet” satellite images, the Office of the Artsakh Cultural Heritage Ombudsman recorded that extensive earthworks and construction works were carried out in the immediate eastern and northern parts of the church between October 31, 2025 and May 14, 2026.

As a result of satellite observations, it became obvious that the works are being carried out in the immediate vicinity of the historical and cultural monument, without international professional control, transparency and public accountability. Such actions raise serious concerns regarding the physical integrity of the church, the preservation of the historical-architectural environment and the future existence of the monument.

Surb Astsvatsatsin Church is one of the most important components of the Armenian Christian cultural heritage of Artsakh, which has not only religious, but also historical, architectural and identity preservation significance.

Any intervention in the vicinity of the monument that does not comply with the international standards of cultural heritage protection may lead to the deterioration of its historical appearance, distortion of values ​​or even irreversible loss.

It is noteworthy that in recent years, cases of vandalism, transformation, identity distortion and destruction of the Armenian cultural heritage have been repeatedly recorded in the territories of Artsakh temporarily occupied by Azerbaijan, which have been documented by many international experts, scientific organizations and monitoring structures. In that context, the current works carried out around the Church of the Holy Mother of God in Mets Building cannot be considered as a normal economic or infrastructural activity and require an immediate international study.

It is highly condemnable that actions continue to endanger the indigenous Armenian cultural heritage of Artsakh, ignoring the fundamental principles of international law on the protection of cultural values, including the obligations established by the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Cultural Heritage and the 1954 Hague Conventions on the Protection of Cultural Values ​​in the Event of Armed Conflict. Any encroachment on cultural heritage is not only an action against the historical memory of a particular people, but also an attack on universal civilizational values.

We call on international organizations, UNESCO, professional structures dealing with the protection of cultural heritage, the scientific community and international human rights protection organizations to immediately respond to the situation, carry out independent monitoring and take effective steps in order to ensure the protection of the Church of the Holy Mother of God in Mets Shen and other Armenian monuments in Artsakh.

The destruction of cultural heritage cannot be justified by any political, military or other circumstances. It is a matter of responsibility facing the international community, and its prevention requires urgent and consistent actions.