During and after the Second Artsakh War, Armenian cultural heritage sites are regularly destroyed and targeted in the territories controlled by Azerbaijan.
Videos and photos documenting the destruction and desecration of cross stones have regularly been published not only by Azerbaijani social media users, but also by state, public and government media.
Videos and photos of destroyed cross stones
Hadrut region
In one of the videos published after the war, Azerbaijani military are desecrating and destroying the Armenian cross stone in Arakel village of Hadrut region of Artsakh Republic (currently occupied by Azerbaijan).
Another manifestation of cultural vandalism in the occupied territories of Artsakh is the destruction of a khachkar in Ukhtadzorvillage of Hadrut region.
One of the many cases of destruction of Armenian monuments was recorded during the war on October 7, in a video published by the Public Television of Azerbaijan from the occupied Hadrut region (former Jabrayil region of the former ASSR.).
Kashatagh region. Vorotan (Kubatlu)
Another example of cultural vandalism committed by Azerbaijanis.The cross stone in the city of Vorotan (Kubatlu) is missing in thevideo published by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijanis desecrated the monument and removed the cross stone.
Martuni region. Varanda (Fizuli)
Azerbaijanisdestroyed the cross stone in Varanda (Fizuli)(39.588109,47.159294,19):
Martakert region. Talish
The village of Talish in the Martakert region, which came under Azerbaijani control, have also become the victim of vandalism. Azerbaijanis desecrated the monument called “Revived Talish”.
Kirill Krivosheev, correspondent at the Russian Kommersant daily newspaper, who visited the occupied territories of Artsakh,made a Facebook postnoting, “Most of the kachkars are destroyed”.