Cultural Heritage Ombudsman of Artsakh, Vice President of the Azgayin (National) Cultural-Historical NGO Hovik Avanesov
THREAT ALERT
The Holy Mother of God Church in the village of Mets Shen, Shushi District of the temporarily occupied Republic of Artsakh, is under serious threat and faces the immediate risk of possible destruction.
Using Planet satellite imagery, the Office of the Ombudsperson for the Cultural Heritage of Artsakh has documented extensive earthmoving and construction activities carried out directly to the east and north of the church between October 31, 2025, and May 14, 2026.
Satellite observations indicate that these activities are being conducted in the immediate vicinity of the historical and cultural monument without international professional oversight, transparency, or public accountability. Such actions raise serious concerns regarding the physical integrity of the church, the preservation of its historical and architectural environment, and the monument’s long-term survival.
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The Holy Mother of God Church is one of the most significant components of the Armenian Christian cultural heritage of Artsakh, possessing not only religious but also historical, architectural, and identity-related value. Any intervention carried out in the vicinity of the monument that fails to comply with internationally recognized standards for cultural heritage preservation may result in the distortion of its historical appearance, the alteration of its cultural values, or even irreversible loss.
It is noteworthy that in recent years numerous cases of vandalism, alteration, falsification of identity, and destruction of Armenian cultural heritage have been documented in the territories of Artsakh temporarily occupied by Azerbaijan. These incidents have been recorded and reported by numerous international experts, academic institutions, and heritage-monitoring organizations. In this context, the ongoing activities around the Holy Mother of God Church of Mets Shen cannot be regarded as ordinary economic or infrastructure-related works and require urgent international investigation.
It is highly condemnable that actions continue to be carried out that endanger the indigenous Armenian cultural heritage of Artsakh while disregarding the fundamental principles of international law concerning the protection of cultural property, including obligations established under UNESCO conventions and the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.
Any encroachment upon cultural heritage constitutes not only an attack against the historical memory and identity of a particular people but also a blow to the universal values of human civilization.
We call upon international organizations, UNESCO, professional heritage preservation bodies, the academic community, and international human rights organizations to respond urgently to this situation, conduct independent monitoring, and undertake effective measures to ensure the preservation of the Holy Mother of God Church of Mets Shen and other Armenian cultural monuments of Artsakh.
The destruction of cultural heritage cannot be justified by any political, military, or other circumstances. It is a matter of responsibility for the international community, and its prevention requires immediate, consistent, and effective action.
