Caucasus Heritage Watch has documented the destruction of Shusha’s Old Armenian-Russian Cemetery from May 9-14, 2026.
The cemetery contained medieval Armenian khachkars and 19th century Armenian and Russian tombstones spanning 1810-1871.
The 35 tombstones preserved evidence of some of the people and institutions that shaped 19th c. Shusha: Armenian families and artisans, Russian military officers, physicians, civil servants, and administrators. The site offered a window into the city’s social history.
Tombstones revealed connections beyond Karabakh. One Latin inscription commemorated Sophia Regina Reander born in Moscow, likely to a prominent German scientist. Another belonged to Vladimir Mikhailov, commander of the 42nd Jäger Regiment linked to the 1826 defense of Shusha.
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The 5 Armenian khachkars, or carved stone crosses, predated the 19th c. burials by hundreds of years, linking the site to the medieval Armenian history of Karabakh. Together, the khachkars and graves formed a historical landscape spanning centuries.
The cemetery survived wars and regime changes. It did not survive Azerbaijan’s 21st c. redevelopment. The destruction is linked to a rainwater and wastewater treatment facility.
Read the full investigation- here
