“Without Russian Peacekeepers, People Can Visit Here, But It Is Dangerous,” Says Abbot of Amaras

Seventy-five pilgrims visited the Amaras Monastery complex yesterday, accompanied by Russian peacekeepers. The complex is located near the demarcation line between the conflicting parties in Nagorno-Karabakh, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The group of pilgrims arrived from Stepanakert and nearby towns and villages.

“Without Russian peacekeepers, people can visit here, but it is dangerous. Now it is safe because our security guarantee is the Russian flag,” stated the monastery’s abbot, Geghard Hovhannisyan.

The ministry reports that peacekeepers ensured the safety of the pilgrims’ movement to and from Amaras.