Azerbaijani Vandals Destroy the 'Great and Small Syunik' Monument in Artsakh

Concerns about the status of the 'Great and Small Syunik' monument located at the border between the Republics of Artsakh and Armenia have been raised by various media outlets and individuals, as well as the Monumentwatch initiative since April 2023 (Monumentwatch Alert).

It is noteworthy that following the closure of the Lachin corridor on March 29, 2023, by Azerbaijan and the activation of a new route in early April passing through the western section (through the villages of Kornidzor and Tegh), the 'Great and Small Syunik' monument, also known as 'Mother Homeland', was also brought under Azerbaijani control.

The monument, built in 2004, embodies the idea of the unity of Great and Small Syunik. The architect of the monument is Sevada Zakaryan, and it was constructed with the initiative of former Syunik governor Suren Khachatryan and financial support from Maksim Hakobyan, the chairman of the board of the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine. In 2007, a cross-stone was also installed in the vicinity of the monument.

Considering the impossibility of relocating the memorial complex in a short time frame, the Armenian side transferred only the cross-stone on April 3, 2023 (article link), which can be regarded as a unique exception where the monument is removed from its historical landscape, severed from its integrity for the sake of salvation.

As concluded, satellite imagery updates from Google in April 2024 already show that the monument has been reduced to rubble.

Our response to this situation is anchored in Article 1 of the 1954 Hague Convention, which states: 'Cultural property, regardless of origin or ownership, is the testament of each people’s cultural heritage and has great importance for them, such as monuments of architecture, art, or history, irrespective of their religious or secular character.'

According to Article 4 of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, any act of vandalism, theft, pillage, appropriation, hostility, or reprisal against cultural heritage is prohibited.

After coming under Azerbaijani control, the 'Great and Small Syunik' monument should have been protected under the First Protocol of the aforementioned convention, which provides guidelines for the protection of cultural or spiritual values in occupied territories. The first point of the protocol mentions that 'Each Party is obliged to prevent any damage to cultural property in the territory it has occupied during armed conflict, as well as any exportation or transfer of cultural property to a third country' (UNESCO Protocol).

It should be noted that Azerbaijan accepted this protocol on September 20, 1993, and committed to its provisions (Azerbaijan Conventions).

However, as demonstrated by this and numerous prior cases, Azerbaijan continues to carry out cultural genocide, violating its obligations arising from international conventions.