Azerbaijan will try to eradicate Armenian churches or say that they belong to Aghvans, Primate of Artsakh Diocese says

Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan, the Primate of the Artsakh Diocese, is sure that Azerbaijan will try to eradicate the Armenian churches, monasteries, and khachkars of the occupied Artsakh or say that they belong to Aghvans.

“Before leaving Artsakh, I turned to the Russian peacekeepers and asked that the monasteries, churches, and khachkars be safe, at least as long as the peacekeepers stay in Artsakh. I was afraid that the Azerbaijanis would desecrate them, as they blew up, for example, the Most Holy Virgin Mary of Mekhakavan. I received a letter from the Russian peacekeepers saying that they appealed to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan, who assured that the churches will be monitored by police officers.

Of course, these are just words; we do not believe them. They will continue to do what they did before. They will either turn them into mosques, use them for other functions, or turn them into Aghvan churches because they have such a plan; they claim that those churches and monasteries historically belong to the Aghvan people, and Armenians appropriated them,” the Primate of the Artsakh Diocese said.

According to him, Azerbaijan tried to distort the history of Artsakh’s historical and cultural heritage even during the time of the Soviet Union.

“Researchers of the Institute of Oriental Studies of Armenia fought with the representatives of Baku, who tried to present the Armenian churches in Moscow as Orthodox. Glory and honor to our scientists for being able to reveal the truth. However, this problem also reached our days. After the 44-day war, thanks to the efforts of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the Catholicos of All Armenians, we continued to ensure our presence in Dadivank. For the first time, however, we saw the Udis visiting Dadivank. Their dress, speech, and behavior did not correspond to our perceptions; we had no idea which church they represented. I even met with them, explained how the Aghvan church was formed and asked them what they are doing in Dadivank. But their aim was to enter Artsakh; Dadivank was the first,” said Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan.

According to His Holiness, Armenia must work to prove to the world that Azerbaijan distorts history.

When asked whether the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin is working with the Orthodox and Catholic churches to preserve the Armenian churches in occupied Artsakh with their support, Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan said that such works were underway.

“Such works are underway in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Moreover, after the 44-day war, the Artsakh Historical and Cultural Monuments Preservation Office was opened, which is fighting against the encroachment on the Armenian Church in both the ecclesiastical and civil international structures. It was thanks to our Supreme Patriarch and the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church that we were able to keep Dadivank Armenian for such a long time; Russian peacekeepers were deployed there. The World Council of Churches, as well as the head of the Catholic Church, have condemned these events. The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin is doing everything to present its work to those structures,” the Primate of the Artsakh Diocese added.