Holy Mother of God Cathedral, the central Armenian Apostolic church in occupied Stepanakert, has reportedly been demolished by Azerbaijani authorities, according to Artsakh cultural officials, in what they describe as a deliberate act of cultural erasure carried out ahead of the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
Once a major spiritual and communal landmark for Armenians in Artsakh, the cathedral’s apparent destruction has been condemned as part of a broader campaign to eliminate Armenian presence, heritage, and memory from the region.
Hovik Avanesov, Artsakh’s Cultural Heritage Ombudsman and Deputy Chairman of the NGO “National Historical and Cultural Organization,” described the demolition as part of a deliberate and systematic policy. “What is happening in Artsakh can no longer be presented as isolated cases or uncontrolled vandalism,” he said. “This is a clearly targeted policy aimed at erasing all visible traces of Armenian presence.”
He stressed that the timing, on the eve of the Armenian Genocide anniversary, further underscores what he described as the genocidal nature of Azerbaijan’s actions. The cathedral, founded on July 19, 2006, by Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II and consecrated on April 7, 2019, had quickly become a cornerstone of the city’s spiritual life. Designed by architect Gagik Yeranosyan, the structure stood 35 meters tall, with a 24-meter bell tower, marking it as a prominent and unmistakable landmark.
Avanesov also highlighted that calls to demolish the church had circulated openly on Azerbaijani social media prior to its destruction, suggesting that the act was not only foreseeable but publicly incited. He linked the incident to reports of the destruction of other Armenian religious sites in Stepanakert, including St. Hakob Church, arguing that repeated cases point to a consistent strategy rather than coincidence.
“The most tragic part,” he added, “is that not only stones and walls are being destroyed, but the memory, faith, and communal life embedded within them.”
Constructed between 2000 and 2019, the cathedral restored a spiritual presence in Stepanakert that had been erased when an earlier 19th-century church was shut down during the Soviet period. It served as the central church of the Armenian Apostolic tradition in the city and stood as a symbol of revived religious life after decades of Soviet suppression.
Beyond its religious function, the cathedral carried deep communal significance. During the 2023 blockade of Artsakh, it became one of the few remaining gathering points for civilians, a space not only for worship, but also for shelter, resilience, and collective life under siege.
Journalist Marut Vanyan from Artsakh, writing on X, recalled the cathedral as both “a place of prayer and a shelter when the city was being bombed,” adding that some of the last baptisms and weddings during the blockade took place within its walls.
He also pointed to earlier Azerbaijani claims that Armenian cultural sites would be preserved, contrasting them with the apparent destruction: “They showed the church and said, ‘Here it is, standing.’ But it turned out they could not resist.”
Vanyan further questioned the rationale behind the demolition, noting that even if state buildings were considered legitimate targets, “why demolish the church when there is so much talk about peace?” He added that while independent verification remains limited due to restricted access and scarce footage from the region, images circulating online strongly suggest the cathedral has indeed been destroyed.
Artsakh’s cultural authorities have condemned what they describe as a broader campaign to eliminate Armenian cultural heritage, warning that the lack of a meaningful international response risks emboldening further acts of destruction.
They argue that such actions not only erase the past but also undermine any future prospects for the return of displaced Armenians by severing their cultural and historical ties to their homeland.
