Stepanakert Cathedral damaged amid ongoing cultural heritage concerns

(Horizon Media) – The Holy Mother of God Cathedral in Stepanakert, now under Azerbaijani control, has been deliberately damaged, with visible evidence showing two shattered windows on the structure, according to monitoring group Monument Watch.

The building remains structurally intact, but the targeted damage to its windows marks a direct act of vandalism against a prominent symbol of the city’s Armenian identity. No recent imagery has emerged from inside the church, leaving the full extent of the damage unknown.

Completed in 2019, the cathedral stands as one of Stepanakert’s most significant religious and cultural landmarks.

The damage constitutes a clear breach of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its Second Protocol to the Hague Convention (1999), which obligate the controlling authority to prevent vandalism and safeguard cultural heritage. As the power in control of the territory, Azerbaijan bears responsibility for failing to protect the site.

The incident also runs counter to binding measures issued in the Armenia v. Azerbaijan (ICJ case) by the International Court of Justice, which require the prevention and punishment of acts targeting Armenian cultural and religious heritage.

Under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, such acts undermine the right to cultural life and reflect a broader pattern of erasing Armenian presence. Intentional damage to protected cultural property may amount to a serious violation of international law, carrying potential criminal responsibility.

The lack of access and independent oversight continues to obscure the full condition of Armenian heritage sites in the area, even as evidence of ongoing damage emerges.