Azerbaijani continues the historical-architectural distortion of captured Church of St. Hovhannes the Baptist

(Armradio) – The historical-architectural distortion of the captured Church of St. Hovhannes the Baptist in Shushi continues, the Scientific Research Center of Historical and Cultural Heritage informs.

Saint Hovhannes the Baptist Church in Shushi, Artsakh is better known to the people as Kanach Zham (Green Church). The church got the name because it used to have a green dome. It was built at the beginning of the 19th century, over time it has been restored and improved several times until 2020. During the 44-day war, Saint Hovhannes Church was one of the favorite places not only of Artsakh residents, but also of tourists.

After the seizure of Shushi by the Azerbaijani armed forces in November 2020, Kanach Zham was one of the first monuments to be subjected to vandalism and distortion.

In photos shared on Azerbaijani social network as of November 15, 2020, the church appears in a half-destroyed state. Unlike Shushi’s Ghazanchetsots or Holy Savior Church, which was damaged as a result of deliberate targeting during the military operations, Kanach Zham did not suffer any damage during the war.

Therefore, it is not difficult to prove that the Saint Hovhannes Mkrtich Church was deliberately destroyed after the signing of the tripartite statement.

French journalist Emmanuel Grynszpan visited Shushi and photographed the damaged church on December 26, 2020.

On July 4, 2022, the State Service for the Protection of the Historical Environment of the Republic of Artsakh issued a statement that the Hovhannes Mkrtich or Green Hour Armenian Church of Shushi was completely destroyed by the Azerbaijanis and it is being turned into an Orthodox church under the name of renovation.

On January 1, 2024, a video posted on one of the Azerbaijani YouTube channels clearly shows that the construction works continue in the area of the church.