What is Cultural Genocide?

An important consideration in resolving the situation in Nagorno Karabakh is the preservation of cultural heritage. Raphael Lemkin, the Polish lawyer who is credited with the concept of genocide in general, also coined the phrase ‘cultural genocide’, referring to the destruction of either tangible or intangible manifestations of a group culture. It has since been used as a term in various situations, from policies imposed on Tibetans in 1950 that included the destruction of monasteries and restrictions to religious freedom, to the Taliban regime’s destruction of major pieces of cultural heritage in Afghanistan, including the Buddhas of Bamiyan and the pre-Islamic collection of the Kabul Museum in 2001.

 The concept of cultural genocide book

There are serious concerns about the risk of such destruction of cultural sites in Nagorno Karabakh. There are an estimated 4,000 Armenian cultural sites, including 370 churches, 119 fortresses and other historical and cultural monuments in Nagorno Karabakh. The churches date from the 4th to the 21st century. Its valuable archaeological sites, most notably the ancient city of Tigranakert of Artsakh in today’s Agdam region, date back to the 2nd – 1st century B.C. Hellenistic period. Under the 2020 ceasefire agreement, at least 82 churches and the archaeological site of Tigranakert have been transferred to Azerbaijani control. The transfer also includes valuable archaeological sites such as Azokh, the Nor Karmiravan tombs, Mirik, Keren, and architectural monuments such as palaces, bridges, and historic quarters.

There are two aspects of cultural genocide risk in the case of Nagorno Karabakh. The first is the preservation of historical cultural and religious sites, evident in the two previous examples of widespread destruction of Armenian culture in Nakhichevan and in Kelbajar. A number of international academics have expressed fears that this rich cultural heritage is at risk of partial or total destruction. Professor Adam Smith, director of the Cornell University Institute of Archaeology, stated in a recent article “Nagorno-Karabakh is geographically small, but it hosts vital heritage sites and important archaeological resources…Azerbaijan has a well-documented record of destroying Armenian heritage sites under its jurisdiction. If it does, treasures of human history will be lost forever.” A number of international cultural organisations (see links below) have also made statements of concern.

The second concern is ‘historical revisionsim’, the appropriation of cultural sites and re-writing of history to promote a particular narrative (see Appropriation of Cultural Sites). The specific narrative that Azerbaijan has sought to promote is ‘Albanisation’, namely that the Armenian churches and cross-stones in this area should be attributed to Caucasian Albanians, and that Caucasian Albanians are Azerbaijani peoples’ ancestors.

Statements of concern

1. ICOMOS, ICA, IFLA and ICOM statement on the situation of cultural heritage in the Nagorno Karabakh region - International Council on Monuments and Sites

2. ICOMOS, ICA, IFLA & ICOM – Statement on Nagorno Karabakh - ICOM - ICOM

3. WMF Statement on Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh | World Monuments Fund

4. Blue Shield Statement on fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh - Blue Shield International

5. Europa Nostra Statement related to the armed conflict in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region - Europa Nostra

6. WCC letter to UNESCO on Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh’s Armenian historical, religious and cultural heritage | World Council of Churches (oikoumene.org)

7. Statement from The Met on Armenian Cultural Heritage Sites | The Metropolitan Museum of Art (metmuseum.org)

8. Getty Trust stresses need to protect Armenian heritage in Karabakh - PanARMENIAN.Net

9. Lavrov expects UNESCO will be active in preserving cultural monuments in Nagorno Karabakh | ARMENPRESS Armenian News Agency

10. Macron Says France Working on Protecting Artsakh’s Cultural Heritage | Asbarez.com