Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports Refutes Publications on Azerbaijani Media Platforms

The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of Armenia officially refutes publications found on various Azerbaijani media platforms claiming that the preservation, renovation, and restoration of immovable monuments of Armenian history and culture located in demarcated areas between Armenia and Azerbaijan (and beyond) are aimed at erasing "Armenian traces."

“Such news is clearly false, another manifestation of Azerbaijan’s manipulative policy of distorting historical facts. Specifically, the church in the village of Kiran in the Tavush region of Armenia was built in the 19th century from local rough-hewn stone and is a three-nave basilica Armenian church. The fact that it is Armenian is confirmed by the inscription found above the window of the southern arch, which states the year of construction (“1888”) and an inscription in Armenian to its right. During the Soviet period, this church in Kiran was converted into a storage facility.

In 2024, with funding allocated by the Armenian government, work will commence on the preparation of scientific design documents for the strengthening, renovation, and restoration of the monument, as well as for the installation of a bell tower and rotunda.

The Church of the Holy Mother of God in Voskepar, Tavush, was built in the 7th century. It belongs to the “masteraya-type” structures of early medieval Armenian ecclesiastical architecture (such as St. John of Mastara, St. Grigor of Harichavank, St. George of Artik, and the Apostolic Church in Kars). The early medieval church of Voskepar underwent significant renovation from 1975 to 1977; however, due to moisture penetrating the roof from atmospheric precipitation, the roofing materials have deteriorated, and the covering slates have been damaged. In 2024, state funds will be used to restore the roofing slates of the monument.

The early Christian temple in Yereruyk, Shirak Province, which has also become a target of Azerbaijani information propaganda and is falsely referred to as a Turkic monument, is included in UNESCO’s preliminary list of World Cultural Heritage and the list of the most endangered cultural monuments by Europa Nostra.

The area surrounding the Yereruyk temple is rich in cultural layers, as evidenced by the results of studies conducted by Armenian and Italian archaeological teams over the years. The stabilization and restoration project of the early Christian temple in Yereruyk is being implemented in cooperation between the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of the Republic of Armenia and the U.S. Embassy in Armenia, funded by the ambassador's “Cultural Heritage Preservation Fund.”

The preservation, restoration, and promotion of the Republic of Armenia's historical and cultural heritage are priorities for the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports, and the government is continuously working in this direction. We call on the relevant Azerbaijani authorities not to distort historical facts and to ensure the preservation of Armenian historical and cultural monuments under Azerbaijani control, particularly by allowing visits from international observation missions for the continuous monitoring of Armenian monuments located in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh,” the statement reads.