TASS edited the publication after the demand of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry demanded an apology from TASS for the fact that in the publication about the demolition of the monument to the marine painter Ivan Aivazovsky in Karabakh, the news agency used the name Stepanakert, used when the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic existed, and not the Azerbaijani version — Khankendi.

The ministry stated that they are waiting for "appropriate amendments" from the agency, and warned that otherwise "appropriate measures will be taken" regarding the activities of TASS in Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry called the renaming of Khankendi in Stepanakert in 1923 was a manifestation of disrespect for the country. Baku notes that the city was renamed in honor of the revolutionary Stepan Shahumyan, who "together with the Dashnak Armenians carried out mass killings of the Azerbaijani people." According to the Azerbaijani side, TASS allegedly showed disrespect for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. In the event of a repeat of the "incident", the Foreign Ministry threatened to start calling the historical names of the cities of the Russian Federation, which ones are not specified.

The TASS publication "was eventually edited in accordance with the requirements of Azerbaijan," Readovka notes.

"The publication that hooked the Azerbaijani side concerned the fact that in A monument to the great Russian artist of Armenian origin Ivan Aivazovsky was demolished in Stepanakert — in Baku called the monument "an illegal construction of the occupation authorities" (at the same time, the initiators were Russian peacekeepers and the Russian community of the NKR). The monument was part of the project "Alley of Russian Glory". Earlier, after praising President Aliyev, the first deputy director of TASS Mikhail Gusman lost his job. He showered compliments immediately after Aliyev's boast about Ukraine," the publication reminds.

As EADaily reported, TASS published a comment by Mikhail Shvydkoi, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation, regarding the demolition of the monument.

"The actions of the Azerbaijani side to dismantle the monument to Aivazovsky, an outstanding Russian artist of world renown, in Karabakh, cause regret and deep rejection," Shvydkoi said.

He stressed that the same feelings were caused by "abuse of monuments of prominent figures of Azerbaijani culture in Karabakh", and he also "did not hide it."

Shvydkoi recalled that the monument to Aivazovsky was erected in 2021 with the participation of the Russian peacekeeping contingent stationed at that time in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.

"The Russian side was in no way informed about the plans to demolish this monument by the Russian sculptor, People's Artist of the Russian Federation S.A. Shcherbakov," he said.

Shvydkoi stressed that if the monument to Aivazovsky for some reason did not suit the Azerbaijani side, Baku could notify Moscow of its intention to dismantle it.

"The issue, I am sure, would have been resolved in a civilized way, for example, by transferring it to Russian soil. Instead, it is a demonstrative unfriendly action against Russia," he said.

Shvydkoi called for prudence and an end to the war with monuments, the abolition of Russian culture.

The Agency for the Development of Tourism and Culture of Karabakh announced the demolition of the monument to Ivan Aivazovsky (Hovhannes Ayvazyan) in Stepanakert yesterday. As the agency emphasizes, the demolition took place on July 30, the birthday of the famous marine artist.

"The monument to Aivazovsky, erected in 2021, was demolished by the occupation authorities of Azerbaijan. This happened after the entire Armenian population of Karabakh was forced to leave their homeland as a result of forced eviction in 2023," the agency said.

They believe that the demolition of the monument to Aivazovsky is "another evidence of the policy of destroying the Armenian cultural presence in Karabakh." It is noted that "the work was dedicated not only to the world-famous marine painter, but also to the historical and cultural ties of Karabakh with the Armenian and world heritage."