Putin's Special Representative commented on the demolition of monuments in Karabakh

Mikhail Shvydkoi, Special Representative of the President of Russia for International Cultural Cooperation, condemned the demolition of monuments in Azerbaijan.

"The dismantling of monuments to cultural figures, the abuse of them, wherever it happens, cannot but cause a supernegative attitude. Whatever peoples they belong to - Armenian, Azerbaijani, Russian or some other," RBC quotes Shvydkoi as saying.

According to the special representative of the president, "the demolition of monuments to cultural figures is not an argument either in history or in politics." He expressed regret that the sphere of culture has been heavily politicized recently.

"Naturally, culture cannot live outside politics, outside the realities of interstate relations, but at the same time, as it seems to me, culture should remain the connecting thread between peoples that should not be interrupted. Politics lives in the present, and cultural relations live in eternity, and this must be understood. This is a very difficult topic for discussion and dialogue. But the dialogue must be present. Russia has a centuries—old history with the peoples of the South Caucasus, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia, and the ties between our peoples cannot be canceled," Mikhail Shvydkoi urged.

The Armenian authorities reported on August 14 that 25 monuments and busts erected in honor of outstanding figures and heroes of the Great Patriotic War were destroyed in Khankendi (during the existence of the unrecognized Republic of Nagorno—Karabakh — Stepanakert), the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh.

In particular, monuments to heroes of the Soviet Union Marshal Hovhannes Bagramyan, Admiral Ivan Isakov, pilot Nelson Stepanyan, as well as cultural figures, including musician Henrikh Barkhudaryan, poet and writer Hovhannes Tumanyan, were removed from the city. In addition, monuments to Bolsheviks and revolutionaries, including Stepan Shahumyan, Alexander Myasnikyan, and military figures of Nagorno-Karabakh, in particular Christopher Ivanyan and Anatoly Zinevich, were removed.

The monuments were dismantled for several days. On July 31, it became known about the dismantling of the monument to the artist Ivan Aivazovsky, authored by sculptor Salavat Shcherbakov, installed in 2021. The monument became part of the "Walk of Russian Glory" project and was implemented jointly with the authorities of the unrecognized republic, the NKR Russian community and the Russian peacekeeping contingent.

Commenting on the demolition of the monument to Ivan Aivazovsky, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Ayhan Hajizade said that the monument was erected by Russian peacekeepers "illegally", without the consent of the Azerbaijani side.

"The demolition of such so—called monuments, which were illegally erected during the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, is logical, legitimate and fully in line with the law," the representative of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said.