Azerbaijan has destroyed the monument of Ivan Aivazovsky, one of the greatest marine artists in history, in occupied Stepanakert, Artsakh, reports Artsakh Tourism and Culture Development Agency.
Installed in December 2021 in Stepanakert and sculpted by famous sculptor Salavat Shcherbakov to honor Armenian‑Russian ties, the monument has been deliberately erased by Azerbaijani occupation authorities on Aivazovsky’s birthday, July 30, 2025.
This is a targeted act of cultural erasure. Since September 2023, Azerbaijan has been committing cultural genocide and destroying towns consistently— and this is an example of that. It sends the message that even the memory of Armenian presence is unwelcome in the territories now under their control. This deliberate targeting of artistic and historical symbols is a heartbreaking blow not only to Armenians, but to world cultural heritage in general.
