Kanach Zham:

Another instance of Azerbaijani vandalism has been documented by our partners, the “Caucasus Heritage Monitoring” (CHW) initiative, using satellite photos (Fig. 1). This time, the target of the vandalism was the Kanach Zham or Surb Hovhannes Mkrtich Church of Shushi, which was built in 1847. Let’s remind that the Church of Kanach Zham in Shushi (Fig. 2) was targeted during the military operations of the 2020, thereby violating international principles of heritage protection during wartime and the norms of humanitarian law. Shortly after the 2020 war, the Kanach Zham was blown up, resulting in damage to the church dome and bell tower (Figs. 3-5). Later, in July 2021, Azerbaijanis unjustifiably denied the Armenian affiliation of the church, initiated efforts to present the structure as Russian Orthodox, and attempted to “transform” the church. They also conducted illegal rituals in the church, violating the religious rights and function of the Armenian community (Figs. 6-7). Additionally, the side chapel attached to the church, which was built as an integral part of the ritual function of the church serving the Armenian Christian community, and also served as a meeting place and library for the clergy, was converted into a cafe by Azerbaijan. Our response The Kanach Zham, Surb Hovhannes Mkrtich Church in Shushi was subjected to a series of crimes during the war and throughout the occupation by Azerbaijan. These actions violated both the international norms of wartime heritage protection and the principles of authenticity and integrity established by UNESCO. The church was desecrated, undermining the immaterial Christian tradition it represented, as well as the rights of Artsakh Armenians. Unable to find a valid argument to de-Armenianize it, Azerbaijan ultimately completely destroyed the church. Damage to the church, as outlined in the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in Armed Conflict, constitutes a serious violation. According to Article 4 of the Convention, and additionally, Article 15(a) of the adopted Second Protocol in 1999, such actions can be prosecuted as war crimes in international courts https://www.arlis.am/DocumentView.aspx?DocID=31415. In addition to being a grave crime against humanity, the intentional destruction of the Church is prohibited by Article 8 of the Rome Statute. Moreover, the destruction of the Kanach Zham Church is also regarded as a genocidal act, as the issue of genocide is now considered in the context of attacks on cultural heritage (ICC, Policy on Cultural Heritage, para. 88). The Manual for the Examination of the Cultural Heritage Provisions of the Rome Statute states: “Crimes against or affecting cultural heritage are often related to or committed as part of genocide, accompanied by acts of total or partial physical destruction of members of the group, including murder, infliction of serious bodily or mental injuries, intentional creation of poor living conditions, intentional acts of preventing births within, and the intentional forcible transfer of children from one group to another, etc. (ICC, Policy on Cultural Heritage, para. 78.) Additionally, crimes against cultural heritage that occur through other physical or biological acts against a group together may be evidence of specific intent to commit genocide (ICC, Policy on Cultural Heritage, para. 79). The destruction of cultural heritage can inflict serious psychological harm on people, amplifying the gravity and seriousness of genocidal acts under Article 6(b) of the Rome Statute. Customary laws, as determined by the International Court of Justice, are binding on all states and prohibit any destruction of heritage, as stipulated in Article 38 of International Humanitarian Law, supported by rules 39, 40, and 41. (https://heritage.sensecentar.org/assets/home/sg-7-06-icrc-ihl.pdf).

On November 9, 2021, as a result of an agreement signed by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and the presidents of Artsakh and Russia, with the mediation of Russia, the city of Shushi, which is part of the historical NKAO and is considered the cultural city of the Republic of Artsakh, came under the control of the Azerbaijani armed forces. After that, one of the first blows was struck at the very church of Surb Hovhannes Mkrtich (St. John the Baptist), or Kanach Zham (“Green Church”), in Shushi. The Azerbaijani side has begun to “restore” the church, actually modifying and appropriating it, violating the ritual traditions of the Armenian Apostolic community, as well as the main international laws on the protection of heritage, destroying it. Photos circulated through Facebook a few days ago, on June 29, confirm the destruction of the church: the dome is destroyed, the holy throne and the holy altar are damaged, the candlesticks for lighting candles are broken, etc., and the sacred stones of the temple are turned into a pile of garbage. And all this is done at the state level, due to the high level policy, according to which Artsakh Christian buildings are being appropriated, everything that can be destroyed is being destroyed, and what is not, is subjected to Albanianization, Azerbaijanization, and in this case, Russification. It can be stated with confidence that these reconstructions and destruction of the interior of the church are prohibited by the decision of the International Court of Justice in The Hague made on December 7, by which the court called on Azerbaijan to take all measures to prohibit or prevent the destruction and damage to Armenian cultural property, including, among other things, religious structures. In addition, the Council of Ministers, by its “Resolution No. 2582 on the destruction of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh”, confirmed the requirement of The Hague Court and, referring to the damage and modification of churches, and called for refraining from such condemned and unacceptable actions. You also can read the article, published on July 10, 2021 on www.monumentwatch.org – about the “Presentation of the Kanach Zham as Russian Orthodox Church and illegal rites performed there” Our answer The illegal reconstruction of the Kanach Zham church in Shushi, the modification and declaration of the building as the Russian Orthodox clearly violate the fundamental principles of historicity, authenticity and integrity of the monument, arising from the Nara document on the authenticity of cultural heritage adopted in Japan in 1994, from the documents adopted by ICOMOS in New Delhi in 2017, as well as UNESCO and other international organizations. The Nara Document on the Preservation of Authenticity emphasizes that in cases where cultural values appear to be in conflict, respect for cultural diversity demands acknowledgment of the legitimacy of the cultural values of all parties. It is important to underline the fundamental principles of the Nara Document, according to which the responsibility for cultural heritage and the management of it belongs, in the first place, to the cultural community that has generated that heritage, and subsequently to that which cares for it. And the fact of the authenticity of the cultural heritage should not be ignored (the Nara Document on Authenticity, paragraph 8). In addition, the convention “On the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society” developed by the EU Committee of Ministers on October 13, 2005 in Faro (Portugal), also emphasizes that the significance of cultural heritage is determined by the community, and any expression of the collective thought as a value should be protected for the sake of its naturalness and authenticity. The problem of preserving heritage with all its historical manifestations and chronology belongs to the values ​​of heritage. Our ability to understand cultural values ​​depends on the reliability of information sources or on the degree of trust, which create the necessary basis for determining all aspects of authenticity and which make it possible to understand the type of cultural heritage, its characteristics, meaning, and history (Nara Document on Authenticity, 1994, Japan). Understanding authenticity plays a decisive role in all processes related to cultural heritage and its preservation. Heritage sites should be researched and assessed based on their cultural context. For this reason, the knowledge of the peculiarities of the cultural heritage in the context of a particular culture (the culture of the Artsakh Armenians), as well as the reliability and accuracy of information sources concerning them, acquires great importance and urgency. Aspects of authenticity can include form and design, material and components, usage and function, location and technique, spirit and feeling, and external and internal factors. It should also be noted that, according to paragraph “c” of the 9th article of the Second Protocol (1999) “Protection of cultural property in the occupied territories” to The Hague Convention of 1954 “For the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed conflict”, any alteration to, or change of use of, cultural property which is intended to conceal or destroy cultural, historical or scientific evidence, is prohibited.

On January 16, 2022, a video was uploaded on Telegram Channel Talysh Vestnik, which shows that the transept of the Armenian Church Kanach Zham has been turned into a cafe and named “Secret”. The transept of the church was built after the liberation of Shushi as an important part used for religious purposes, and created to serve the Armenian Christian community. It was used by the clergy as a meeting place and a library. As it’s visible from the video, the room, which once was used for religious and cultural purposes, is now filled with Azerbaijani music, there are dining tables, Azerbaijani flags are hanging everywhere, the interior decoration has been completely changed, and the historical trace has been erased. Before the Azerbaijani occupation in 2020, Kanach Zham Church in Shushi was an acting religious building and, of course, the transformation of the auxiliary building of the church into a cafe is just a manifestation of the long-term Azerbaijani policy of denying Armenian identity and illegal cultural appropriation. Our response By turning the transept of Kanach Zham church into a cafe, Azerbaijan violates the history and integrity of the cultural heritage, making it impossible to transmit the heritage in its original form to the future generation. That contradicts the principles of international conventions, including the UNESCO Convention on World Cultural and Natural Heritage, the Nara Document of Authenticity adopted in 1994 in Japan, the document signed in 2017 by ICOMOS in New Delhi, as well as various documents of other international structures. According to the Second Protocol of the Hague Convention of 1954 for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (1999), Article 2, point C  “any alteration to, or change of use of, the cultural property which is intended to conceal or destroy cultural, historical or scientific evidence” is prohibited. According to it, Azerbaijan also violates the provisions of the 2001 convention “On the protection of cultural diversity” and 2005 “On the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions”, of which it is a member. The change of the functional purpose of the cultural heritage violates the UNESCO provisions of the “Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage” (2003). According to Article 11, Parties undertake to respect intangible values, regardless of their origin and function.  

On July 10, 2021, the Azerbaijani Telegram channel “Агдамский портвейн” (“Aghdam Port Wein”) posted a photo from the Kanach Zham church in Shushi and wrote that the spokesman of the Diocese of Baku and Azerbaijan of the Russian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Konstantin Pominov, the head of the “Albanians-Udis” religious community Robert Mobili, and the bishop of the Catholic Church Vladimir Fekete held a service at the “Russian Orthodox” church. The ceremony was also attended by deputies of the Azerbaijani Parliament, representatives of the Jewish community of Azerbaijan, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps and various international organizations of Azerbaijan (https://t.me/agdamwhite/1781?single). Here is another fact of how the Armenian church of Kanach Zham in Shushi is being presented as a Russian Orthodox church. On July 13, Rizvan Huseynov, a senior researcher at the Institute of Human Rights of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan and the director of the  Caucasus History Center, wrote in his Telegram channel: “The restoration of the original state of the Orthodox church in Shusha, which during the occupation was turned into the Armenian  “Kanach Zham”, is underway” (https://telemetr.me/content/rh_inside/post/367/). The publication emphasizes that the church is Russian Orthodox and that it is quickly “being restored” for the Christian Orthodox community of Azerbaijan to conduct religious services in it.The report, prepared on July 10 by the Azerbaijani SBC TV channel, also presents the event held at the Kanach Zham church in Shushi, adding that the heads of the religious communities of Azerbaijan during their visit to Shushi, visited all the churches that Azerbaijan is planning to “repair” after the “Armenian occupation”. The report says that the Armenians falsified the origins of the churches of the “Christian community of Azerbaijan”, including Kanach Zham, and Armenianized those. Azerbaijan is ready to restore them in accordance with the “true” historical sources (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZsEw9PhqY8). Our answer  Brothers Hovhannes and Baba Stepanyans-Hovnanents, who built the Church of St. Hovhannes the Baptist (or Kanach Zham) in Shushi in 1847 in memory of their brother Mkrtich, of course, could not have imagined that 175 years later, Azerbaijan, which would occupy their hometown, and would declare their church to be Russian and would hold a Russian Orthodox liturgy there. Cultural genocide is not only destruction, but also falsification and distortion of history and religious and ritual affiliation, neglect of facts, memory erasure, the creation of an artificial cultural and religious set of rules. We present the building inscription of the church, carved on two slabs of the western wall. We are not sure if they are still there. The photo was taken in 2005:“The church of St. Hovhannes the Baptist was built by the townpeople of Shushi, Messrs. Hovhannes and [1] Baba Stepanyans-Hovnanents. In the year of 1847 [2]”Read more about the church here: Շուշիի Հովհաննես Մկրտիչ եկեղեցի (Կանաչ ժամ) – Monument Watch The liturgy held in the Kanach Zham church in the city of Shushi according to the Orthodox tradition clearly violates the religious and cultural rights of the Armenian Apostolic Church and hurts its religious feelings. According to paragraph 3 of the 9th article of the Second protocol (1999) of the 1954 Hague Convention “On the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Time of Armed Conflicts”, any alteration to, or change of use of, cultural property, including any modification of form of their usage and function, is prohibited. The change of the functional purpose of the cultural heritage violates the UNESCO provisions of the “Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage” (2003). According to Article 11, Parties undertake to respect intangible values, regardless of their origin and function. Alteration of the function purposes of churches violates the rights of religious beliefs of the Armenian community, and the fundamental rights to preserve their religious and ceremonial character. This provision is supported by the 27th article of the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” and set up by the convention on the “Value of Cultural Heritage for Society” adopted by the Council of Europe in 2005 in Faro.

On November 15, an Azerbaijani Internet user uploaded a video on his Facebook page, showing that the Kanach Zham church was partially damaged: the dome and bell tower were completely destroyed. This time, the destruction was carried out in support of the “false argument” as if this church was built in 1847 as a Russian Orthodox church. In continuation of this false statement they state that after the end of the first liberation war, the Armenians modified the dome of the church and turned it into Armenian. The Azerbaijani side also claims that the church was destroyed before the hostilities by the Armenians. However, according to the photo posted by another Azerbaijani Internet user, an Azerbaijani soldier was seen standing in front of the Kanach Zham church in occupied Shushi, and the temple was unharmed then (source: Azerbaijanis damaged the dome of the Kanach Zham church, partially destroyed it (armdaily.am)). In response to the actions of Azerbaijan destroying cultural heritage, we find it necessary to recall of the 4th article of the Hague Convention of 1954 “On the Protection of Cultural Heritage during Armed Conflicts”, the parties undertake to respect the cultural property ​​ situated both within their own territory as well as the territory of other. It is forbidden to use cultural property for any purpose that may cause its destruction or damage, it is also forbidden to perform any act of hostility towards them.According to the first protocol of the Hague Convention of 1954, the destruction of cultural or spiritual heritage is prohibited in the conquered territories. The second paragraph of the 1999 Hague Convention reaffirms this fact under Article 15 and qualifies it as an international crime.

On September 19, 2023, military operations initiated by Azerbaijan led to the forced displacement of the entire remaining Armenian population in Artsakh, numbering approximately 100,600 individuals. This mass exodus was preceded by several  events: the 44-day war of 2020; the displacement of residents from Shushi, Hadrut, and other regions of Artsakh that came under Azerbaijani control; a nine-month blockade of the Lachin Corridor; and the systematic destruction of unique cultural heritage sites. A significant number of experts have postulated that processes of forced displacement constitute a form of ongoing warfare, which at times even surpasses the direct horrors of armed conflict in terms of the problems it engenders (ICRC, Displacement in Times of Armed Conflict: How International Humanitarian Law Protects in War and Why It Matters, 2019, p. 6). As a consequence of deliberate policies enacted by the Azerbaijani government, 121,000 Armenians from Artsakh have been separated from their socio-cultural values, preventing them from engaging in practices related to the natural environment, cultural heritage, and the communal and cultural landscape of their historical homeland. The forced removal of more than 4,000 historical monuments within the territory of Artsakh, the direct threats to their existence, the numerous heritage sites that have already been destroyed or desecrated, and the impossibility of maintaining one’s own identity have created insurmountable challenges in sustaining the vibrancy of cultural traditions and celebrations. Deportation, among other humanitarian concerns, violates the fundamental cultural rights of the Armenians of Artsakh. This right is enshrined in Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: “Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits” (UN 1948, Art. 27.1). UNESCO’s interpretation of this article affirms that the right to participate in the cultural life of the community also guarantees everyone’s right to access cultural heritage and to participate in and enjoy cultural practices. Article 7(1)(d) of the Rome Statute defines forced displacement as a serious crime against humanity. Furthermore, international prohibitions on forced displacement are established, characterizing such acts as expulsions, violence, or other forms of coercion (ICC, Policy on Cultural Heritage, para. 69). Article 7(2)(d) of the Statute further specifies “forcible displacement” as the forced removal of civilians from their legal residence by deportation or other coercive measures without grounds permitted under international law (ICC, Rome Statute, 7(2)(d)). It is important to note that the contextual elements of the article mentioned above indicate that the term “forcible” is not limited to physical force. It may also include threats of force or coercion, such as fear of violence, duress, detention, psychological oppression, or abuse of power (ICC, Elements of Crimes, Article 7(1)(d): element 1, fn. 12). This definition describes situations where individuals do not have a genuine choice to remain in or leave their territory. In this context, it is crucial to emphasize that even if the Armenians of Artsakh left the region due to security concerns, their displacement cannot be regarded as “voluntary” or “legal.” Moreover, even if the displaced individuals expressed a desire to be removed from the territory and actively requested such removal, this does not necessarily indicate that they had a genuine choice. The absence of a clear order or directive can lead to situations where individuals feel compelled to act in ways that may not align with their true preferences. Forced displacement is prohibited in non-international armed conflicts (ICRC, 2009). Consequently, the lack of genuine choice may also constitute grounds for classifying such deportation as “forcible” due to its coercive nature. The deliberate destruction of cultural heritage in the occupied territories of Artsakh during the 44-day war and the following four years is weighty evidence to consider the displacement of the people of Artsakh by Azerbaijan as “forcible.” Let’s give just a few facts. They are: the destruction of the Church of Surb Astvatsatsin in Jebrayil (Mekhakavan), the destruction and distortion of the dome of the Holy Savior (Surb Amenaprkich) Ghazanchetsots Church in Shushi, the destruction and complete demolition of the dome and bell tower of the Hovhannes Mkrtich Church of the Green Hour (Kanach Zham), the destruction of the “Revival” khachkar in the village of Hadrut Arakel, the complete destruction of the Surb Sargis Church in the village of Mokhrenes, the destruction of the monument dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide in Shushi, the destruction of the “Resurrected Talish” monuments in the village of Talish, the destruction of the historical cemeteries of Shushi and Sghnakh, the disappearance of 51 sculptures from the “Garden of Sculptures” attached to the State Museum of Fine Arts of Shushi, the destruction of the State Museum of Geology named after Grigor Gabrielyants, the desecration of the churches of Dadivank, the Surb Khach Monastery of Hadrut, the Surb Astvatsatsin of Tsakuri, the Surb Yeghishe of Mataghis, the Surb Hovhannes of Togh, the desecration of the function of Armenian churches by representatives of the Udi community, etc. In Stepanakert, the statues of Stepan Shahumyan, Alexander Myasnikyan, the memorial stone of Ashot Ghulyan, the monument of Artsvi in the upper part of Stepanakert, and the statue of Charles Aznavour in the Armenian-French park were destroyed; the cemeteries of Hadrut were damaged; the 7th-century church of Vankasar was desecrated and its cross removed; Surb Sargis of the Tsar was destroyed; the khachkars of the medieval churches of Surb Grigor with their unique inscriptions were demolished; the village of Mokhrenes with its Surb Astvatsatsatsin Church was leveled. The two khachkars of the monument-spring of Aghanus village and the monument of Getavan were destroyed; the Azeriization and Turkification program of historical Hadrut was initiated; the Islamization program of Shushi was launched; and the new program called “Western Azerbaijan,” which covers the current territory of Armenia, was activated. These and many other actions are classified as war crimes under the conventions and international regulations of UNESCO and the Council of Europe. Sooner or later,  Azerbaijan will be held accountable for these actions.

Against the background of the attacks caused by Azerbaijan in September, the aggressors have recently intensified making anti-Armenian statements on various international platforms. In particular, the Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan Anar Kerimov has made a speech at the thematic session of “Heritage and cultural diversity in times of crisis” held within the framework of the “UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policy and Sustainable Development” in Mexico City on September 28-30, 2022. In his report, he accused the international community of “not properly responding to the ethnocultural genocide carried out by Armenians for the last 30 years, as well as to the destruction by Armenians of many mosques, historical monuments and cultural sites in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan”. Besides making a speech, the minister invited UNESCO representatives to the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from the Armenian occupation to carry out a technical mission there. It should be mentioned, that the conference was attended by ministers of culture from 160 countries and about 1,500 guests from all over the world. This speech was followed by the Azerbaijan National Urban Development Forum held on October 6 on the theme of “Sustainable Development Goals” and “New Urban Agenda as a Leading Force in Post-Conflict Recovery and Reconstruction”. At the forum, in the presence of many foreign guests, Anar Kerimov stated that “the cultural monuments and cultural heritage of Azerbaijan in these territories have been destroyed for 30 years, details of their origins have been changed, and illegal archaeological excavations have been carried out, which is contrary to international conventions. After the territories were liberated from occupation, ruins and traces of acts of vandalism were documented here”. According to him, even during the occupation, with the help of satellite images, Azerbaijan had facts of damages caused by the Armenian side: “during preliminary monitoring, 403 out of 706 monuments included in the state register were examined. In addition, 864 cultural institutions were monitored, and 162 new cultural monuments were discovered.” Anar Karimov also added that they have difficulties with monitoring, which is associated with insecure environment. https://www.trend.az/azerbaijan/politics/3653627.html The minister also noted that “three mosques and two churches are being restored in Shusha, this is an example that Azerbaijan does not discriminate against cultural heritage, and each cultural heritage is important and valuable for Azerbaijan, because it is not only the property of Azerbaijan, but also belongs to humanity.” According to the minister, a roadmap has been approved for the protection and restoration of historical and cultural monuments of the territories liberated from occupation, which was developed in cooperation with local and foreign experts. https://t.me/Caucasian_bureau/46359?fbclid=IwAR3naEmropu8VqvdMFpxdiu_LBbsR5w-kpnmkhdnLd3-AwWTg7aZzk4e0tw Our response Although the Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan speaks on international platforms about his readiness to invite a UNESCO mission, the fact is that it is Azerbaijan that prevents the visit of representatives of a supranational organization with a primary mandate to protect cultural heritage in the conflict zone, to monitor the monuments ruined, destroyed, and desecrated by Azerbaijan itself, and to identify and to document damage. It is easy to see that an attempt is being made to convince the international community that Azerbaijan is a multicultural country, where even Christian buildings are being restored, but in reality we have repeatedly witnessed the illegal restoration of Armenian churches (Surb Amenaprkich (Holy Savior) Ghazanchetsots, Kanach Zham in Shushi), which were damaged. Azerbaijan continues to undermine the authenticity and integrity of the heritage, causing serious damage to the natural process of passing it from generation to generation in the traditional way. It should be noted that Azerbaijan, which often recalls the international conventions, at the same time violated the conventions and international treaties adopted by UNESCO and the Council of Europe (being a member of those) more than others, taking the advantages of international silence.

On August 22, 2022, the Azerbaijani “researcher” Rizvan Huseynov gave an extensive interview to news.days.az website, in which he touched on a number of topics. Answering a journalist’s question about the future destiny of Surb Hambardzum (Holy Ascension) church in Berdzor, Huseynov states that the church was built illegally during the “years of Armenian occupation” and therefore has no status. According to him, the future of the church will be determined in accordance with the legislation of Azerbaijan. Huseynov’s statement that “Azerbaijanis are not a nation that destroys churches, even if they were built recently” sounds like a mockery. Many destroyed, damaged, desecrated memorials and monuments in the occupied territories of Artsakh (since 2020 to the present day) can be mentioned – the shelled and blown up Kanach Zham Church in Shushi, the Cathedral of Ghazanchetsots in Shushi, the blown up Mekhakavan Church. It is also necessary to recall Azerbaijan’s statements that they will destroy the newly built monuments – “symbols of the Armenian occupation.” The next target of the detailed interview given by Huseynov is Yerevan State University, which, according to him, is a center of extreme nationalism, sponsoring extremism, and nationalism. In particular, he points to the specialists from the YSU, who blind the Armenian people and lead them to destruction. Of course, there is no point in responding to these stupid thoughts. First of all, we would advise not to spread extremism to the scientific and university community of Azerbaijan, part of which distributed photos of dead Armenian soldiers with clearly arrogant and hateful publications, during the 2020 war. Now the same people are talking about extremism. I would like to remind that deleting such publications and photos from social networks will not help: the data is documented and saved. Huseynov’s next target is Tigranakert of Artsakh. Preferring not to mention the delusional thoughts expressed by this person about the excavations of Tigranakert, we would just duplicate our answer (we hope he will read it), and remind about existence of numerous scientific publications on the excavations of Tigranakert, which are in the public domain. If he has any counterarguments, and if he considers himself a scientist, he can state his objections in the form of an academic publication written according to the rules established in science. Gossip, slander, threats: these are provided as much as you want! And there are no counterarguments against Tigranakert. Instead, a repetition of the same nonsense: they say, the reliquary built into the altar of a small church in an early Christian square is “actually” a “hammam”, or a bathhouse; and the early Christian sarcophagi, in which the remains of the dead are still present, are water cisterns of this bath (Fig. 1-3). Yes, we are really looking forward to finally seeing some archaeologist-specialist from Azerbaijan or an “international expert group” invited by them, so that they can finally visit the monument, get acquainted with the details, with the scientific publications written by the expedition about all this (read more: Politics, Ideology and Landscape: Early Christian Tigranakert in Artsakh) and after that present their counterarguments. At the same time, they avoid the most basic and essential component of Tigranakert – the classical Hellenistic system of fortifications dated back to the first century BC (Fig. 4, 5), which is the most significant argument for the identity of the city. Azerbaijani “researchers” can’t see clearly the kilometer-long walls, round and rectangular towers; rustic ashlars weighing up to 1.5 tons, swallow-tail joints uncovered by excavations. They do not want to see these, because all this was impossible to create without the involvement of hundreds of specialists on architecture of Asia Minor and Armenian and building technology, without a powerful imperial initiative that could concentrate all this potential here. Tigran the Great did this by building a powerful defensive system at the entrances to the valleys of the Artsakh and the Utik rivers, protecting the highlands and controlling the steppes up to the Kura River (read more: Tigranakert of Artsakh). In his interview, Rizvan Huseynov talks about the efforts that the Azerbaijani side is making in order to “present the real history of the region” to Armenians. We are closely monitoring the Azerbaijani “efforts” – their various interviews, discussions of “scientists”, different videos, articles, etc. The main idea of all this is the “objective” history of Azerbaijan, which comes down to the fact that the Armenians are aliens in the region; they do not have their own history and culture. Their modus operandi is well known to us. Interestingly, new characters have appeared who “enlighten” Armenians, for example, a certain Philip Ekozyants, whose idea in many videos is that the whole history of Armenians is a lie. According to the Azerbaijanis, we must accept this and abandon our history, and only after that they will interact with the Armenian community. In fact, Azerbaijani objectivity lies in the fact that Armenians should abandon their own history and culture and speak only about what is beneficial to Azerbaijan. Rizvan Huseynov proposes to bring to justice all scientists engaged in scientific activities in Artsakh, to prevent their professional activities. Once again, let us remind the representatives of Azerbaijani propaganda that Armenians of Artsakh and the authorities of Artsakh are the only legal owners of the cultural heritage of Artsakh, who will independently decide how to study it and whom to invite for cooperation. Finally, he mentions the political scientist Fuad Akhundov, who invited the Armenian researcher Stepan Stepanyants to Agdam, who spoke on the Internet about Tigranakert of Artsakh. According to Huseynov, the purpose of the invitation is to show what the real Tigranakert looked like. It is also hinted that if the Armenian side does not accept the invitation, then, in their opinion, this shows that the Armenians accept their lies and delusions. Let us remind the Azerbaijani side, which fell into euphoria and illusions, that the fall is very painful. Armenian scientific thought has always been ready for academic discussions held within the framework of academic etiquette; scientists have never shied away from such proposals. The archaeological group of Artsakh of Tigranakert was also always ready for such discussions, as Hamlet Petrosyan, the head of the expedition, repeatedly stated. However, the whole question is whether the Azerbaijani side is ready for such discussions and meetings, or is it all just a cheap show, a performance whose main goal is to humiliate and ridicule the Armenian researchers. The Armenian side has never been engaged in research with the aim of proving something to someone. Armenian scholars have been researching their homeland, history, and various issues related to it. If the Azerbaijani side wants to prove that the Armenians conducted incorrect research, falsified, etc., they can present their arguments and justifications within the framework of academic rules. Apart from cheap headlines, nothing has been said about Tigranakert for two years. No counterarguments, no justifications. The Azerbaijani side, it seems, is not used to speaking the language of facts and science. We advise Fuad Akhundov, before presenting his history of Tigranakert, to become well acquainted with the freely available scientific publications about the excavations of the city, which will help him. We advise the same to Rizvan Huseynov. As for the proposal to come to Tigranakert, which is voiced as a manifestation of goodwill, we note that the arrogant behavior of the Azerbaijani side, which has been in euphoria for the past two years, speaks only of intolerance and extremism. We are seeing window dressing, not the adequate behavior of the scientific community. We are sure that just a show is hidden under the invitation, a cheap propaganda trick aimed at humiliating Armenians and aiming to assert itself, which is obvious regardless of any answer of the Armenian researchers.

In 2021, Azerbaijan made a Russian-language film with obvious propaganda overtones, the anti-Armenian nature of which begins already with its title: “The war of Armenian separatists with churches in Karabakh” The author of the film is Anastasia Lavrina, deputy head of the Russian community in Azerbaijan. The film has been translated into French, Greek and Serbian. On June 28, 2022, the film was shown at the Azerbaijan Cultural Center in Paris, France. The main propaganda concept of the film is that the Armenian side destroyed both the Islamic and Orthodox religious heritage. As a central example of this propaganda concept, they considered a dilapidated Russian Orthodox church located 2 km southwest of Gevorgavan village in the Martuni region of the Republic of Artsakh, which, according to the author of the film, was destroyed by Armenians who failed to Armenize it. Currently, Gevorgavan is occupied by Azerbaijan. With its concept, as the author of the film notes, the Azerbaijani side wants to show the intolerance of Armenians even towards Christian monuments. In the 19th century, the area of ​​Gevorgavan was called Kuropatkino. Russian military units were housed here, and the church was typical in its architecture, built specifically for the soldiers of the military garrison and their families. Particularly surprising is the idea that the temple is even presented as a center of pilgrimage for Russian Molokans, which generally contradicts the religious views of the Molokans, which differ significantly from the views of the official Russian Orthodox Church. During the Soviet period, the church was used as an agricultural warehouse, like hundreds of other religious buildings in the Soviet Union. Researcher Shahen Mkrtchyan in his monograph dedicated to the monuments located on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, does not mention the church, but presents a photo of it, which shows that it was intact then, covered with a tin roof, and it is also clear that some windows were damaged (Mkrtchyan 1985, Fig. 123). In this film, the Azerbaijani propaganda machine claims that the church was destroyed by the Armenians at the beginning of the 21st century, but does not provide any arguments. It should be noted that in 1988-1992 the entire territory was under the control of the Azerbaijani armed forces, which expelled the local Armenian population from the territory, simultaneously looting and destroying the surroundings. And the monument was damaged just in that period. After the liberation of this territory, the authorities of Artsakh included the church in the list of historical and cultural monuments of republican significance, its protection zone was drawn up, and it was constantly monitored (Fig. Protection zone). Of course, nothing is said about these facts in the film. Instead, a fabricated version is presented that the church was used as a target by cadets of one of the nearby military schools of the Artsakh Defense Army, which, according to the authors of the film, is evidenced by numerous bullet holes on the walls of the church. The film did not forget to mention the favorite fiction of Azerbaijani propaganda about the churches of Kanach Zham and Ghazanchetsots in Shushi, that these are Russian Orthodox churches, that the Armenians Armenianized them, and that after the “liberation” of Shushi, the churches will be brought into the “Orthodox look”. Such involvement of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Azerbaijani propaganda machine is surprising and bewildering. This is evidenced by the words of the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church that there have never been inter-ethnic conflicts in Azerbaijan, and even more so, there has never been and there is no national or religious intolerance. Here it is necessary to quote the 4th article of the 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and paragraph 3 of the 9th article of the additional Second Protocol of 1999, which prohibits any modification of cultural property, as well as a change in the way it is used, aimed at concealing or the destruction of cultural, historical or scientific evidence. With all this, Azerbaijan clearly violates the fundamental principles of historicity, authenticity and integrity of the heritage, which follow from the Nara Document on the Authenticity of Cultural Heritage adopted in Japan in 1994, as well as from the document adopted by ICOMOS in New Delhi in 2017, as well as from documents of UNESCO and other international organizations. The Nara Document on the Protection of the Principles of Authenticity states that if cultural property becomes involved in an armed conflict, recognition of its legitimacy is required. The fact of the authenticity of cultural heritage should not be called into question under any circumstances (Nara Document on Authenticity, paragraph 8). In addition to all this, The Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society, adopted on October 13, 2005 in Faro (Portugal), also emphasizes that the importance of cultural heritage is determined by this community, and any value that is an expression collective thought of a given people, must be preserved on the principles of its naturalness and authenticity. By modifying the identity of Christian structures, Azerbaijan also violates the provisions of the 2001 “On the Protection of Cultural Diversity” and 2005 “On the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions” Conventions, being a party of which. This kind of policy is a discriminatory attitude that also violates the freedom of thought, conscience, belief and the right to value the heritage created as a result of this freedom on their own. Cultural genocide is not only extermination, but also falsification of real history and traditions, ignoring facts, destruction of memory, and creation of false cultural or religious programs.   Bibliography and video materials Mkrtchyan Sh., Historical and architectural monuments of Nagorno Karabakh, “Hayastan” publishing house, Yerevan, 1985 “The war of Armenian separatists with churches in Karabakh” (originally: «Война армянских сепаратистов с храмами в Карабахе») – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyacJfkSEiA, in Russian The presentation of the film “War of Armenian separatists with temples in Karabakh” in Paris – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gI8Al-1Hkk (in Russian)

During the 44-day war of 2020, the cultural heritage of Artsakh became one of the targets of Azerbaijan. The striking examples of this are the two shellings of Ghazanchetsots Surb Amenaprkich, occured in Shushi on October 8, 2020, which severely damaged the southern part of the temple, causing collapses. And after the occupation of the city, the Azerbaijani military left many inscriptions on the walls of the church. Immediately after the end of the war, the Azerbaijani side announced that it would ensure the protection and restoration of the Christian churches in Karabakh. The official propaganda machine of Azerbaijan chose as its primary target the buildings of Shushi, which it had destroyed and damaged – the churches of Ghazanchetsots Surb Amenaprkich and Surb Hovhannes Mkrtich (Kanach Zham). The latter was blown up after the occupation of the city, as evidenced by the photos and videos taken by the Azerbaijani military. Official Azerbaijan announced that the historic districts of the city, mosques and churches in Shushi will be restored. In its media it is emphasizing especially the restoration of the churches as an indicator of religious, national solidarity. It is noteworthy that almost all the delegations arriving in Shushi, the representatives of the organizations were shown the “restoration” of Ghazanchetsots, which will gain “its original appearance”, and which, according to the Azerbaijanis, was not Armenian. The Azeri media presents Ghazanchetsots Surb Amenaprkich church, sometimes as an Orthodox, sometimes as an Udian church, which “the Armenians Armenianized that by transforming the dome after the occupation of the city”. More than a year after the restoration of the Church of Ghazanchetsots, in many videos and photos we can see that only some “renovation” work was done inside the temple in early January 2021, before the visit of Ilham Aliyev and his wife. This can be seen at Mehriban Aliyeva’s Instagram page. The Azerbaijani side, after its double shelling, removed the pile of stones inside the temple, collapsed walls, scaffolding was erected around the temple, the church dome was removed, which thereby distorted the appearance of the temple, the inscriptions written with paint were removed. All videos show that no visible changes were made, except for these works. It can be seen that the green construction netting is frayed, and the part of the roof that collapsed after the shelling of the southern wing has not been restored, not even covered, the rest of the ceiling is in disrepair (Fig. 1). It can also be stated that the fence of the temple courtyard was destroyed, the gates, khachkars that were standing in the courtyard were displaced. In a video shared on Telegram-channel of  the Armenian Military Portal on May 22, 2022, it is seen that a fairly dense grass cover has grown in some parts of the roof, the damage and collapse have not been eliminated (Fig. 2), and the entire area around the temple is in a state of disrepair.

On May 19-20, 2022, in Shushi, occupied by Azerbaijan, the Ministries of Culture and Nature Protection jointly organized a conference, the main topic of which was the restoration of the cultural image of “Karabakh region”, and the role of culture in a peaceful dialogue. The subject brought up during the presentations and discussions referred to the reconstruction works to be carried out in the region “after the Armenian occupation and after the liberation of Karabakh.” The conference was attended by Salim bin Muhammad al-Malik, President of the Islamic Organization for Education, Science and Culture (ISESCO), Baghdad Amre, Secretary General of the Turkish Council, Raymond Bondi, Secretary-General of the National Commission for UNESCO in Malta, Miguel Angel Moratinos, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, Director of the International Foundation for Turkish Culture and Heritage Gunay Efendiyeva and others. The head of ISESCO emphasized the importance of the role of dialogue in the restoration of the region, and the Secretary of the Turkish Council – the importance of the role of Shushi for the Turkiс world. In his speech, the Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan Anar Kerimov particularly mentioned the work carried out in the historical core of Shushi, which is carried out by the Heydar Aliyev Foundations. Rizvan Huseynov noted in his interview that both Muslim and Christian monuments are being restored in Shushi, the Azerbaijani side has applied for the inclusion of Shushi in the UNESCO list of material heritage, and in this regard, the settlement of Shushi by 25000 Azerbaijanis should be carried out with great care so that the historical core of the city does not suffer. (Sources: Международная конференция в Шуше завершила свою работу , Международная конференция в Шуше посвящена возрождению культурной среды , Армения ответит за экологический террор в Карабахе!). Our response After seizing Shushi, Azerbaijan began to implement a barbaric policy to eliminate and change the Armenian cultural and historical trace in the city. This process began in the 1960s, when a significant part of the Armenian district of the city was destroyed, most of the city’s Armenian churches, monasteries and cemeteries were destroyed. The various conferences held in occupied Shushi in 2021-2022 aim to legitimize the process of misappropriation and changing the historical and cultural image of the city internationally, presenting the city to the international community and organizations as purely Azerbaijani, and legalizing it. These tendencies are presented in all the programs and speeches, where Shushi is presented exclusively as an Azerbaijani and Turkish settlement, completely silencing the rich Armenian cultural heritage of Shushi, its historical past, and its many monuments. In Shushi, and other occupied territories of Artsakh, against the background of Azerbaijan’s openly anti-Armenian cultural policy, the calls of various organizations, even the false peace-loving tolerance voiced by Azerbaijan, are an open mockery. It is even more unfortunate that the representatives of international organizations, speaking about regional dialogue and cultural tolerance, remain silent about the destruction of the Armenian historical image of Shushi, the Ghazanchetsots Church, which was shelled twice during the 2020 war, and hundreds of other similar examples of cultural genocide. The proclamation of the historic city of Shushi, the important center of Armenian culture, as Azerbaijani obviously violates the basic principles of the city’s history, its authenticity and integrity.

On April 14, 2022, a few days before the Resurrection Sunday (Holy Easter), the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations of Azerbaijan organized a visit of religious representatives of Christian religious communities and various Christian organizations to the Churches of Surb Astvatsatsin in Tsakuri village and Surb Hovhannes in Togh village of Hadrut region occupied by Azerbaijan. The visit was widely covered by various Azerbaijani media. According to the video reports about the visit, after the liberation of Karabakh from the Armenian occupation, representatives of the Christian community have the opportunity to visit churches and pray there. Elchin Pashayev, the pastor of Word of Life religious organization, said in an interview that the visit was initiated by them, and by representatives of other Christian organizations. In the context of this visit, the official Azerbaijani propaganda stated that the churches of Surb Astvatsatsin in Tsakuri and Surb Hovhannes in Togh are Albanian. The Armenian churches were also visited by the “Biblical Society of Azerbaijan”, “Evangelical Christian Baptists”, “Evangelical Lutherans of Salvation”, “Seventh-Day Adventists”, “Prefecture of the Catholic Church in the Republic of Azerbaijan”, “Russian Orthodox Church of Azerbaijan”, “Albanian-Udian Church” and others, as well as representatives of Muslim religious organizations. Even more bewildering are the words of the official representative of the Russian Orthodox Church about religious and national tolerance in the occupied Hadrut region. Here, on the territory completely free of Armenians as a result of the war provoked by Azerbaijan, here, where the Christian monuments are under permanent threat of destruction, change, falsification of national and religious facts, concealment of evidence, and distortion of reality through various artificial shows (Mobili “the inventor” decided to declare the Armenian cross compositions of the 17-19th centuries of occupied Hadrut Albanian – Monument Watch). Representatives of various unknown and incomprehensible religious organizations speak about religious and national tolerance. Tolerance is spoken about in a country that has destroyed, defiled, and modified hundreds of Armenian churches, chapels, monasteries, crosses, and khachkars due to its state policy. Religious and national tolerance is discussed by a country whose soldiers during the 2020 war cynically shared various videos about how Armenian khachkars and crosses are being broken, desecrated, and Muslim prayers are pronounced in Armenian churches (Azerbaijani soldiers pronounce a Muslim prayer at Surb Astvatsatsin church of the occupied village of Jraghatsner – Monument Watch, Destruction of a khachkar in Arakel village of Hadrut region – Monument Watch, The enemy desecrated Kusanats Anapat monastery in Avetaranots village of Askeran region – Monument Watch). The country that twice deliberately shelled the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi and is currently trying to modify it under the guise of “restoration” speaks of religious tolerance. The country whose soldiers blew up the Kanach Zham Church in Shushi and which is also trying to change it under the guise of “restoration”, speaks of tolerance.

At the plenary session of the 214th session of the UNESCO Executive Board held on April 5, 2022, the representative of the delegation of the Republic of Azerbaijan made a number of accusations against the Republic of Armenia during her speech. In particular, the Azerbaijani delegate noted that in 2020, 160 valuable carpets have been removed from the Shushi Carpet Museum to Yerevan, 71 of which are now exhibited in Yerevan. A totally baseless accusation was made that the Armenian side had been pursuing a state policy of destroying the Azerbaijani cultural heritage both in the “Azerbaijani occupied territories” and in the territory of Armenia for many years. The Azerbaijani representative also mentioned that the Armenian armed forces illegally took “the crosses, manuscripts, famous frescoes, bells of the 13th century Khudaveng (the Armenian monastery Dadivank is called Khudaveng by Azerbaijani side, which is a modified version of the alternative name of the monastery – Khutavank), as well as valuable finds from Azokh Cave and Shahbulag Fortress. At the end of his speech, the delegate noted that Azerbaijan would be engaged in the preservation and restoration of all cultural and religious monuments in Karabakh, regardless of their ownership. Our response During the hostilities of 2020, the city of Shushi was subjected to intense shelling, therefore, during the war, it was decided to evacuate the collection of the carpet museum to a safe place. The Shushi Carpet Museum was created on the basis of a private collection, so the Republic of Azerbaijan has nothing to do with the museum, especially with the Armenian carpets exhibited in the museum. Let us remind the delegate, speaking about the protection of the cultural heritage of Karabakh, that the Ghazanchetsots church was shelled twice on October 8 during the war, and after the occupation of Shushi, judging by the photos posted by Azerbaijani soldiers on social networks, it became clear that most of Kanach Zham church was blown up.  Azerbaijan is trying to present these two churches, which are being “restored” now, as Russian Orthodox, and sometimes even Udi,  falsifying all the facts, reconstructing and distorting buildings (Azerbaijanis destroyed the dome and bell tower of the Kanach Zham church, or Presentation of the Kanach Zham as Russian Orthodox Church and illegal rites performed there – Monument watch). We would also remind the representative of the delegation, worried about the fate of the museums of the city of Shushi, that the geological museum of Shushi was also subjected to shelling and destruction (Destruction of the State Geological Museum of Shushi – Monument Watch). At the same time, the entire collection of the Museum of Fine Arts of Shushi disappeared (Destruction of the “Park of Sculptures” of the State Museum of Fine Arts in Shushi – Monument Watch) In connection with the military operation in 2020, the Tigranakert Museum was in serious danger: the monument was shelled, and the base of the archaeological expedition, located 200 meters away from the museum, was completely destroyed. There was no guarantee that the museum would not suffer the same fate (Tigranakert and the Fortress of Panah Ali Khan – Monument Watch) The same happened to the museums of Togh, and Hadrut. Even the historical quarter of Hadrut was destroyed (Destruction of the historical quarter of Hadrut by armed Azerbaijanis – Monument Watch). The exhibits of the museums of Shushi, the collections of the archaeological base of Azokh cave, etc., have disappeared. Azerbaijan itself is responsible for the destruction of the museums and archaeological sites of Artsakh and the appropriation of values. Azerbaijan is responsible for the destruction of thousands of Armenian monuments on its territory, one of the glaring examples of which is the destruction of thousands of khachkars in Jugha in 2005-2006. Let us remind the Azerbaijani side that the unrecognized status of Artsakh does not deprive its indigenous people of the right to culture, including the right to study this heritage, which has always been carried out within the framework of the law established by the government of Artsakh. The cultural heritage located on the territory of Artsakh is the property of the people of Artsakh, the issues of its protection are not in the competence of Baku, but of Stepanakert. And if a lasting peace is established, the temporarily evacuated values will be returned to Artsakh. In the photo: the archaeological base of Tigranakert of Artsakh after the Azerbaijani shelling.

On March 18, 2022, an event dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Azerbaijan’s membership in the UN took place in the city of Shushi occupied by Azerbaijan. This was reported by the state CBC TV Azerbaijan. The representative office of Baku issued a postage stamp on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the productive cooperation between Azerbaijan and the United Nations, with the participation of officials from almost all specialized agencies of the United Nations. According to the video, the participants of the “Azerbaijan – UN. 30 years of Partnership” conference also raised the UN flag in Shushi, the cultural capital of Azerbaijan. The Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan noted that in the framework of the expanding cooperation with the UN in the liberated territories, serious economic and environmental activities should be launched, the completion of which is scheduled for 2050. Our response Holding the conference “Azerbaijan – the UN. 30 years of cooperation» in Shushi is a gross violation of the world values, justice, human rights, tolerance and solidarity, enshrined in the UN Constitution. And in this case, when the UN is the organization that proclaims and guarantees the protection of these values, and its partner is Azerbaijan – the state that violates the rights of the universal significance adopted by the UN – human rights, and particularly the cultural rights of Armenians of Artsakh to inherit culture, to participate in cultural life and to transmit the heritage to the future generations. The UN flag is raised in the city, which is being the Armenian historical and cultural center, was declared the cultural capital of the Turkic world and included in the list of UNESCO as a creative and cultural city of Azerbaijan. The United Nations co-operates with the state, which was condemned by the International Court of Justice at The Hague for violating the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1965) on December 7, 2021, and Azerbaijan was urged to refrain from destroying Armenian cultural and religious heritage. And all this happens after the second institution in the world in terms of legitimate democracy – the European Parliament, representing the opinion of about 490 million people, adopted a resolution on the destruction of Armenian cultural property in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and classified the policy of Azerbaijan as a programme state policy, due to which the Armenian cultural values both in Nakhichevan and in Nagorno-Karabakh are being ruthlessly destroyed. During and after the 44-day Artsakh War, Shushi was subjected to cultural genocide. There are many examples: the shelling of the Ghazanchetzotz church, then the distortion of its real image (“Orthodoxization”) (Illegal reconstruction of Surb Ghazanchetsots Church in Shushi – Monument Watch), the destruction of the Church of Surb Hovhannes Mkrtich (Kanach Zham) (Azerbaijanis destroyed the dome and bell tower of the Kanach Zham church – Monument Watch), the appropriation of its museums and exhibits after the occupation of Shushi (Destruction of the State Geological Museum of Shushi – Monument Watch), the destruction of the “Park of Sculptures” in Shushi (Destruction of the “Park of Sculptures” of the State Museum of Fine Arts in Shushi – Monument Watch), the destruction of Shushi historical cemetery, and monument dedicated to the victims of the Genocide (Destruction of the Memorial Devoted to the Genocide victims in Shushi – Monument Watch), etc. The Azerbaijani policy, which is aimed at distorting the cultural image of the city of Shushi, is in fact approved by the UN, whose mission is to prevent the cultural genocide. Meanwhile, the presence of various UN agencies at event held in Shushi together with the Government of Azerbaijan shows that this international organization does not prevent the cultural genocide, but stands by its perpetrators.