In occupied Stepanakert, the Azerbaijani side has been systematically destroying entire districts of the city over the past few months. This destruction is particularly evident in the vicinity of the Artsakh State University, where apartment buildings and private houses have been demolished. The university building itself has been "reconstructed" and altered (for details, see: Azerbaijan demolishes and defaces the Artsakh State University building under the pretext of creating a "new university").

There is a noticeable trend towards altering the external appearance of Stepanakert, involving the completion of building projects through large-scale destruction in various parts of the city. The private property of citizens who were deported from Stepanakert is being demolished, including all their belongings. To justify these extensive demolitions, the Azerbaijani propaganda machine recently produced a lengthy video claiming that the former "Azerbaijani Khankendi" was allegedly destroyed by Armenians during the Soviet era. The video suggests that this destruction was carried out by the architect Alexander Tamanyan, who was reportedly commissioned to design a new city plan. According to this narrative, Tamanyan's work involved the deliberate demolition of numerous mosques, houses, and other structures (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8wulfyrmoM). Now, the focus is on restoring the city to its "original" appearance and reclaiming its history. It is also notable that the video produced by the Azerbaijani side contradicts its president. During his first visit to occupied Stepanakert, the president had claimed that the city was built by Azerbaijani architects (see details: https://monumentwatch.org/en/alerts/regarding-azerbaijans-bogus-claims-concerning-stepanakert/).

At the same time, some buildings from the Soviet era and the period of Artsakh independence are being presented as newly reconstructed under the direct order of Ilham Aliyev, to portray "liberated Karabakh" as rapidly recovering. For instance, on July 5, 2024, two hotels were inaugurated in occupied Stepanakert: one, formerly the Vallex Hotel, has been renamed, while the other, the central building of Artsakhbank, has been converted into a hotel called "Karabakh." Additionally, Azerbaijani propaganda is showcasing a new neighborhood built by the All-Armenian Fund in Ivanyan—which was intended to accommodate Armenians displaced from occupied Hadrut and other regions—as a rapidly constructed area awaiting Khojaly settlers (https://t.me/MaidenTower/49537, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moRFqYMKOfA).

On July 5, Aliyev inaugurated a new administrative building on the site of the demolished structures that formerly housed the National Assembly of Artsakh and the Union of Freedom Fighters (see details:https://monumentwatch.org/hy/alerts/%d5%a1%d5%a4%d6%80%d5%a2%d5%a5%d5%bb%d5%a1%d5%b6%d5%a8-%d5%b7%d5%a1%d6%80%d5%b8%d6%82%d5%b6%d5%a1%d5%af%d5%b8%d6%82%d5%b4-%d5%a7-%d5%bd%d5%bf%d5%a5%d6%83%d5%a1%d5%b6%d5%a1%d5%af%d5%a5%d6%80%d5%bf/),  (https://t.me/caliber_az_official/33441?single).

It should be noted that since 2020, administrative and educational buildings constructed during Artsakh's years of independence have been presented as "new" in the occupied settlements of Artsakh. In Shushi, for example, the Upper Mosque and the Saatli Mosque, which had been renovated by the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh, have been depicted as having been "quickly restored" in this manner.

Thus, it can be confirmed that in recent months, the Azerbaijani side has primarily focused on the destruction of occupied Stepanakert and altering the city's appearance. Additionally, the Azerbaijani propaganda machine frequently presents buildings and complexes constructed by Artsakh authorities as newly built by themselves.