War Memorials of Artsakh

Loss of human life is no doubt the biggest loss and unfortunately, irreversible. Karabakh Armenians have never eschewed defending their land and have been known as courageous and skilled fighters, characteristics that have been proven again and again during the latest wars as well. It is not surprising therefore that every town and village has a War Memorial. It is surprising that throughout the year, at any time there are fresh flowers at those monuments.

Karabakh Armenians were drafted into the Soviet army in large numbers during World War II. About 90,000 Armenians were drafted from the NKAO (Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast) and Northern Artsakh, of which over 45,000 from the NKAO and about 44,000 from Northern Artsakh (parts of Armenian lands not given autonomy status in Soviet Azerbaijan). 22,000 Armenians died from the NKAO and 23,000 from other parts of Artsakh-Karabakh. Twenty-eight Armenians from Artsakh were bestowed the highest title, Hero of the Soviet Union. Two people received that title twice. Several military leaders from Karabakh earned the top military ranks, Admiral of Fleet and Marshall of the Soviet Union. They are all revered in Karabakh. Museums display their photos and busts, War Memorials have solemn monuments commemorating them.

The heroes of the Artsakh Liberation War joined the heroes of previous years both in the memory of the people and in terms of physical memorials. Now most town and village memorials have two sections, one for the Heroes of World War II and one for the Heroes of the Artsakh Liberation War, also called Artsakh Survival Struggle. 

Some towns have chosen a symbolic separate monument. Whichever is the case, they lack no visitors or flowers. 

Stepanakert. Immortality Monument

The World War II memorial		The Alley of Heroes of WW II	To the victims of the 1988 earthquake, by Armen Hakobyan
To the victims of Sumgait pogroms	To Arthur Mkrtchyan, First Chairman of the Parliament of Independent Artsakh	To those killed in the Artsakh Liberation War

Shushi

Askeran 

Martakert

Martakert town	Nerkin Horatagh

Talish       The village of Talish was damaged in the 2016 Azeri aggression as well, but the monuments were not damaged.  During the 2020 aggression Talish became one of the first targets of Azeris. After they took hold of it they immediately desecrated the monument (https://realkarabakh.com/en/martakert/) and the pictures of the vandalism appeared in the Internet.

Mokhratagh

Haterk	Aknaberd	Aknaberd

Meruzhan Griogorayn's 23 year old son was killed in action and his brother during an air raid in Stepanakert. His wife also passed away. Meruzhan was not going away from his small remote village where he buried his son. He took part in the armed struggle himself, was taken prisoner, he himself took three armed Azeri soldiers prisoner and was the one who found and apprehended the mercenary pilot who ejected from the warplane that the Defence Army shot down. Well over seventy at the time of these photos, he was ready to fight again if need be.

Martuni

Martuni town Monument to Monte Melkonyan
	Norshen
	Tchartar

Hadrut

The town and district of Hadrut were occupied in the 2020 Azeri aggression. The fate of these and other monuments in occupied territories is not known though it may  guessed.

To the victims of the 1915 Genocide of Armenians. Hadrut town.	To the victims of the 1988 earthquake. Hadrut town	To the victims of Sumgait pogroms, Hadrut town.

Kashatagh

Berdzor. A khachkar (cross-stone)  monument to the victims whop fell in the Artsakh Liberation War.	Berdzor. A khachkar devoted to the Fighters of the Special Regiment.	Berdzor. A khachkar monument to those who were martyred in Shushi.	Monument devoted to Vazgen Sargsyan, a Hero and the first head of Kashatagh region, Berdzor.
The fate of monuments in Berdzor and other territories occupied as a consequence of the 2020 Azeri aggression is not known.

Berdzor memorial, Fate unknown.	Berdadzor memorial, Fate unknown.

Shahumyan

Kashatagh region is occupied as a consequence of the 2020 Azeri aggression. The fate of this monument in the town of Karvatchar is also unknown.