The participation of Artsakh ensembles in an international festival in Vienna was cancelled following the intervention of several foreign embassies

ArmInfo. The participation of the Artsakh State Ensemble of Folk Instruments and the State Song and Dance Ensemble "We Are Our Mountains" in the international festival in Vienna was canceled following the intervention of several foreign embassies.

According to the press service of the public organization "Center for the Preservation of Artsakh Culture," the festival organizers notified the Artsakh ensembles of the cancellation of their participation on October 21. "During the subsequent correspondence, Zoran Strezovski, President of the World Festivals Association (WOFA), reported that the letter received from the embassy portrayed our cultural groups as 'dangerous,' and therefore proposed rescinding the invitation. On October 23, he further explained that, according to his information, several embassies intervened in the process, accusing our ensembles of engaging in 'separatist activities,' and insisted that they not be invited to the festival," the organization said.

The Center for the Preservation of Artsakh Culture categorically rejected these accusations and the characterizations attributed to Artsakh artists. "Following the forced displacement of Armenians from Artsakh in 2023, one of our organization's missions has become the preservation of Artsakh cultural groups and ensuring the continuity of their professional activities. These ensembles are living bearers of Artsakh's intangible cultural heritage. "The 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage recognizes the performing arts as a fundamental aspect of this heritage," the organization noted.

Furthermore, they recalled how in 2025, Artsakh artists successfully participated in the CIOFF international festival programs in Italy, receiving high marks and honorary diplomas. "CIOFF is an organization with an official partnership with UNESCO and accredited to carry out advisory activities in the field of intangible cultural heritage safeguarding. Artists forcibly displaced from Artsakh have already been deprived of the opportunity to create in their natural cultural environment. Restricting their participation in international cultural events based on political accusations raises serious concerns regarding the potential violation of cultural rights. "The question is, can the preservation of cultural heritage be considered separatist activity, and can the artists representing it be considered dangerous individuals?" the Center for the Preservation of Artsakh Culture asked rhetorically.

The organization said it demanded the president of WOFA name the embassies that intervened in the situation and provide the factual basis for the accusations. "He promised to provide relevant details, but we still have not received them. In order to clarify the circumstances of the incident and promote the protection of the cultural rights of Artsakh artists, we have already contacted the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international human rights organizations. We will be consistent in this matter, demanding full disclosure of the circumstances of the interference and substantiated explanations regarding the accusations," the organization concluded.