Cultural return must be cause of return to Artsakh - ex-minister of  culture 

ArmInfo.  Art historians today have an important mission, since any return to Artsakh must begin with a cultural return. This opinion was expressed by former Artsakh Minister of Culture Narine Aghabalyan during the conference on the topic Problems of Art Critics: Causes and Solutions on July 4.

She noted with regret that the risk management mechanisms within the  framework of state policy, including in the cultural sphere, did not  work during the 2020 war in Artsakh and the September 2023 events. As  a result, according to Aghabalyan, the movable cultural heritage of  Artsakh remained in the hands of the enemy.

Regarding the risks looming today, the former minister noted that if  actions in this direction continue to be uncoordinated, we will lose  the last chance to save anything.

"Solutions to get out of the situation may be different. Of course,  today it is unrealistic to restore and restart cultural groups and  organizations, but it is possible to create cultural centers where an  appropriate environment will be created. In such an environment, the  hope for return will become more tangible, "she said.

According to the former minister, the future generations who did not  have time to get to know Artsakh and are already deprived of this  opportunity are in a more vulnerable position. In this context,  Narine Aghabalyan spoke about the project that the "We and Our  Mountains" foundation is implementing together with the "Gulbekyan"  foundation. We are talking about creating an electronic platform  where full information about the intangible heritage of Artsakh will  be collected.

"We will try to turn this into a main repository, so to speak, a  textbook, which will serve both researchers and the public, and will  ensure the transfer of information to future generations, "Aghabalyan  emphasized.  Noting that similar initiatives are already being  implemented in Armenia, the former official attached importance to  combining efforts to create a single platform that will more  effectively serve all goals.

According to various sources, 28 museums remain under the control of  the Azerbaijani side in Artsakh, of which 12 are in Shushi, 5 in  Stepanakert, 4 in Hadrut, 3 in the Martuni region, and 2 each in the  Martakert and Askeran regions.