The AGBU Armenian Virtual College (AVC) initiated a webinar series dedicated to the Armenian cultural heritage of Artsakh.
On October 28, AVC hosted the first webinar titled "Armenian Cultural Heritage of Artsakh: Preservation and Prospects," featuring cultural expert and international cultural heritage specialist Armine Tigranyan. 

With an Armenian presence in the region spanning two millennia, the estimated number of Armenian cultural sites in Artsakh reaches 4,000. However, the preservation of Artsakh's cultural heritage faces significant challenges, particularly in the wake of the recent conflict with Azerbaijan.

Speaking about the importance of the preservation of the heritage of Artsakh, Armine Tigranyan said: "Heritage is not the past, but the future. Ignorance of the past can lead to the ignorance of the future."

In her presentation, Tigranyan highlighted the importance of international conventions, declarations, and legal acts on the protection of cultural heritage, including the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. As stated in the Hague Convention, "...any damage to cultural property, irrespective of the people it belongs to, is a damage to the cultural heritage of all humanity, because every people contributes to the world's culture."

Despite having ratified and approved these documents, Azerbaijan continuously violates international agreements. The country adopted a policy of erasing all traces of Armenian culture from Artsakh through the destruction, renaming, and transformation of historical sites and monuments, and the distortion of historical realities.

International awareness and advocacy can play a critical role in preserving Artsakh's cultural heritage. The AVC webinar series is a valuable contribution to the discussion of this important topic.  

The webinars are held through the AVC Learning Zone (ALZ), a free educational platform that features a wide variety of informative and engaging topics on Armenian subjects, virtual tours of museums and other historical sites, as well as online meetups and webinars with prominent guests.

Access ALZ  here to watch the webinars.