Azerbaijan Demolishes Christian Places of Worship in Seized Enclave

Armenian Christian leaders and global religious freedom advocates are condemning Azerbaijan after satellite imagery confirmed the demolition of two Armenian churches in Stepanakert, the capital of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region known to Armenians as Artsakh.

The destruction has intensified longstanding fears that Azerbaijan’s military victory in the region would be followed by the systematic erasure of its Christian heritage. Research supported by satellite imagery has confirmed damage or destruction to hundreds of religious and cultural heritage sites in Artsakh.

The recently demolished sites include the Holy Mother of God Cathedral, one of Stepanakert’s most prominent churches, and the Church of St. Jacob. According to Radio Free Europe, satellite images taken in late April confirmed that both structures had been razed in recent weeks, after remaining intact through years of conflict.

Construction on the Holy Mother of God Cathedral began in 2006, and the church was consecrated in 2019. During the wars surrounding Artsakh, the cathedral’s basement served as a bomb shelter for civilians.

The destruction comes less than three years after Azerbaijan seized full control of Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, triggering the mass exodus of about 120,000 ethnic Armenians from the region. Since then, Armenian church leaders and cultural preservation groups have repeatedly warned that Armenian Christian monuments, monasteries, cemeteries, and churches remaining in Azerbaijani-controlled territory face grave danger.

The Holy See of Etchmiadzin, the central authority of the Armenian Apostolic Church, accused Azerbaijan of deliberately targeting Armenian Christian holy sites to erase Armenian history from Artsakh, according to Armenian media reports.

A statement from Azerbaijan’s government-affiliated Caucasus Muslims Board confirmed the demolition while framing the churches as illegitimate structures. Armenian observers say the justification reflects a broader effort to deny the historic Armenian Christian presence in the region altogether.

The destruction of Armenian religious heritage in territories controlled by Azerbaijan is not a new concern. Human rights advocates and scholars have for years documented the disappearance of Armenian churches, cross-stones, and cemeteries in areas such as Nakhchivan, where thousands of medieval Armenian monuments were destroyed during previous decades.

International observers remain largely barred from many former Armenian population centers in Nagorno-Karabakh, forcing researchers and journalists to rely heavily on satellite imagery and geolocation analysis to assess the status of religious and cultural sites.

Some Christian advocacy organizations and legal groups have described Azerbaijan’s actions as cultural genocide, arguing that the destruction of churches and religious monuments is inseparable from the forced removal of the Armenian Christian population that once worshiped there.

The issue also raises questions about the durability of recent diplomatic efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan. While international officials have praised ongoing negotiations as a pathway toward regional peace, Armenian Christian leaders warn that any agreement that ignores religious freedom protections and cultural preservation risks legitimizing the irreversible destruction already underway.

For many Armenians, the loss of the churches in Stepanakert represents more than the demolition of buildings. It is viewed as part of an effort to remove the visible evidence of centuries of Armenian Christian life from a region where churches, monasteries, and cross-stones long served as enduring symbols of faith and identity.

• Marilena Koilakou
• May 14, 2026

Gayane Simonyan, the visionary founder and creative force behind ARCAICÓ, is redefining luxury home décor through a fusion of tradition, innovation, and timeless artistry.

With a background in political philosophy and fine arts, she brings a unique intellectual and artistic perspective to her work, combining mastery of material, form, and heritage.

Under her guidance, ARCAICÓ produces museum-grade, hand-crafted pieces, from sculptural marble furniture to lead-free crystal décor.

Her CRYSTAL DECORS collection won the Good Design Award 2025 and is featured at The European Centre–Contemporary Space in Athens. This feature is part of our Women in Design series.

GDN: In an era of constant trends, how would you describe “timeless design”?

Gayane Simonyan: In an era of constant trends, I approach timeless design as a question of continuity rather than permanence. Timeless design does not erase the moment of its creation.

I began to understand this while engaged in art history studies at university. I adopted the idea that it’s really about the ability of an object or décor to remain relevant across shifting temporal contexts, by being grounded in proportion, material integrity, and conceptual clarity—this is what allows a design to operate beyond temporal cycles.

I see timelessness achieved when a piece doesn’t rely on decoration to justify its existence. Instead, it’s defined by its structural logic, its relationship to space, and its capacity to evolve—visually and physically—without losing meaning.

A timeless object doesn’t seek attention; it holds presence. And most of the time, it takes breaking rules to create décor that becomes part of the architectural language rather than a temporary accent within it, and this we can see over and over throughout history.

In all my work, painting or décor, I have in mind the idea: what if this piece is going to be the only thing that remains that represents this specific time and area? Will it say something about the culture or presence of its time? Does it carry feelings? Because timeless design is never the absence of its time.

It always carries the imprint of its era—the techniques, the cultural atmosphere, the intention behind it. When it moves into future generations, it should still feel relevant, while quietly communicating the moment in which it was conceived.

GDN: You speak about objects carrying “energy” and becoming part of our living DNA. Can you expand on this philosophy?

Gayane Simonyan: I often mention that every object that has a permanent residence in our living space carries absorbed energy from the events we have experienced in its presence.

I believe objects are not passive; they become a part of our living style’s DNA, as over time they register interaction, light, and human presence, gradually accumulating meaning through continuity. A piece that exists within daily routines, gatherings, or moments is no longer something we actively notice—it becomes something we operate around.

In that sense, it embeds itself into our behavioral patterns. This accumulation of lived experience gives it a layered meaning over time. At a certain point, that permanence begins to influence the space itself.

An object starts to participate in the spatial logic of an interior—it affects balance, circulation, light distribution, and visual hierarchy. When I refer to “energy,” I’m defining this measurable and perceptual impact—how an object reflects, absorbs, and modulates light, and how it shapes spatial perception and behavior.

This introduces a clear responsibility in design. With that in mind, objects need to engage the senses, but they cannot dominate the environment. They should disrupt silence without creating noise.

Achieving that balance takes time—sometimes months—until a piece reaches that precise equilibrium between restraint and _expression_.

GDN: What draws you to materials like crystal and marble?

Gayane Simonyan: My interest is focused on materials that are active participants, rather than passive carriers of form.

Their significance lies beyond surface, in how they hold weight, transmit light, and register time. The work begins with understanding these inherent properties and composing them with precision and restraint.

Crystal operates through light. It refracts, reflects, and distorts, introducing a controlled instability—an object that shifts in perception depending on its environment. Its clarity is exacting; it exposes proportion and geometry without tolerance for excess.

Marble, by contrast, is grounded and finite. It arrives already resolved, shaped by geological time. Its connection to ancient art and architecture is structural rather than referential—a discipline of proportion, permanence, and measured intervention. The veining is intrinsic, and the role of design is to frame, not compete.

The work evolves through the tension between materials—translucency against mass, precision against irregularity. Looking forward, I aim to extend this language into compositions that integrate wood and steel, introducing a different register of warmth and structural clarity.

I also design fine jewelry, where the same principles are applied—every proportion, junction, and surface becomes critical. A disciplined approach to material and balance defines the final form.

GDN: How do you define responsible luxury today?

Gayane Simonyan: I define luxury today not by price or exclusivity, but by intention and longevity. A responsible object is designed to endure, both aesthetically and functionally. It resists trends and is conceived with a clear understanding of material origin, fabrication processes, and long-term impact.

Within this framework, sustainability becomes a core value—not an added feature, but a condition of good design. I see it emerging through restraint: choosing fewer, more meaningful objects, reducing waste through precision, and valuing craftsmanship over mass production.

It also requires accountability in sourcing and production, ensuring that each decision contributes to durability rather than excess.

For me, responsible luxury is not about accumulation, but about discernment. It is the ability to create and choose objects that justify their existence over time—pieces that remain relevant, age with integrity, and establish a lasting relationship between material, function, and the individual.

GDN: What changes would you like to see in the global design industry to better support women designers?

Gayane Simonyan: I believe the industry does not need symbolic inclusion, but rather structural recalibration.

However, I would first acknowledge that today, women have significantly greater visibility, rights, and freedom of _expression_ than at any point in the past century.

However, I see that visibility alone does not translate into influence—the gap still remains in access and authority. I believe women designers must have equal access to capital, manufacturing networks, and large-scale commissions.

Without this, recognition stays surface-level. True participation depends on the ability to build, scale, and lead, not only to be seen.

I also believe there is a need to recalibrate how design is evaluated. Work should be judged on intellectual rigor, technical precision, and innovation, rather than being filtered through expectations or narratives often assigned to women.

Removing these constraints allows for a more accurate and expansive understanding of design contributions.

For me, progress will be evident when representation is no longer framed as an exception or an achievement, but becomes an unremarkable constant across all levels of the industry—from emerging designers to decision-making positions.

GDN: What still excites or challenges you most about the journey ahead?

Gayane Simonyan: As a woman and a mother of two young girls, there is nothing more exciting to me than the shift I am witnessing today.

I feel that people are becoming more aware of themselves and their surroundings. They have more platforms to speak, express, and use their voices for something meaningful and compassionate.

There is a growing understanding of individual abilities, potential, and unique talents, which I find very powerful.

What as a designer continues to drive me is the tension between control and unpredictability and the constant search for new ways of creating. I think, we are entering an era where human creation will become more valuable than ever and I feel a responsibility to contribute my work to this expanding ocean of creativity.

It is an important moment not to lose human _expression_ within the uniformity of machine- and AI-driven grayness.

The challenge I see is a shift in how we inhabit space. In an environment increasingly shaped by technology and efficiency, finely considered objects are becoming rare—almost at risk of disappearing.

Removing beauty from our interiors is, in a way, like removing the soul from the body while still expecting depth of experience.

I fully embrace the dynamism of contemporary living, yet I believe in the enduring value of objects that carry intention and presence. I am particularly interested in expanding the role of objects within interiors—moving beyond function toward spatial influence.

Objects should not simply occupy space; they should actively shape it. That intersection between art, architecture, and object design is where I see the next phase of my work.