New Book Documents Armenian Cultural Heritage Sites in Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsak

Mar 19 2026
03-19-2026 01:18 PM CET | Associations & Organizations

Press release from: Getnews

 / PR Agency: Peak Web Digital

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The Two-Volume Publication Catalogues 5,658 Ancient Armenian Religious and Cultural Sites in Artsakh
Yerevan, Armenia – March 19, 2026 – Spiritual Artsakh NGO today announced the release of The Tangible Cultural Monuments of the Republic of Artsakh [https://artsakhculturalheritage.org/], a comprehensive, two-volume ethnographic publication detailing endangered, millennia-old, Armenian religious and cultural heritage sites across Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh. The 1,088-page publication authenticates 5,658 diverse monuments in 308 indigenous Armenian settlements across eight regions of Artsakh, which are at risk, following the large-scale and complete displacement of the Armenian population from Artsakh in 2023. The publication is available for free download [about:blank#download] in both English and Armenian.

Image: https://www.globalnewslines.com/uploads/2026/03/37635b8adadd1e53f8ff2aed295f9962.jpg

The 18-19th century Saint Amenaprkich Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, the largest church in the city of Shushi, Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh, c ompleted in 1887 and consecrated in 1888, was deliberately targeted and shelled twice during the 2020 war. [ Photo: Stephan Abrahamyan]

“Our publication is a testament to the enduring resilience of Artsakh’s indigenous Armenians and the significance of safeguarding and preserving our Christian heritage,” said Dr. Vahram Balayan, co-author and Professor of Historical Sciences. “The concise inventory provides photographs of numerous sites-many of which were tragically and deliberately destroyed, altered, or remain at risk. By educating future generations, this critical documentation advocates for legal protections through relevant international platforms and organizations.”

Since 2020, 150,000 indigenous Armenians have been displaced from their ancestral homeland of Artsakh following the 44-day war in 2020, a subsequent 10-month blockade, and a renewed military offensive by Azerbaijan. Offering a comprehensive inventory of cultural heritage monuments, including monasteries, churches, khachkars (cross-stones), and cemeteries, the publication authenticates each site by detailing its location, type, period, function, architectural style, artistry, historical context, and current state of preservation.

While raising global awareness of the urgency to protect these cultural monuments, this evidence-based repository supports academic research on Artsakh’s long-standing historical, ethnographic, cultural, and religious Armenian traditions.

In emphasizing the publication’s core purpose, co-author and Associate Professor and Candidate of Historical Sciences, Melanya Balayan, said, “We aim to ensure that the rich cultural tapestry of Artsakh is not forgotten amidst current attempts of state-sponsored erasure.”

The Tangible Cultural Monuments of the Republic of Artsak h is co-authored by several notable Artsakh historians, including:

*
Dr. Vahram Balayan — Professor of Historical Sciences, Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Research Group at the Institute of History, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia.

*
Melanya Balayan — Associate Professor and Candidate of Historical Sciences, former Director of the Artsakh State Historical and Geographical Museum, Research Fellow at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia.

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Lernik Hovhannisyan, Chair of Archaeology and Ethnography at Yerevan (Armenia) State University, and former Chair of the Diocesan Council of Artsakh.

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Slava Sargsyan, a recognized expert in monument studies, is known for documenting Armenian monasteries and fortresses in Artsakh.

The publication is funded by the Vahe Fattal Foundation, honoring the memory and legacy of Vahe Fattal, an artist, renowned graphic designer, and the creator of the Republic of Artsakh’s flag, who received the Artsakh Presidential Order of St. Mesrop Mashtots.

For more information about The Tangible Cultural Monuments of the Republic of Artsakh , or to arrange interviews with the authors, contact [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]. To access downloadable photos of the monuments and the authors, visit the Media Kit [https://artsakhculturalheritage.org/media-kit/].

About Spiritual Artsakh NGO

The Spiritual Artsakh NGO was established in 2023 in response to the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict, which resulted in the forced displacement of the indigenous Armenian population from their ancestral homeland. The NGO’s first publication, The Tangible Cultural Monuments of the Republic of Artsakh , was initiated by its founders, prominent Artsakh historians Dr. Vahram Balayan, Melanya Balayan, and Professor Lusine Gharakhanyan, Director of the Hovhannes Toumanian Museum in Yerevan, Armenia, and former Artsakh Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport.

The NGO’s mission is to preserve, document, and maintain a comprehensive knowledge repository of Artsakh that is grounded in tangible evidence of the rich and ancient ethnographic, cultural, and religious heritage of Artsakh’s Armenian population.

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Sports: Geragusian ‘proud’ of Armenia senior call-up

BBC, UK
Mar 19 2026

Sunderland’s Finn Geragusian may have been knocked out of the FA Youth Cup after suffering a 3-2 loss to Manchester United in the sixth round, but the 18-year-old now has international football on the horizon.

The Wearside academy prospect has been called up to the Armenia senior squad for the first time in his career.

Geragusian, born in County Durham, qualifies for Armenia through his grandfather.

Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle, the centre-forward said: “I am so proud of myself and what I have achieved. All my family are very proud of me.”

Armenia, who are 105th in the Fifa men’s ranking, will face United Arab Emirates on 26 March in Abu Dhabi.

Geragusian said his grandfather had shown him “the heritage and culture of Armenia” and the Sunderland prospect is now learning Armenian.

“I can say one or two words, but I am currently learning some more. A lot of them speak good English, which is really helpful for me,” he added.

Although Geragusian has received his first senior call-up in international football, he is yet to feature in a first-team game for his boyhood club.


Armenia FM Mirzoyan chairs meeting with envoys to Arab countries

Armenia21:33, 19 March 2026
Read the article in: Russian

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan chaired a meeting in Muscat with the heads of Armenia’s diplomatic missions accredited to Arab countries, the foreign ministry said in a readout.

The meeting was also attended by Deputy Foreign Minister for Coordination of Relations with the Middle East Vahan Kostanyan and diplomats from the ministry’s central apparatus.

Participants discussed the situation in the Middle East and  regional developments. Armenian ambassadors presented the realities and specific features of their countries of accreditation, followed by an exchange of views on possible ways to address the situation.

Mirzoyan referred to ongoing efforts to implement Armenia’s foreign policy priorities in the region and outlined approaches to further developing partnerships.

Discussions also covered issues concerning Armenian citizens who have remained in countries of the region since the escalation in the Middle East, including measures taken to organize their return to Armenia.

Read the article in: Russian

Published by Armenpress, original at 

Armenpress: Armenia’s progress in ensuring gender equality presented at the UN

Armenia21:34, 19 March 2026
Read the article in: ArabicՀայերենRussian

The 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) was held from 9 to 19 March 2026, under the priority theme of ensuring and strengthening access to justice for women and girls, the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the United Nations said in a statement.

It is noted that the delegation of Armenia actively participated in the work of the session and delivered statements at the general discussion, ministerial round table, the High-level meeting on “Violence Against Women and Girls”, as well as other side events. 

“Armenian reaffirmed its commitment to preventing violence against women and presented the progress in ensuring gender equality,” reads the statement.

 On the margins of the session, the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the UN organized a side event entitled “From CSW Commitments to CBD COP17: Advancing Gender Equality for Biodiversity Action”, which explored opportunities to further strengthen the interlinkages between the gender equality and biodiversity agendas.

The event was co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of the United Kingdom and the Philippines, UNDP, UN Women and UNFPA.

Read the article in: ArabicՀայերենRussian

Published by Armenpress, original at 

There is a reference in the US intelligence report “Annual Threat Assessment”.

A few hours ago, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence declassified the 2026 plan of the US intelligence community. Annual Threat Assessment Report. Armenia has a special place there.


We have posted the full translation of that section below.


“The Peace Summit held between Armenia and Azerbaijan under the auspices of the USA on August 8 created an opportunity for the two countries to establish lasting peace and contributed to the growth of regional stability. Among the outcomes of the peace summit was a preliminary agreement on the terms of a peace treaty and plans to create the US-led Trump Path for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), which would link Azerbaijan with its Nakhichevan exclave through southern Armenia, opening up trade flows for both states and the entire region.


• These developments create a significant change in the direction of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. In 2020 and 2023, Azerbaijan militarily regained control over its Nagorno-Karabakh region, which until then was under the control of the ethnic Armenian population supported by Yerevan.


• Since August 8, both sides appear willing to maintain the positive momentum gained from the Peace Summit. Ceasefire violations on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan have drastically decreased and are now almost non-existent. In October 2025, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, announced that Azerbaijan had removed restrictions on cargo transportation through the territory of Azerbaijan to Armenia, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reciprocated the move within days. Since then, Azerbaijan has supplied gasoline to Armenia and allowed transit transportation of wheat.


• There are still obstacles on the way to the final conclusion of the peace agreement. For example, President Aliyev continues to insist that Armenia should amend its Constitution to remove the reference to what he describes as the wording that Nagorno Karabakh is part of Armenia. That step will require holding a constitutional referendum in Armenia, the result of which is not guaranteed.”


Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, advisor to the director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, Ruben Safrastyan




Massis is removed from all symbols

“Hraparak” newspaper writes:


Nikol Pashinyan started fighting against Mount Ararat as a symbol many years ago and promoted the cult of Aragats as an alternative. Now he forbids pronouncing the word “Artsakh” and talking about the genocide. He qualifies all of that as a call for war and a threat, and he slowly implements this policy in the country. At first, the image of Mount Masis was removed from the entry stamps to Armenia, and yesterday our source told us that the official logo of the National Polytechnic University of Armenia, on which the mountains Masis and Sis are depicted, was also ordered to be replaced with another logo, where there will be another image instead of Mount Ararat.


According to our source, they started working on changing the logo in January of this year. They were told that it should be changed before the end of the academic year. We tried to get a comment from the polytechnic, but neither the rector of the university, Gor Vardanyan, nor his spokesperson answered our phone calls.

An emergency in Yerevan. a foreign mother abused a 3-year-old child

On March 12, an extraordinary incident took place in Yerevan. Around 10:15, the Nor Nork Division of the Community Police Department of the RA Ministry of Internal Affairs received an alert that one of the residents of the special shelter located at 29/1 Moldovakan Street was in a mentally unbalanced state and asked a police officer to come to him in order to take him to a mental health center.


Shamshyan.com reports that after some time, the Nor Nork Police Department received information that a child who was abused at the address was taken by the ambulance team to the Wigmore Medical Center with the diagnosis of “bruises on the body and neck with a lip injury.”


According to the source, the officers of the Nor Nork police department found out that the victim was a 3-year-old boy, an Iraqi citizen, and on the same day, around 10:00 a.m., the 35-year-old mother shouted at the child in the allocated room, after which she hit him several times on different parts of the body, then threw him from the bed to the floor and dragged him, causing physical injuries.


On the facts of the incident, documents were drawn up in the Nor Nork police department, which were transferred to the investigative department of the Avan and Nor Nork administrative districts of the Yerevan City Investigation Department of the RA Investigative Committee.


Notice: The person suspected or accused of the alleged crime is considered innocent, until his guilt is proven in accordance with the procedure established by the RA Criminal Procedure Code, by the court’s legally binding verdict.

The US is not worried about Aliyev’s demands from Armenia, but about the possible public

2026 declassified by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The Annual Threat Assessment report makes clear the algorithms of that superpower’s calculations regarding events in our region.


Everything resembles a dry calculation without adequate legal evaluations, but they did not publicly express the non-existence of international law for nothing. The analysis of Aliyev’s demand to change the Constitution is typical. “There are still obstacles on the way to the final conclusion of the peace agreement. For example, President Aliyev continues to insist that Armenia should amend its Constitution to remove a reference to what he interprets as a provision making Nagorno Karabakh part of Armenia. That step will require holding a constitutional referendum in Armenia, the result of which is not guaranteed.”


Thus, the US is not worried about the criminal attitude of the Azerbaijani president to dictate demands to Armenia based on his own mental abilities, clearly undermining the sovereignty of Armenia, but the fear that this step will simply require a referendum, the result of which is not guaranteed.


It is an indisputable fact that in the current legal and political climate in Armenia, when even in the republican elections it is not possible to ensure at least 50 percent participation, which is a mandatory condition for the referendum. Even the Yerevan Council of Elders in 2023 the participation in the elections was barely 28.4 percent.


Moreover, we publicly voiced this important circumstance 4 years ago, when the declaration of “Independence” was considered problematic for the first time.


Once again, we emphasize two very key reservations: a) the “Independence” declaration does not contain a territorial claim, but only respect for the right of the people to self-determination, which is a norm of international law, b) the preamble of the Constitution is intended to be based not on all 12 points of the Declaration (some of them were ignored back in 1991, when the institution of the president was introduced), but on “the fundamental principles of Armenian statehood and national goals”.


P.S. In the United States, at least they understood well that the demand to change the Constitution on the above-mentioned basis is an insurmountable obstacle, and if we look more complexly, we can state that it is a road leading to a dead end, because in case of failure of the referendum, we inevitably confirm with our own hands the legal fact of having territorial ambitions as if by the mother law, along with the inevitable negative consequences arising from it. Steps to “revise” voter lists are also futile. It’s not too late…


Doctor of Law, Professor Gevorg Danielyan




End of “tax terror”. Pashinyan only demands honesty from business

Photo: primeminister.am

The government of Armenia puts an end to speculations about pressures on businessmen. The authorities guarantee unprecedented support, demanding absolute fiscal discipline in return.


During the government session held on March 19, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan categorically denied rumors circulating on social networks and in letters that the state has started a campaign to intimidate the private sector. The head of the government emphasized that there is no desire or purpose to terrorize the economy.


On the contrary, the state implements incentive programs worth tens of billions, thanks to which almost every company today benefits from preferential loans or state support for equipment modernization. According to the Prime Minister, this concept of transparent cooperation was discussed during a workshop with businessmen held in Jermuk last year, which led to relevant legislative changes. In return for this extensive support, the state expects only strict compliance from the business.


Pashinyan emphasized that they do not demand a single penny more, but they will not tolerate a single penny less tax payment. The Prime Minister concluded his speech with an assurance, officially declaring tax terror closed and, more importantly, not declaring it open.