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According to the Karabakh armistice of the Armenian PM, Russian and Azerbaijani presidents, the regions of Aghdam, Karvachar and Qashatagh of Nagorno-Karabakh will be handed over to Azerbaijan, and the warring sides will stay at their positions taken so far. In every region of Artsakh, including in Hadrut, Karvachar and Qashatagh, there are some 500-700 monuments, most of them have a significant value.

"The Azeri cultural policy of aggression is about destroying cultural sites which are unknown in the world, others are presented as examples of Caucasian Albania's culture, as Azeris consider themselves as their predecessors. I think this tendency will continue," the head of Artsakh archeological group of Institute of Ethnography Hamlet Petrosyan told Panorama.am

He noted that most of the monuments which are not well-known among the scientific circles and have not obtained symbolic meaning and wide recognition, will be likely destroyed by Azerbaijan, as our previous experience indicate. Those Armenian monuments which are well-known, such as Dadivank, Tsitsernakavank and which have been considered by Azeris as Albanian since the 60s, will be preserved, but Azerbaijan will show them as cultural heritage sites of non-Armenian origin.

Petrosyan, who has led the excavations of the ancient city of Tigranakert in Artsakh for the past 16 years, says discoveries are one of the earliest and most reliable evidences of the Armenian heritage in the area.

"The Armenia side didn't negotiated a deal but agreed to capitulation. During the negotiations you can discuss issues, such as exchanging territories. Our authorities left no chance for us due to their ineptitude. I did my utmost to prove the Armenian legacy of those lands," the cultorologist stressed.

Petrosyan added that numerous churches, monasteries, and manuscripts are in Artsakh, yet the site of Tigranakert is at least 500-600 older of all of them.

"It turns out that this monument, which is considered the treasure, pearl of the Caucasus and which is Armenian was just left to them," said Petrosyan.

He also spoke of Dadivank in Qarvachar region. In his words, there are some 100 manuscripts in the site and the monastery walls represent a parchment. Numerous castles were left in Hadrut region, Gtchavank among them, which is a unique church.

Petrosyan has no hope about the possibility to continue excavations in Tigranakert.
"I think Azerbaijan will first show how 'poor' scientists we were and how 'wrong' our findings were. They have worked for 30 years in the area of Tigranakert and didn't even realize there was an ancient city beneath the land. They will mock us now, our dignity, will claim that the city is Albanian despite its name," said Petrosyan.

He stressed that what happened is not merely a defeat. in his words, Armenians and the Armenian culture in Artsakh will exposed to the dissolute mockery of the enemy.