At CHW, we don’t speak often—but when we do, it’s because we have verified findings to share. Even in silence, we’re working behind the scenes. Help us reach 50% of our goal by Monday—give today: crowdfunding.cornell.edu/project/48028

A $5 TRUE STORY Each month for 2+ years, a $5 bill arrives in CHW's mail—folded neatly in an envelope from one mysterious donor. It’s a small, steady reminder that every gift matters. Will you give $5 today so we can continue reporting on heritage at risk? crowdfunding.cornell.edu/project/48028

Meet the CHW leads: archaeologists Smith, Lindsay, & Khatchadourian and political geographer Ghulyan. Since 2020 we've drawn on decades of regional expertise to respond to war’s impact on cultural heritage. Help us reach 25% of our crowdfunding goal today! crowdfunding.cornell.edu/project/48028

Our crowdfunding campaign is live! Since 2021, CHW has provided independent satellite-based evidence on cultural heritage affected by the Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict. Please contribute today to sustain this vital work. ➡️ crowdfunding.cornell.edu/project/48028

Monitoring Report #8 on 500+ cultural heritage sites in former Nagorno-Karabakh out today. See findings from satellite monitoring missions in fall 2024 and spring 2025. Key takeaways: no new destruction; damage to 2 cemeteries and 1 church; spike in # of threatened sites. 1/4 tinyurl.com/hm6daw9x

We're looking forward to joining @bellingcat.com for this conversation on Thursday at 10am EST.

Satellite imagery shows that between Oct. 5, 2023, and April 30, 2024, the 19th century Tandzatap church in Garababa, Zangilan sustained major damage. Most of the roof has collapsed, as has the southern wall which featured an embedded stone engraved with a cross. 1/6

Monitoring Report #7 on cultural heritage in former Nagorno-Karabakh out today. Our latest monitoring cycle has revealed the greatest number of impacted Armenian cultural sites since we began monitoring in 2021. Newly destroyed=6, newly threatened=7.1/4 tinyurl.com/4bbywb9j

Azerbaijan has destroyed the remains of two schools and with them traces of a medieval Armenian past. Their ruination encapsulates the cycles of erasure that have wrecked cultural landscapes in the NK conflict. Our latest StoryMap 'Wreckage upon Wreckage'. storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/2e1ec3…

DESTRUCTION ALERT: Satellite imagery dated April 4 shows that the destruction of the Ghazanchetsots cemetery in Shusha is complete. This marks the first destruction of a cemetery since the @CIJ_ICJ ordered Azerbaijan to prevent and punish attacks on Armenian cultural heritage.1/3

DESTRUCTION ALERT: Between December 28, 2023 and April 4, 2024, St. John the Baptist church (S. Hovhannes Mkrtich), a 177 year old landmark in Shusha was destroyed, Azerbaijan’s most egregious violation yet of a December 2021 @ICJ order . 1/3 tinyurl.com/yr7jvd3r

We break the stories on violence against heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh. Our satellite investigations counter post-truths and support informed debate. To continue speaking truth to power, we need your help. 18 days left, $12000 raised, $3000 to go. Plz give tinyurl.com/3rwwmpdd

Giving day is here. Please consider supporting CHW’s efforts to monitor cultural heritage at risk. youtube.com/watch?v=FrOY5b…

DAMAGE ALERT: Between Oct. 5 and Nov. 3, another Armenian cemetery in Shusha/i was damaged. It appears that bulldozers dumped heaps of debris atop the old Ghazanchetsots cemetery (southeast of the cathedral), endangering the already fragmented tombstones. 1/7

DAMAGE ALERT: Between Oct. 5 and Nov. 3 bulldozers carved a road through an historic burial ground in Shusha/i known as the Yerevan Gate cemetery. Nestled amidst the trees are at least 78 Armenian-inscribed tombstones dating between 1802 and 1913. 1/5

DAMAGE ALERT: Construction in Shusha/i has damaged the archaeological remains of the 1838 Meghretsots Holy Mother of God church. A Nov. 3 satellite image shows that demolition debris (A) was recently dumped on the foundations of the old church, likely using heavy machinery. 1/5

Satellite monitoring is costly. Since 2021 CHW has kept watch over 270+ sites. With the ethnic cleansing of Karabakh this will ↑ to ≈500. If you rely on CHW for reliable info re: the status of Armenian cultural heritage pls. give to Cornell crowdfunding. tinyurl.com/mwkk954a

An Armenian church in Azerbaijan was destroyed in 2022, violating an ICJ ruling. New activity raises questions about how the state is responding. CHW sets out the visual evidence of what happened in a new StoryMap. storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/6e1857…

The video below shows two Azerbaijani soldiers firing on the 13th century Charektar Monastery, one from an armored vehicle. Such attacks are in direct violation of the ICJ’s provisional measure concerning Armenian cultural heritage and must be investigated and prosecuted. x.com/AWorldUnited2/…

NEW REPORT: CHW’s Monitoring Report #5 on the status of cultural heritage in and around Nagorno-Karabakh documents 1 destroyed bridge, 2 damaged cemeteries, & 5 newly threatened sites. In this cycle, we identified two new developments. 1/4 tinyurl.com/4ftm2fbn

CHW has documented the destruction of the 1835 Halevor Bridge, which spanned the Ishkhanaget/Quruçay River, 2km southwest of Böyük Tağlar/Mets Tagher. We have been concerned about this bridge since last summer. It was clearly visible in an Oct. 2021 satellite image. 1/2

CHW is concerned about new military installations near historic sites in Aghdam&Martakert. Between April & July 2021, bunkers were dug into a historic Azerbaijani cemetery, near a mausoleum. They were recently expanded as indicated in an April 2023 image. 1/6

CHW has made a high-confidence assessment that a centuries-old cemetery in Lachin has been damaged due to construction. Road work encroached into the northeastern and southern areas of the cemetery between October 15, 2022 and April 29, 2023. 1/4

6 months ago this week, we released the results of our satellite investigation into the destruction of Armenian cultural heritage in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Azerbaijan. To mark the occasion, today we share one of our most surprising findings. 1/8

Pleased that our OpEd in Sapiens is one the editors' picks for the year's best. x.com/SAPIENS_org/st…

StoryMap of the Day:St. Gregory the Illuminator Monastery of Nasirvas/Mesropavan (Nakhchivan, Az). Destroyed in a state-sponsored program of silent erasure between 1997 & 2006. Signs of earthmoving still visible in the 2006 satellite image. 1/2 bit.ly/3EMdb2p

Our op-ed on heritage forensics in the Caucasus is out today in @SAPIENS_org sapiens.org/archaeology/he…

StoryMap of the Day:Cemetery of Paraka, with 800+ tombstones including cross-stones (khachkars) and ram-shaped sculptures, roughly 70 with Armenian inscriptions. In use from 10th-20th c; bulldozed in a state-sponsored program of erasure btw. 1997 & 2009. bitly.ws/vwgv

NEW REPORT: Today we release a new report on satellite monitoring of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh. In the past year, we have documented 1 destroyed church, 1 damaged historic bridge, and 7 threatened churches & cemeteries. See 2-page overview.1/5 adobe.ly/3S5lxWh

StoryMap of the Day: St. Astvatsatsin Monastery of Tsghna, pre-12th c. A domed basilica with bell tower, Armenian inscriptions, sculptures and frescoes. Destroyed in a state-sponsored program of erasure between 1997 & 2000. See more bit.ly/3e40PI9 bit.ly/3T1QKdD

While @SpeakerPelosi’s visit to Yerevan rightly focuses on securing peace, our report on cultural erasure, released this week, should be of interest to her if the US is finally ready to address issues of human rights in the South Caucasus. @RepSpeier @RepAnnaEshoo x.com/CaucasusHW/sta…

In our special report on cultural erasure in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan region, released today, we expressed concern that the template for heritage destruction there could be pursued in Karabakh, too. We are releasing new evidence supporting this concern 1/5. bit.ly/3xh1FIa

CHW has concluded a year-long investigation into the Armenian churches and cemeteries of Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan. The results, based on unprecedented site-by-site analysis, reveal a plan of state-sponsored cultural erasure with few parallels. 1/8 bit.ly/3qoXJBd

CHW is closely monitoring earthmoving adjacent to the St. Yeghishe Church of Mataghis/Suqovuşan, built 1892-1898. As of July 5, the basilica appears structurally unchanged since the 2020 war. But the proximity of earthmoving raises concern. For more bit.ly/3PRDHtF

CHW can confirm the erasure of a sacred Armenian site in Dirnis/Berdak (Nakhchivan, AZ), and the subsequent construction of a mosque on the same plot, as reported today in a @WSJ Op-Ed by @simonforco.1/3 on.wsj.com/3Lb0Yo7

CHW’s work relies on regular access to satellite images of heritage sites at risk. This is expensive work. In this season of giving, please consider a tax-deductible contribution to CHW so that we can continue to monitor abuses to the region’s fragile past bit.ly/3ekBypH

CHW announces the release of our DECEMBER REPORT on the condition of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh, including a discussion of satellite monitoring in the wake of the recent @CIJ_ICJ case. caucasusheritage.cornell.edu/index.php/repo…

CHW is increasingly concerned about the Holy Mother of God church in Tağaverd/Taghavard. Since our July alert, construction has advanced closer to the 1840 basilica. Under the recent ICJ order, Az. is required to prevent damage to this and other Arm. cultural heritage sites. x.com/CaucasusHW/sta…

New @planet satellite imagery is coming down, and CHW is preparing for another round of monitoring. Once again, we will assess the condition of hundreds of cultural heritage sites in and around NK. Read our September Report here: caucasusheritage.cornell.edu/index.php/repo…

CHW announces the release of our SEPTEMBER REPORT on the condition of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh. Attacks on the cultural heritage of any community are an assault on all of humanity. These actions must stop.1/3 caucasusheritage.cornell.edu/index.php/repo…

Between April 8 and July 7, the Makun Bridge in Mets Tagher/Böyük Tağlar was destroyed in the course of river engineering and road construction. The small structure is difficult to see in satellite imagery due to tree cover, but CHW’s sources have confirmed its location. 1/3

Thanks to @hyperallergic for profiling CHW's work to monitor endangered cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh. bit.ly/3y5cZ7L

Satellite imagery shows that between April 10 and June 5, the 51 sculptures in the park of the Shushi Museum of Fine Arts were removed and the area completely cleared. CHW is concerned about the condition of these artworks, which are the property of that museum. 1/4

CHW is closely monitoring large-scale earth moving immediately east of the late-18th c. T’ukhnakal mansion, located 1km east of Moshkhmhat. As of July 20, the condition of the structure appears unchanged since before the war. But the proximity of construction raises concern. 1/3

THREAT ALERT: The Holy Mother of God church (S. Astvatsatsin) in the village of T’aghavard/Tağaverd (Martuni/Khojavend district) is under threat. Between June 10 and July 12, the western part of the village was bulldozed. The destruction zone extends to edge of the church. 1/3

Two of Europe’s leading heritage orgs, @europanostra and @archaeologyEAA, jointly issue an urgent call for access to threatened cultural heritage in NK, halt to activities endangering these sites, and mutual respect for the region's multicultural history: tinyurl.com/dtzztj8x

New piece out from Cornell Chronicle on the work of CHW. news.cornell.edu/stories/2021/0…

Read our JUNE REPORT on satellite monitoring of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh. And keep an eye on our Monitoring Dashboard for up-to-the-minute assessments. caucasusheritage.cornell.edu

CHW confirms the destruction of an Armenian cemetery in the village of Sghnakh/Sığnaq, as first reported by Monument Watch . The area was bulldozed in connection with road construction. 1/3 bit.ly/368g7UH

Simon Maghakyan’s important investigation in The Art Newspaper published today. Using declassified US KH-9 Hexagon photographic reconnaissance satellite imagery from the 1970s, CHW helped document the deliberate destruction of Armenian churches in Agulis, Azerbaijan. x.com/simonforco/sta…