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On the morning of November 10, 2026, a solemn candle-lighting protest took place in Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia, near the History Museum of Armenia. The action, titled “Let us light a candle in the surrendered churches of Artsakh,” was organized to honor and remember the Armenian cultural and religious heritage now under occupation.
Commemorating Lost Heritage
Organizers brought soil from Artsakh, which they placed in front of photographs depicting significant Armenian religious sites currently located in the occupied region. The photographs featured prominent landmarks, including Amaras, Dadivank, Saint Ghazanchetsots, and Gandzasar. The act served as a symbolic gesture of connection to these sites, which are currently inaccessible to the Armenian public.
A Day of Remembrance and Grief
Participants at the rally expressed deep sorrow, noting that the date is considered one of the most tragic for the Armenian people. Many of those present characterized the events that began on November 9, 2020, as a betrayal and a conspiracy against the nation.
One of the participants highlighted the devastating human and territorial costs of the conflict: “As a result of that betrayal, we suffered 5,000 casualties, over 10,000 wounded, nearly 1,200 missing or captured persons, and 12,000 square kilometers of lost ancestral land.”
Hope for the Future
The protesters emphasized that by gathering and lighting candles before images of the churches remaining in Artsakh, they hope for a future day when those candles can be lit once again within the physical walls of these historic buildings.
The event recalled the timeline of the conflict, starting with the large-scale military aggression launched by Azerbaijan on September 27, 2020, along the entire line of contact in Artsakh. The subsequent trilateral statement on November 9, 2020, led to the deployment of Russian peacekeepers. However, following a new military aggression on September 19, 2023, Artsakh was occupied and depopulated, leaving its Armenian heritage in a precarious state.
The protest remained peaceful, serving as a poignant reminder of the ongoing national grief and the unresolved status of cultural heritage in the region.
Source: Golos Armenii
