Kiri

ARMENIAN VANDALISM ON AZERBAIJANI MUSEUMS Dr Shirin Melikova, Director of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum 22 museums and museum branches with over 100,000 artefacts in the territories of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenians have been destroyed and damaged. 1. Aghdam Bread Museum 16. Gubadly Museum of History and Ethnography 2. Kalbajar Museum of History and Ethnography 17. Aghdam Museum of History and Ethnography 3. Lachin Museum of History and Ethnography 18. Fuzuli Museum of History and Ethnography 4. House-Museum of Uzeyir Hajibeyli in Shusha 19. Gargabazar Village History Museum 5. House-Museum of Bulbul in Shusha 20. Peoples Friendship Museum in Zengilan 6. Shusha branch of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum 21. House Museum of Mir Mohsun Navvab 7. Memorial Museum of Sari Ashiq 22. Khankendi Museum of History and Ethnography 8. House Museum of Jamil Ahmadov 9. Zengilan Museum of History and Ethnography 10. Museum of Stone Sculptures in Zengilan 11. House-Museum of Gurban Pirimov 12. Jabrayil Museum of History and Ethnography 13. Yaloba Museum of History and Ethnography 14. Shusha Museum of History 15. Azerbaijan State Museum of History of Karabakh  Aghdam Bread Museum The Aghdam Bread Museum – one of the only two such museums in the world – was opened in 1983. During the occupation the museum was hit by rockets twice. As a result, up to 1.500 Priceless exhibits were destroyed. Only parts of walls of the museum survived. Date of Creation: 1983 Collection: 1500 Date of Occupation: 1993 Rescued objects: 0 BEFORE ARMENIAN OCCUPATION AFTER ARMENIAN OCCUPATION AGHDAM, liberated district of Azerbaijan  Kalbajar Museum of History and Ethnography The museum was established in 1982. The collection stored over 30,000 objects, including 10,000 colorful stone specimens of Kalbajar. The most valuable exhibits were a bronze goat totem and a bronze necklace (4th-3rd Millennium BC), the 5,000 years old obsidian arrows, the 6,000 years old rock carvings of goats and other animals etc. Date of Creation: 1982 Collection: 30.000 Date of Occupation:1993 Rescued objects: 0 BEFORE ARMENIAN OCCUPATION AFTER ARMENIAN OCCUPATION KALBAJAR, liberated district of Azerbaijan  Lachin Museum of History and Ethnography The Museum was founded in 1979. The collection stored about 10.000 objects, including the household items of the Bronze Age, and old coins revealed during agricultural work. After the occupation of Lachin by Armenia in 1992, the museum’s collection was destroyed and looted. Date of Creation: 1979 Collection: 10.000 Date of Occupation:1992 Rescued objects: 0 BEFORE ARMENIAN OCCUPATION AFTER ARMENIAN OCCUPATION LACHIN, liberated district of Azerbaijan  Memorial Museum of Sari Ashiq The memorial museum honoured Sari Ashiq, bayati (a kind of the Azerbaijani folk poem) master who lived in the 17th century, and was opened in Gulabird village of the Lachin region in 1989. The initial collection included 150 items reminiscent of Sari Ashiq. Additionally, the Sari Ashiq monument was erected near the museum.The museum’s nearly 200 objects were destroyed and plundered after the occupation of the Lachin region by the Armenian Armed Forces in 1992. Date of Creation: 1989 Collection: approx. 200 Date of Occupation:1992 Rescued objects: 0 BEFORE ARMENIAN OCCUPATION AFTER ARMENIAN OCCUPATION LACHIN, liberated district of Azerbaijan  House-Museum of Uzeyir Hajibeyli in Shusha The Shusha house museum of Uzeyir Hajibeyli, the world-famous Azerbaijani composer and founder of the national composed classical music, was established in 1959 in a building where he spent his childhood. The museum's exhibition displayed items survived from the composer's early life, as well as manuscripts, documents, and photographs depicting his life and creativity. After the occupation of Shusha by Armenia in May 8, 1992, the museum's rescued exhibits are now stored at the Uzeyir Hajibeyli House Museum in Baku. Date of Creation: 1959 Collection: over 1500 Date of Occupation:1992 Rescued objects: 132 Left objects: 1368 BEFORE ARMENIAN OCCUPATION AFTER ARMENIAN OCCUPATION SHUSHA, liberated city of Azerbaijan  House-Museum of Bulbul in Shusha The Shusha house museum of Bulbul, the founder of Azerbaijani professional vocal art, was established in 1983 in a building where he was born and spent his childhood. The museum exhibited Bulbul's personal belongings, photos and documents depicting his life and activity. After the occupation of Shusha by Armenia in May 8, 1992, the museum’s collection was destroyed and looted. Date of Creation: 1983 Collection: 137 Date of Occupation:1992 Rescued objects: 0 BEFORE ARMENIAN OCCUPATION AFTER ARMENIAN OCCUPATION SHUSHA, liberated city of Azerbaijan  Shusha branch of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum The Shusha branch began its activity on May 19, 1987 in an 18th-century mansion owned by General Samad Bey Mehmandarov. The Nagorno-Karabakh War between Azerbaijan and Armenia caused the branch to terminate its activity in 1992. On February 29, 1992, 183 of 246 objects from the Shusha branch were evacuated and transferred to the ANCM’s main storage. Today, the Shusha branch operates within the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum. Date of Creation: 1987 Collection: 246 Date of Occupation:1992 Rescued objects: 183 Left objects: 63 BEFORE ARMENIAN OCCUPATION AFTER ARMENIAN OCCUPATION SHUSHA, liberated city of Azerbaijan  House Museum of Jamil Ahmadov The museum was devoted to Jamil Ahmadov, Hero of the Soviet Union during the World War II. As a regiment commander, he was awarded, at his 20 years old, with the highest honorary title “Hero of the Soviet Union”, a unique fact for USSR of that period. He was killed while liberating the Pinsk city in October 6, 1944. The Jamil Ahmadov House Museum was opened in the Jabrayil region to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Victory in 1985. Date of Creation: 1985 Collection: approx. 200 Date of Occupation:1993 Rescued objects: 0 BEFORE ARMENIAN OCCUPATION AFTER ARMENIAN OCCUPATION JABRAYIL, liberated district of Azerbaijan  Zengilan Museum of History and Ethnography Date of Creation: 1980 Collection: over 6000 Date of Occupation: 1993 Rescued objects: 0 AFTER ARMENIAN OCCUPATION ZENGILAN, liberated district of Azerbaijan  Museum of Stone Sculptures in Zengilan The Museum of Stone Sculptures exhibited ancient figures of ram, sheep, lion, and horse found in Zengilan, as well as various stone monuments of different historical periods. These monuments covered XIV-XVI centuries. The museum included over 20 open-air exhibits. After the occupation of the Zengilan region by the Armenian Armed Forces, the museum building and its hundred exhibits were destroyed. Date of Creation: 1989 Collection: 120 Date of Occupation:1993 Rescued objects: 0 AFTER ARMENIAN OCCUPATION ZENGILAN, liberated district of Azerbaijan  Gubadly Museum of History and Ethnography The museum was established in 1980. The collection stored over 5000 objects, including the fossilized remains of animals and specimens of minerals from the Cretaceous period (80-120 million years ago) found in the Gubadly region. Date of Creation: 1980 Collection: over 5000 Date of Occupation:1993 Rescued objects: 0 BEFORE ARMENIAN OCCUPATION AFTER ARMENIAN OCCUPATION GUBADLY, liberated district of Azerbaijan