Azerbaijan Defends Demolition of Aivazovsky Statue in Karabakh; Russia Calls It a Hostile Act

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has declared the installation of a monument to Russian-Armenian painter Ivan Aivazovsky in Khankendi (formerly Stepanakert) illegal and justified its demolition as lawful and appropriate, Orda.kz reports, citing The Caucausian Knot.

The statue was dismantled on July 29 — Aivazovsky’s birthday — according to the local tourism and culture agency. The move is widely seen as part of Baku’s broader effort to erase Armenian cultural presence in the region.

The statue’s creator, Salavat Shcherbakov, is known for sculpting other prominent figures of Armenian heritage.

While Azerbaijan maintains that Russian culture is still respected — citing Russian-language schools and theaters— Russian officials have sharply criticized the act.

Presidential envoy Mikhail Shvydkoy called the demolition a “demonstrative and unfriendly gesture” that undermines the spirit of partnership between the two countries. 

Russian MP Konstantin Zatulin called the demolition “barbaric” and “senseless,” noting that Aivazovsky was a globally recognized artist and cultural icon.

The diplomatic fallout escalated further when Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry demanded an apology from the Russian state agency TASS. The dispute arose after TASS referred to the Nagorno-Karbakh capital as "Stepanakert"— its Armenian name during the existence of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic — in a report on the statue’s removal.

Azerbaijan insisted that using outdated or non-Azerbaijani toponyms distorts reality and warned that, in response, it may begin referring to Russian cities by their historical names (e.g., Kaliningrad as Königsberg, Grozny as Solzha-Gala, etc.).

Shortly after, TASS twice updated the article's title, replacing "Stepanakert" with "Nagorno-Karabakh," then "Karabakh."

Later, the agency added both names in the article, stating the monument was installed in Stepanakert and dismantled in Khankendi (Azerbaijani name), according to Novaya Gazeta.

This development comes amid strained relations between Baku and Moscow.