"$100 Billion Worth of Property Abandoned": Expert Assesses Losses of Artsakh Armenians After 2023 Exodus

18.09.2024

Following the forced displacement of Armenians from Artsakh in 2023, property left behind in the region is estimated at $100 billion, according to Armen Sargsyan, adviser on historical affairs at the Genesis Armenia Analytical Center. He made the statement during the conference “One Year Without Artsakh: Statistics and Strategic Perspective.”

According to Sargsyan, following the forced displacement, the people of Artsakh left behind 11,450 apartments, 13,550 houses, 15 plants, 60 factories, an airport, 4 water reservoirs, 5 irrigation canals, 37 hydroelectric power plants, 48 mines, 11 hospitals, 3,500 hectares of forest, and 1,000 hectares of pomegranate orchards. He added that among the abandoned sites were 385 churches and 60 monastery complexes, 200 cultural centers, 25 museums, 156 libraries, 4 universities, 7 colleges, 232 schools, 232 gyms, 11 sports schools, 4 stadiums, 2,385 khachkars (cross-stones), 400 medieval cemeteries, and 385 churches. Sargsyan noted that the total number of Armenian cultural heritage monuments in Artsakh is still not final, as archaeological excavations aimed at identifying historical and cultural sites were ongoing at the time of the exodus.

Sourse: armeniatoday.am