The church, which lies in Nagorno-Karabakh, was hit twice on October 8 by shelling, which Armenia blames on Azerbaijan. However, Azerbaijan’s defense minister denies that his country would attack any historical or religious object.
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The white limestone temple was built in the 19th century, in 1920 it was destroyed by an attack by the Azerbaijani army on the city of Shusha. During the Nagorno-Karabakh war, which lasted from the late 1980s until 1994, it served as a weapons depot. He was re-ordained in 1998 and is considered one of the main symbols of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenians living in the disputed area hid in it during the ongoing fighting because they considered it a safe place.
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“We were playing there with the children when I saw the door fall apart and rubble begin to fall on us. The whole place was full of smoke. I didn’t know where the children were. I found them in the dark by touch. We then ran to another room, which was on the lower floor, where it was safer, “one of the women hiding there described Radio Free Europe. “Everything was covered in smoke. Help arrived in about 20 minutes. People helped us leave. “
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No human casualties were reported after the first attack. However, during the second attack, three Russian journalists were injured and went to the site to map how the sanctuary was damaged.
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The priest of the Shusha Cathedral promised that the church would be repaired and functional again as soon as possible. “The church will be restored and will soon start operating. All we have to do is win and we can do it, “believes the head of the cathedral.
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