NKR's govt allocates 187.2 million drams for protection of historical monuments

On February 12, it was announced at the sitting of the government of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) that the 2015 state budget has allotted 187.2 million drams (1 US dollar = 470 drams) for searching, researching and protecting historical monuments. According to experts, more than 90% of NKR's historical monuments need restoration.

"In the Soviet time, most of the historical monuments in the NKR were not protected; and later all the currently registered monuments suffered during the Karabakh War," Sergey Shakhverdyan, the head of the department of tourism and protection of the historic environment under the government, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

He explained that in the state registry comprises over 4000 monuments of history and culture, while under archive documents, the NKR has more than 10,000 of them.

According to Artak Grigoryan, an adviser to the above department head, in 2014, they continued excavations in the Azokh Cave, in the ancient settlement of Karkar, and in Tigranakert.

He added that some historical monuments found under threat of destruction were also reinforced and restored.

He specified that in 2015 they plan restoration works in the historical and cultural reserves "Melikov Toga Palace" and "Tigranakert"; and a part of the Askeran Fortress in the Askeran District will be restored.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.