A cultural event dedicated to Nagorno-Karabakh attracted the attention of spectators and security forces.

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The educational and cultural event "We Exist," dedicated to Nagorno-Karabakh, was held in Yerevan. Proceeds from ticket sales went toward hall rental and organizational expenses, and the organizers were visited by officers from the National Security Service of Armenia on the eve of the event.

The event took place at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex on January 18. It began at 12:00 PM local time, with the opening of the exhibition, and concluded with a concert that lasted from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM local time.

More than 100 artists, photographers, craftsmen, and representatives from educational and business centers presented their works at the exhibition and fair. Admission to the exhibition was free. The concert featured 12 music and dance groups from Nagorno-Karabakh and 10 singers from Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. Ticket prices ranged from 3,000 to 8,000 drams (eight to twenty-one dollars).

The event was organized in collaboration with the Center for the Preservation of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Cultures and the Munk Techno School. The youth initiatives Power Volunteering and Fan Zone assisted with the organization of the events as volunteers, reports a "Caucasian Knot"

"Volunteering is one of the most important manifestations of community strength, mutual trust, and responsibility. It contributes not only to improving the organizational quality of the event but also to fostering a culture of cooperation and teamwork." "We will combine our experience and capabilities to make the event more organized, effective, and high-quality," a Power Volunteering representative told the Caucasian Knot correspondent.

According to the event coordinator, public figure Artak Mkrtchyan, "this is the first large-scale event dedicated to Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) since the forced displacement of the Artsakh people."

After the forced displacement, all state-run creative organizations faced financial difficulties and, even if they continue to operate, it is only on a voluntary basis.

"The event was organized with the aim of drawing attention to the culture of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). "After the forced displacement, all state-run creative organizations faced financial difficulties, and even if they continue to operate, they do so only on a voluntary basis. We hope that our event will draw attention to the fact that the educational and cultural heritage of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) is rich and extensive, and without the necessary support, it will not be able to be preserved and developed. Our goal is not only to bring together all the creative groups of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), but also to show what colossal cultural wealth Armenians could lose if the culture of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) continues to be ignored," Mkrtchyan told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

He noted that "out of eight thousand tickets, just over seven thousand were sold; all proceeds from ticket sales will go toward renting a hall at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex in Yerevan and other expenses for organizing the event." "The tickets were sold online, so we know that not only Artsakh residents but also compatriots from Yerevan and various regions of Armenia purchased the tickets," he added.

We stated that the event was purely cultural in nature and had no political overtones.

Mkrtchyan also said that before the event, law enforcement agencies, represented by members of the National Security Service of Armenia, tried to dissuade the organizers from holding the event, and after their refusal, warned them against turning it into a "political action that would attract public outcry." "We stated that the event was purely cultural in nature and had no political overtones," Mkrtchyan noted. He went on to explain that the hall rental agreement contained a clause prohibiting the playing of the Nagorno-Karabakh anthem, as well as the display of the coat of arms and flag. "The agreement specifically contained a clause with this condition regarding an 'unrecognized country.' We had to agree for the sake of the people who purchased tickets. But in the hall, people came with a flag, and in the exhibition hall, there were the coat of arms, flags, and other symbols of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). And somewhere, people were singing the anthem. "We couldn't ban it," Mkrtchyan said. Ashot Avanesyan, director of the Munk (We) technoschool, said that "after the forced displacement, many Artsakh organizations managed to rise above the pain and uncertainty and resumed their activities in Armenia, and the Munk technoschool is one of these organizations." "The people of Artsakh in the Republic of Armenia represent enormous potential that must be recognized, appreciated, and properly realized." “The large-scale event ‘We Are’ will perhaps attract the attention of the Armenian community to support this potential,” Avanesyan told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

Apres Margaryan, head of the Center for the Preservation of Artsakh Culture, which includes 12 musical groups from Nagorno-Karabakh, said that “2025 has become a multi-layered and challenging year for the public organization ‘Center for the Preservation of Artsakh Culture’, which was simultaneously marked by important achievements, as well as difficulties and unrealized initiatives.”

“We continue our creative activities on a voluntary basis, but with the goal of preserving and popularizing Artsakh culture. Without sponsors or financial donors, we are organizing the ‘We Are’ event entirely on our own, "We are fully aware of its significance and our responsibility for the mission of preserving and developing the culture of the people of Artsakh," Margaryan said.

The TUMO Educational Center, together with the Armenian Cultural Heritage Institute, presented 80 digitized historical and cultural monuments of Nagorno-Karabakh at an exhibition.

The project not only documents historical heritage but also creates a new platform for preserving cultural memory, ensuring its accessibility and transmission to future generations.

"We joined the educational and cultural initiative "We Are" to present our important project to digitize the cultural heritage of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). Thanks to this initiative, visitors were able to re-enter the historical and cultural sites of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) using virtual reality, re-experiencing the spirit of these places and discovering their history using modern technology. "The project not only documents historical heritage but also creates a new platform for preserving cultural memory, ensuring its accessibility and transmission to future generations," a representative of the educational center told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The author of the coat of arms of Nagorno-Karabakh, Karabakh artist Lavrenti Galayan, presented a sketch of the coat of arms at the exhibition, as well as his paintings and sculptures, completed in Armenia. "A nation is something given by God, and it consists of the following foundations: language, land, science, and culture. The people of Artsakh have all of these, but the current circumstances have forced us to fight for their preservation. Such events are necessary periodically to preserve Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), in the name of our return to Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh),” the artist told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

He added that “due to his age and health, it is difficult for him to hold a brush, but he continues to paint because he continues to fight for his homeland with his creativity.”

By our presence at this event we say that we exist, we will not adapt, we will not give up and we will not remain silent

“By our presence at this event we say that we exist, we will not adapt, we will not give up and we will not remain silent, and as long as there is struggle, there is "And hope for the Motherland," Lilit Avanesyan told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent from Stepanakert.

According to her, "the exhibition captivated me with its multifaceted nature, and the concert gave me the strength to endure the tragedy and gave me hope for a return."

As a reminder, on September 19-20, 2023, Azerbaijan conducted large-scale military operations and took control of the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, after which an agreement was reached to disarm the Karabakh army. By October 7, 2023, 100,632 internally displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh had arrived in Armenia. The "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report "The Beginning and End of the Unrecognized Republic of Artsakh".