The destruction—by Azerbaijan—of 25 monuments and busts of prominent figures and servicemen of Armenian origin in Nagorno-Karabakh is a dishonorable act, believes Mikhail Shvydkoy, the Special Representative of Russian President on International Cultural Cooperation, TASS reports.

“The war against monuments is not the best occupation for any country. They reflect the history of the peoples living in that country. This is as absurd as the destruction of monuments to Azerbaijani cultural figures in the [19]90s. Fighting against monuments is not the most honorable thing. But it is very important to understand that the relations between the peoples of Russia and the Caucasus have a centuries-old history, and we are linked not only with the present, but also with the past and the future,” Shvydkoy said.

He noted that although politics dictates culture, it is “temporary, while culture lives forever.”

“And in addition to interstate relations, there are also relations between people, which are deeper. And it is important today to preserve all the cultural ties that have connected us with all the peoples living next to us,” Shvydkoy concluded.