A People in Exile, A Homeland Lost

Born and raised in her ancient Christian homeland of Artsakh, 34-year-old legal professional Marina Simonyan has lived through three different wars. But nothing could have prepared her—or the 120,000+ Armenian Christians like her—for September 2023, when Azerbaijan’s military offensive forced the entire population to flee their ancestral homeland in a matter of days.

Now living as refugees in Armenia proper, the people of Artsakh face an agonizing reality: they have been “forgotten by everyone” as they struggle to rebuild their lives from nothing while watching their cultural heritage being systematically destroyed by Azerbaijan.

The Stories No One Is Hearing

Speaking about the horrors of the ethnic cleansing is not easy, Marina Simonyan says, but these are stories the world must hear. After Azerbaijan’s nine-month blockade starved the region of food, medicine, and fuel, the September 2023 invasion left Artsakh families with an impossible choice: flee or face potential massacre.

The exodus was swift and devastating. Over 120,000 people—nearly the entire Armenian Christian population of Artsakh—fled through the Lachin Corridor in just days, abandoning their homes, their churches, and 2,000+ years of Armenian Christian presence in the region.

Life as Refugees: Housing, Hope, and Hate Speech

Gegham Stepanyan, ombudsman for the Artsakh government-in-exile, paints a sobering picture of life for these displaced Christians. The Armenian government’s housing program, while well-intentioned, doesn’t prioritize keeping Artsakh communities together—something essential for preserving their unique cultural identity.

Even more troubling, some Artsakh refugees have faced blame and “hate speech” from certain Armenians who accuse them of “surrendering Artsakh and not fighting.” While not widespread, this painful reality adds another layer of trauma to an already devastated people.

There are bright spots: the Tufenkian Foundation is building a model village in southern Armenia that will provide housing and agricultural opportunities for Artsakh families, keeping them together as a community.

The Fight to Keep Artsakh Alive

As ombudsman, Stepanyan’s main goal is clear: ensure that the international community doesn’t “close the page on Artsakh.” He is working to:

• Keep the right to return alive, even if immediate return isn’t possible
• Document and publicize Azerbaijan’s systematic erasure of Armenian cultural heritage
• Advocate for the release of 20+ Artsakh Armenian hostages held in Baku
• Create international platforms to discuss strategies for justice and return

Artsakh leaders have expressed deep disappointment that the release of Armenian hostages was not included in the August 8, 2025 peace agreement signed at the White House—what they call “low-hanging fruit” that the Armenian government failed to secure.

Azerbaijan’s Cultural Genocide Continues

While the Artsakh people struggle to survive in exile, Azerbaijan is systematically destroying their heritage. Ancient Armenian churches, monasteries, and khachkars (carved cross-stones) are being bulldozed or falsely reclassified as Azerbaijani. This cultural genocide aims to erase all evidence that Armenian Christians lived in Artsakh for millennia.

How Save Armenia Is Responding

Save Armenia organizes delegation trips to Armenia and Artsakh several times each year, bringing Christian leaders and conservative voices to witness firsthand the plight of these displaced families. Director Matias Perttula explains these “fact-finding trips” are designed to mobilize networks of American Christians who can raise awareness and pressure U.S. leaders to act.

“There was just such a lack of knowledge about Armenia, lack of understanding about what’s been going on, and even the history of Armenia as the first Christian country,” Perttula noted.

Read the Full Story

For the complete accounts of Marina Simonyan, Gegham Stepanyan, and other Artsakh Christians struggling to rebuild their lives, read the full article from The Christian Post:

The Plight of Artsakh Christians and Their Dream to Return Home: ‘Forgotten by Everyone’