Divine services at Shushi Cathedral in Karabakh are held in spite of shelling

For the first time after the shelling of the Kazanchetsots Cathedral in the city of Shushi, a wedding ceremony was held there; it touched townspeople. The partially destroyed temple remains open to believers, an official of the Armenian Apostolic Church has noted.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 8, the Kazanchetsots Cathedral (Cathedral of Saint Christ the All-Saviour) in Shushi was shelled twice. During the second shelling, three Russian journalists were wounded. Azerbaijan has denied its involvement in the shelling.

On Saturday, residents of the city of Shushi and professionals of local and foreign media attended the wedding ceremony of Mariam Sargsyan, a resident of Martuni, and Ovik Ovsepyan, a volunteer, the city Mayoralty has reported.

Anush Gazaryan, a resident of Shushi, said that she was present at the wedding; and it made a great positive impression on her.

"Now my husband is at the forefront; and I am very worried, I am waiting ... I wish peace to come to Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh, – note of the "Caucasian Knot") and that this young family and all other families live under a peaceful sky," said Yana Ambarysumyan, another local resident.

Artak Beglaryan, The Ombudsperson of Nagorno-Karabakh, insists that the shelling of the cathedral was intentional.

"This Azerbaijan's act is in line with its practice of destroying the Armenian cultural heritage of Artsakh and disrespecting the Christian element of the Armenian identity," Mr Beglaryan has concluded.