Azerbaijanis of Karabakh are against building Russian Orthodox church in Stepanakert

On June 18, Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, saw a solemn ceremony of laying the first stone into the foundation of the Orthodox temple of Madonna Holy Protection and Holy Cross Day. The Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh is against construction of an Orthodox church "in occupied Azerbaijani territories" and is going to protest.

"Without a permit of the official Baku, no construction of a monument of culture or history in the territory of Azerbaijan is possible," said Bairam Safarov, head of the Azerbaijani community of Karabakh, as quoted by the "Bakililar.AZ".

In his turn, President of Nagorno-Karabakh Bako Saakyan has stated that the decision to build a church, which "symbolizes the centuries-old friendship of the Armenian and Russian nations, was made under the will of the population of the republic." According to his story, the temple will be built on charitable funds, "and already there are the people willing to make donations."

By the outcomes of the 2005 census, the population of Nagorno-Karabakh made almost 138,000 persons. According to the OSCE, about 10,000 more live in the areas adjacent Nagorno-Karabakh. Russians take the second place after Armenians (which make over 90 percent of the total Karabakh population).