Albanian-Udi Christian community issues statement

The Albanian-Udi Christian community of Azerbaijan has issued a statement, Report informs.

The statement reads:

"In the name of our Almighty Creator!

We, the successors of the Albanian Apostolic Church, highly appreciate and support the consistent measures taken over the past year to protect and restore historical and religious monuments, including temples of Christian Albanian heritage, in the liberated territories. Thanks to the will and determination of the Azerbaijani state, we are confident that this process will be completed as soon as possible.

At the same time, we declare that despite the serious threat of landmines and difficult road conditions, all necessary measures have been taken for members of the Albanian-Udi religious community to visit the historic Albanian temples in the liberated territories. As a result, over the past year, we have been able to visit the liberated Agoghlan Monastery in Lachin, the Khudavang Monastery in Kalbajar, as well as the Albanian temples in the Hadrut and Tug villages, which are the spiritual heirs of the Albanian Apostolic Church.

It is noteworthy that the history of Christianity as an official religion in the Caucasus begins with the Albanian Church. Ancient sources prove that the Albanian Church, which has left indelible traces not only in the religious and cultural life of Azerbaijan but also in the whole Caucasus, is one of the oldest churches in the Christian world and of apostolic origin. The antiquity of the Albanian Church is confirmed not only by historical facts, but also by the ancient Albanian temples that have survived to the present day.

Unfortunately, after various pressures and influences, the Albanian Apostolic Church was abolished in 1836, and the Armenian Gregorian Church tried to take possession of part of its material and spiritual heritage. As a result, most of the historical Albanian temples in Azerbaijan, especially in Karabakh, were Gregorianized, along with our historical monuments, archival materials and documents were falsified. Gregorianization of the Albanian heritage, including Albanian temples dating back hundreds of years or even thousands of years, has become a state policy of Armenia for the last hundred years. As a consequence, not a single Albanian temple has been preserved in present-day Armenia or the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Armenia either Gregorianized the Albanian temples by changing their architecture or destroyed the temples that could not be changed.

After the restoration of Azerbaijan's independence and the full guarantee of freedom of conscience in our country, a historic opportunity emerged to restore the status of the Albanian Apostolic Church and eliminate the injustice we face. At the initiative of Udi intellectuals, the Albanian-Udi Christian community was established and registered in 2003. Registration of the religious community is the first step towards the revival of the Albanian Apostolic Autocephalous Church. With the support of the Azerbaijani government, the Apostolic Elysee Temple, located in the village of Kish in the Shaki district and considered the "mother of churches" in the Caucasus, was restored, and in 2006 the Chotari Albanian-Udi Church was officially inaugurated in the Nij settlement of the Gabala region.

Of course, the revival of the Albanian-Udi Christian community and the restoration of Albanian monuments are important not only for Azerbaijan but also for the entire Christian world in terms of eliminating historical injustice and maintaining the atmosphere of tolerance in our country. As the spiritual heirs of the Udi Albanian Apostolic Church, we believe that other Albanian temples in our liberated territories will be restored as in Gabala and Oguz.

At the same time, the tolerance of the Azerbaijani people, the care and support of the Azerbaijani state for the representatives of all religions give grounds to say that the members of the Armenian Gregorian Church will be treated humanely. A clear example of this respect is the Armenian Church of St. Gregory, preserved and restored by the Azerbaijani government in the centre of Baku. Despite the centuries-old influence and pressure of the Armenian Gregorian Church, which has taken a heavy toll on the Albanian heritage through misappropriation and falsification, we also express our readiness to cooperate with the Armenian Gregorian Church and live together in the liberated territories for peace and humanity.

May the Almighty Creator be your helper!"

The statement was signed by Robert Mobili, chairman of the Albanian-Udi Christian community in Azerbaijan.