Artsakh is a ghost town.

The disputed territory, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, was once home to around 120,000 ethnic Armenians.

Artsakh is officially viewed by much of the world as part of Azerbaijan. In September, Azerbaijani forces enacted a large-scale military offensive against the breakaway state.

The residents fled, and soon a decree was signed that would officially dissolve all of Nagorno-Karabakh’s institutions.

Despite the ongoing refugee crisis, this extraordinary story has faded from public attention.

One person who has been speaking about the chaos is Dr Maria Armoudian, a senior lecturer on Politics and International Relations at Auckland University, as well as host of US radio show The Scholars’ Circle.

Maria, like former University of Auckland student Dr Anna Matevosyan (who has just returned to Aotearoa from Armenia), has strong ties to the area.

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