We are our mountains – Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh

National symbol of de facto Republic of Artsakh, the monument was sculpted in 1967 by Soviet Armenian artist Sargis Baghdasaryan.

Carved out of reddish volcanic tufa and at one with nature, these enormous elderly in their folk clothes – hence the nickname “tatik-papik”, grandpa and grandma – are to represent the centenarians people of the mountains and the heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh.