Removed Karabakh pupil's drawing sells for $1,800, carried to Mount Ararat summit

By Siranush Adamyan

A drawing by an 11-year-old displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh that was removed from a children's exhibition in Yerevan has sold at auction for $1,800 and was later carried to the summit of Mount Ararat in a symbolic gesture by a group of mountaineers.

The drawing, created by Eva Danielyan, depicts the iconic We Are Our Mountains monument in Stepanakert, widely known as Tatik-Papik (Grandmother and Grandfather). Public figure Vardan Hakobyan organized the auction after the work drew national attention when it was removed from an exhibition at a music school in Yerevan.

According to Eva's mother, the school's acting principal described the drawing as an "anti-state act." The incident led to the resignation of the school's art teacher and sparked widespread public debate in Armenia.

Also read: Artsakh NGO says Yerevan school principal ordered removal of monument image

Following the auction, a group of mountaineers took the drawing to the summit of Mount Ararat, saying the initiative was intended to support the young artist and respond to the controversy surrounding her work.

"Our goal was to support the young artist and emphasize that memory cannot be erased and creative freedom cannot be restricted," the organizers said in a statement. "Here, on the summit of Ararat, there is no doubt for us which artwork carried the most important meaning and message."

They also encouraged Eva to continue drawing and not to be afraid of expressing herself freely.

The case has become part of a broader debate over the place of Artsakh-related cultural symbols in Armenia following the 2023 displacement of the region's Armenian population. Earlier this month, the Artsakh Cultural Heritage Preservation Center said it had sought explanations from Yerevan municipality over the removal of the drawing. While the Ministry of Education told the organization there is no official ban on displaying Artsakh symbols in state institutions, the group said individual cases continue to raise concerns about the treatment of Artsakh's cultural heritage.