Conflict, Space and Transnationalism: An Ethnography of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War

by Arsen Hakobyan, Marcello Mollica

Overview

This book looks at the way the 2020 Second Nagorno Karabakh War allowed urban spectacular transformation in war actors’ attitudes towards space and transnationalism. It concentrates on some specific events, including pre- and wartime life in the Nagorno Karabakh political capital Stepanakert and compelling historical and cultural heritage issues in the cultural capital Shushi and its meaning for the Armenian population worldwide. Attention is placed both on wartime social and urban changes and to the destruction, or attempted destruction, of Armenians cultural heritage during the conflict and in post-war Azerbaijani occupation. The first part of the book reconstructs the historic and religious context of Nagorno Karabakh, linking it with the regional geo-political dimension; meanwhile, the case studies analysed in the second part of the book will help understand spatial meanings (e.g., towns, cultural centres, monasteries) and the symbolic value of urban heritage while also discussing some conflict markers in the context of theories of transnationalism and diaspora studies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783031892073
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan
Publication date:	11/21/2025
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	391
File size:	805 KB

About the Author

Marcello Mollica is Associate Professor of Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology at the University of Messina, Italy.

Arsen Hakobyan is Leading Research Fellow at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography at the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction.- Part I: From the origin to the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War.- Chapter 2: Nagorno-Karabakh as an Ethnographic Site in the Armenian Anthropological Tradition.- Chapter 3: Artsakh: from the Origin to the to Autonomous Region under the Soviet Azerbaijani Republic.- Chapter 4: The Making of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.- Part 2: Case Studies: Conflict, Heritage and Transnationalism.- Chapter 5: Stepanakert: the political-institutional dimension of the conflict.- Chapter 6: Shushi: the religious dimension of the conflict.- Chapter 7: Transnationalism and War: Violence from Syria to Karabakh.- Chapter 8: Space and War. Cultural cleansing.- Chapter 9: Conclusions.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Vivid yet rigorous, this interdisciplinary volume—bridging anthropology, geopolitics, and international relations—makes a major contribution to Caucasus studies and to our understanding of modern conflict and transnationalism.” (Angela Villani, University of Messina)

“This book offers a fresh perspective on the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War by combining urban, conflict, and heritage anthropology, focusing on space, transnationalism, and belonging.” (Hranush Kharatyan, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia)