After the war
Return and revival
Demining, new cities and the return of residents — how post-war Karabakh is being rebuilt.
After the war
Demining, new cities and the return of residents — how post-war Karabakh is being rebuilt.
Revival
After the war, Azerbaijan announced a programme to rebuild the liberated territories — the "Great Return" (Böyük Qayıdış). New cities are being built on the sites of destroyed ones: residential districts, roads and schools are going up, and airports have opened in Fuzuli, Zangilan and Lachin.
Some villages are being rebuilt as "smart" and "green" settlements. Shusha has been declared the cultural capital of Azerbaijan, where historical monuments are being restored and festivals are held.
Revival
The most acute problem of the return remains demining. The liberated territories are densely mined; after the war, hundreds of people, including civilians, were killed and wounded by mines. Clearing the land is a long and dangerous process, without which a full return is impossible.
The pace of rebuilding and demining, as well as the number of mine casualties, are given according to open reports and change over time.