Nagorno Karabakh
Last updated: May 29, 2026
The Nagorno Karabakh conflict — also known as the Artsakh conflict, and in official Azerbaijani and international usage as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict — has been the central subject of Groong’s coverage since the podcast launched. With more than 450 episodes addressing the dispute in whole or in part, this archive represents one of the most comprehensive English-language audio records of the conflict’s recent history.
At its core, the conflict was not simply a territorial dispute between two states. The Armenian population of Artsakh — the Republic of Artsakh — was asserting its right to self-determination, a principle recognized in international law and enshrined in the UN Charter. That claim stood in direct tension with Azerbaijan’s insistence on its territorial integrity and the inviolability of Soviet-era administrative borders. The failure to resolve that tension through diplomacy over three decades ultimately ended in war.
Groong covered the 44-Day War of September–November 2020, in which Azerbaijan retook large portions of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) with Turkish military support, and the November 9, 2020 ceasefire brokered by Russia. That ceasefire created an unstable status quo: the Republic of Artsakh continued to exist on a reduced territory under the protection of Russian peacekeepers, but Azerbaijan progressively tightened its grip. The nine-month blockade of the Lachin Corridor from December 2022 onward cut the region off from food, medicine, and fuel, creating a humanitarian crisis documented in real time on Groong.
Azerbaijan’s military offensive of September 19–20, 2023 ended Armenian governance of Nagorno-Karabakh entirely. Within three weeks, virtually the entire Armenian population of Artsakh at the time — some 120,000 people, the descendants of communities that had lived in the region for millenia — was driven from the Republic of Artsakh to Armenia. Human rights organizations and many governments characterized this as ethnic cleansing. The Azerbaijani government dissolved the Republic of Artsakh on January 1, 2024.
Groong’s ongoing coverage addresses the situation of Armenian prisoners of war still held in Baku, including former Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan and former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, the right of return for the displaced population, ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan peace negotiations, and the prospects for accountability for what occurred.
Escalation in Yeraskh | Gunpoint Diplomacy | Emigration | Guest Trip Report | Ep. 81 - July 25, 2021 [EP81]
Posted on Tuesday, Jul 27, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Artsakh, Iran, Middle East, Economy, China, Georgia, Lebanon, Ukraine, Nagorno Karabakh | Series: WIR
ANN/Groong Week in Review - July 25, 2021
Topics:
- Escalation in Yeraskh
- âPeace Treatyâ at Gunpoint
- Emigration out of Armenia
- Trip Report from Our Guests
Guests:
Episode 81 | Recorded: July 26, 2021
Armenian Foreign policy Between War and Peace | Ep #80 - July 22, 2021 [EP80]
Posted on Thursday, Jul 22, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran, Artsakh, Ukraine, Georgia, China, India, Syria, Economy, Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO, European Union | Series: COG
Armenian Foreign policy Between War and Peace A Conversation with Dr. Pietro Shakarian and Yeghia Tashjian
Topics:
- Sparring Partners: Moscow and Ankara
- Yerevanâs Diplomatic Dilemmas
- Aliyevâs Appetite and Ambitions
Guests
- Dr. Pietro Shakarian
- Yeghia Tashjian
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan
- Asbed Bedrossian
Episode 80 | Recorded: July 21, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/CoG-20210722.html
Const Court Decision | PM Appts | Aliyev Threats | Russian Gens in Yerevan | Ep #79 - July 18, 2021 [EP79]
Posted on Tuesday, Jul 20, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Genocide, Armenian Genocide, Artsakh, Syria, Iran, Economy, Georgia, Ukraine, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, NATO | Series: WIR
ANN/Groong Week in Review - July 18, 2021
Topics:
- Constitutional Court Decisions on Election Results
- New Pashinyan Appointments
- More Threats from Azerbaijan
- Russian Generals in Yerevan Again
Guests:
- Suren Sargsyan
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan
- Asbed Bedrossian
Episode 79 | Recorded: July 19, 2021 https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210718.html
Putin / Pashinyan | Const. Court | Steel out of Velvet | Year-in-Review (Ep #78) - July 11, 2021 [EP78]
Posted on Tuesday, Jul 13, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Economy, Iran, Ukraine, Artsakh, Syria, Genocide, Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: WIR
ANN/Groong Week in Review - July 11, 2021
Topics:
- Putin / Pashinyan meeting
- Constitutional Court Challenge
- Forging Steel out of Velvet
- Groong Podcastâs Year-in-Review
Guests: Asbed Kotchikian
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan
- Asbed Bedrossian
Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210711.html
Episode 78 | Recorded: July 11, 2021
Preserving Armenian Heritage - Maghakyan, Khatchadourian, Maranci | Ep #77 - June 30, 2021 [EP77]
Posted on Wednesday, Jun 30, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Artsakh, Armenian Church, Human Rights, Genocide, Syria, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: COG
Preserving Armenian Heritage
Topics:
- What is Armenian Art and Architecture?
- Where does Artsakhâs Heritage fit in the larger Armenian picture?
- What Armenian Heritage fell under Azerbaijani Control in 2020?
- What is Caucasus Heritage Watch and What does it do?
- What can International Organizations do for Artsakh?
- How do International Instruments fail in Preserving Armenian Heritage?
Host:
- Simon Maghakyan is an independent researcher of cultural destruction and lecturer in International Relations at the University of Colorado Denver.
Guests
- Dr. Lori Khatchadourian is Associate Professor of
Armenian Elections Recap | Protests in Artsakh | (Ep #76) - June 27, 2021 [EP76]
Posted on Tuesday, Jun 29, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, China, Iran, Economy, Turkey, Nagorno Karabakh | Series: WIR
ANN/Groong Week in Review - June 27, 2021 Topics:
- Armenian Elections Recap
- Protests in Artsakh
Guests:
- Hrant Mikaelian
- Emil Sanamyan
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan
- Asbed Bedrossian
Episode 76 | Recorded: June 27, 2021 https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210627.html
ArmVote21 | Am/Az Negotiations | Erdogan in Az | Biden Meets Erdogan & Putin| Ep #74 - June 20, 2021 [EP74]
Posted on Monday, Jun 21, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, China, Middle East, Armenian Genocide, Genocide, Georgia, Syria, Ukraine, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: WIR
ANN/Groong Week in Review - June 20, 2021 Topics:
- Armeniaâs Elections
- Behind The Scenes with Armenia and Azerbaijan
- Erdogan in Azerbaijan
- Biden Meets Erdogan, then Putin
Guests:
- Asbed Kotchikian
- @Emil_Sanamyan
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan
- Asbed Bedrossian
Episode 74 | Recorded: June 20, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210620.html
Robert Markarian: Party Platforms in June 20 Parliamentary Elections (Ep #73) - June 20, 2021 [EP73]
Posted on Saturday, Jun 19, 2021 | Category: In Armenian, Armenia, Politics, Economy, Azerbaijan, Artsakh, Russia, Iran, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: COG
Analyzing Party Platforms in June 20 Parliamentary Elections
A Conversation with Robert Markarian
Guest:
Robert Markarian was born in Iran and has university education in physics and law. For 25 years, he has worked as a host, editor, and analyst on Armenian Radio Hour in Iranâs public radio and television. He has cooperated articles covering Armenia and Artsakh in Armenian, Persian, and English published by Iranian and Armenian sites and analytical centers.
Topics:
- Security/Defense
- Economy and Social
- Artsakh
- Diaspora Relations
Conversation in English and Armenian
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan
Aleksandr Khachaturyan on the 2021 Armenian Elections
Guest:
Aleksandr Khachaturyan who is a Managing Partner at TK & Partners, in Yerevan. In 2016 he served as an advisor to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Karen Karapetyan, and was CEO of the Center for Strategic Initiatives, advising the government on key economic and public administration reforms and strategies. He serves as a board member at ID Bank and various non-profits, and lectures on corporate finance law at the French University of Armenia (FUA). He holds law degrees from Boston University, FUA, and Jean Moulin
Read More