The website monumentwatch.org, which assesses cultural heritage in Artsakh, has reported that after the 44-day war in 2020, the Azerbaijani military placed signs celebrating their “victory” in the territories they captured. One of these signs directly referenced Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev. President Aliyev himself referred to this act as a “victory dance on the bones.” In his final statement during the war, Aliyev listed the names of the regions captured by Azerbaijani forces, emphasizing his military strength and the intention to “punish the Armenians, reach the enemy’s territory, and behead the enemy.” From 2021 onwards, the Azerbaijani military began using the term “victory dance” to describe the occupation of previously liberated territories in 2020.

Additionally, Aliyev launched a large-scale campaign in 2021 to display his strength. This campaign involved placing large signs featuring his photographs in various locations in Stepanakert, while Azerbaijan erected a billboard titled “The Line of the Victory Dances” to show the locations of these victory signs in the occupied territories.

These symbols representing Azerbaijan’s military victory were also placed in the occupied territories of Artsakh, specifically in Shushi, Berdzor, and Karvachar. The first monument of this kind in Artsakh was installed in the center of the city of Hadrut, symbolizing Azerbaijan’s occupation of this strategically important region.

It is important to note that the concept of the victory dance symbolizes aggression towards the Armenian people within the occupied territory. It aims to erase Armenian identity from Artsakh and assert Azerbaijan’s territorial claims. The victory dance campaign quickly followed the complete destruction of Artsakh in order to solidify Azerbaijan’s control. After the occupation of Stepanakert, on March 18, Aliyev visited the occupied city of Shushi, where he had a battle flag raised on a specially constructed structure. This further highlighted Azerbaijan’s military triumph over the local self-defense forces and the government buildings of the Artsakh Republic.

The last remaining building on the square of the Artsakh parliament, which was demolished during the complete cleansing of 2024 in Artsakh, was reconstructed by Aliyev during his visit to occupied Stepanakert on March 18. It was placed on top of a newly erected structure, significantly elevating Victory Square. Aliyev emphasized that the Artsakh Republic’s government building was a “Satanic church,” while the carpet from Nouruz represented the “final cleansing process” in his statement.