A couple were wed in the medieval Armenian monastery of Dadivank in Nagorno-Karabakh over the weekend, in the first ceremony since the church remained in territories that came under the control of Azerbaijan.

Irina Gabrielyan from Martakert and Aram Berdyan from Stepanakert married on December 27 in Dadivank. According to a report from the telegram channel WarGonzo, the couple thanked the Russian peacekeepers for protecting the monastery.

Primate of the Karabakh Diocese Pargev Martirosyan arrived at Dadivank not only for the wedding ceremony, but also for a service for the pilgrims. He also brought the Russian peacekeepers New Year gifts – crosses and letters from children of Karabakh.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev on November 9 signed a statement to end the war in Karabakh after almost 45 days. Under the deal, the Armenian side has returned all the seven regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, having lost a part of Karabakh itself in hostilities.