As the president celebrates, the economic crisis deepened by a coronavirus outbreak he has refused to acknowledge has left his people in a state of Dickensian misery.
The handover of territory has brought Azerbaijani forces into close contact with several Armenian towns and a critical road, leading some locals to blame the central government for failing to protect them.
The public is livid that the government has been so hapless in prepping for the heating season. The response from officials has been to dissemble or threaten those who try to report on the situation.