PanARMENIAN.Net
Hayk Demoyan called on Armenian and Georgian journalists to refrain
from exacerbating nationalism 06.06.2008 14:06 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Director of the Armenian Genocide Institute-Museum
Hayk Demoyan called on Armenian and Georgian journalists to refrain
from exacerbating nationalism. -This damages our memories and
perspectives of cooperation between young Georgians and Armenians,- he
said when commenting on media reports on Georgia’s intention to
reconstruct the historical monastery of Osvank in Erzurum province,
eastern Turkey.
Earlier, PanARMENIAN.Net made a mistake when quoting Hayk Demoyan. The
information reading that -there were no Georgian churches in Western
Armenia, specifically at the time mentioned. The monastery belonged to
Chalcedonic Armenians. The cross on the temple was a bit different
from a Gregorian. Later it was replaced by an Orthodox one. There is
an inscription in Asomtavruli (ancient Georgian) above one of the
ornaments in the Church. That is why Georgia thinks it’s a Georgian
temple- does not correspond to the truth.
-The region known as Tao-Klarjeti in Georgian historiography and Tayk
region in Great Armenia are famous with numerous historical monuments,
including Osvank. This region was inhabited by Armenians from the
earliest times. Living at a crossroad of Armenia, Byzantine and
Georgia, native Armenians adopted orthodoxy. This process was underway
during the growth of the Georgian kingdom. As result medieval Armenian
inscriptions were replaced or supplemented by Georgian inscriptions of
Chalcedon Armenians,- Demoyan said.