THE CULTURAL OBJECTS OF SOUTH OSSETIA DAMAGED IN THE CONFLICT INCLUDE TWO CHURCHES AND A SYNAGOGUE

Interfax-Religion
19 September 2008, 16:13
Russia

Moscow, September 19, Interfax – Two churches and a synagogue are
included in the list of 11 objects of cultural heritage of South
Ossetia, which have documented destructions from the Georgian army
aggression on August 8-12, 2008.

During the battle action the shell hit ruined the southern wall and
corner of the church located not far away from the village of Nizhny
Tbet; the area of destroyed space is about five meters. The church
was built in the late Middle Ages, Rossiyskaya Gazeta reports Friday.

Service premises of the Tskhinvali Church of Nativity of the Blessed
Virgin (the former Armenian Church), built in 1718, were destroyed
during a massive fire of the city by the Georgian army.

The ancient synagogue located in Tskhinvali also has significant
damages. The building requires essential repairs and restoration.

Besides, the Georgian army ruined several graves and tombstones at
the memorial cemetery of defenders and civilians who died during the
aggression of 1990s and damaged the local chapel.

"An irreparable damage has been inflicted on the original human
environment of South Ossetia people. Thereby Georgian authorities have
materially violated such basic internationally accepted acts as the
Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event
of Armed Conflict, 1954, the Convention Concerning the Protection of
the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, 1972, and UNESCO Declaration
concerning the Intentional Destruction of Cultural Heritage, 2003,"
Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Yakovenko said.