ATTEMPT TO INCLUDE ARMENIAN MONUMENTS ABROAD IN LIST OF HISTORICAL MONUMENTS OF GIVEN COUNTRY MADE

Noyan Tapan
July 2, 2009

YEREVAN, JULY 2, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The situation
of Armenian monuments abroad is considered differently depending
on the policy carried out towards the Armenian heritage in those
countries. According to the Chairman of ICOMOS/Armenia NGO Gagik
Gyurjian, that policy can be considered as a considerate, causing
concern and extremely hostile. A careful attitude towards Armenian
monuments is noticed in Russia, Iran, the Ukraine, Italy, Romania,
the attitude in Georgia and Turkey causes concern and in Azerbaijan
it is extremely hostile.

G. Gyurjian informed the Hayern Aysor that discussions on the theme
"The preservation of Armenian Cultural Heritage in Armenia and Abroad"
were held in Yerevan and in Oshakan on December 3-5, 2008. According
to him, the problem united about 50 specialists of the sphere from
Armenia, Diaspora and abroad, an exchange of experience and information
and acquaintance with new methods and systems took place.

As a result of the discussions the participants made a joint statement
and applied to the RA government with a proposal. Particularly,
they suggested creating an online net including the state, public and
private structures of the sphere. Besides, they called for assisting
the acknowledgement, documentization and the process of taking under
state preservation Armenian heritage in those countries with the help
of RA diplomatic missions and representatives, as well as Diasporan
Armenians.

"Armenian monuments abroad can be heritage for us, but not for that
country.

Heritage is a legal status, which is given to the object or structure
by the state. So everything should be done and some measures should
be undertaken to include the Armenian monuments in the list of the
historical and cultural monuments of the given country. After that
the country will assume obligations to preserve it," G. Gyurjian told.

It was also mentioned that the participants of the discussion made
a request to Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II. Particularly,
they asked to assist the cultural, particularly, cult heritage’s
preservation, documentization and proper preservation in the country
with the help of the dioceses of Armenian Apostolic Church abroad.