A MEDIEVAL ARMENIAN CHURCH COLLAPSES IN GEORGIA

armradio.am
19.11.2009 18:08

The press Service of the Georgian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolicism
Church informs that Saint Gevorg of Mughni Church, Tbilisi Saint
Gevorg of Mughni Church ( Tbilisi) built in 1356 collapsed this night.

Until the mid-1980s, the church served as a museum of folk art. By
1990, it was no longer a museum and its interior lay in ruin.

The vestibule attached to the western facade of the church was
destroyed in May, 1991. The large cracks in the church walls served
as an excuse to Georgian authorities to destroy the church instead
of repair it.

"The Georgian Ministry of Culture, Monuments Protection and Sports
should bear the responsibility. All this creates an impression
that by failing to solve the issue of returning the churches to
the Armenian Diocese, the Georgian Patriarchate and authorities do
not pay proper attention to the preservation of Armenian churches,
and intentionally destroy important monuments of Armenian culture,"
the Diocese said in a statement.