DOGS ARE BEING KEPT ON THE TERRITORY OF SURB NSHAN ARMENIAN CHURCH IN TBILISI

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.02.2010 15:44 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On February 2, 2010 representatives of the
Armenian Community in Tbilisi addressed "Multinational Georgia"
Public Movement. A video record, which proves that dogs are being
kept on the territory of the temporarily non-functional Surb Nshan
Armenian Church was submitted. This gives grounds for concern about
sanitary and hygienic situation of the historic monument.

In 2007, Surb Nshan was given the status of cultural heritage,
protected by the Ministry of Culture and Historical Monuments of
Georgia.

The church is currently in terrible condition, with inner decoration
destroyed and churchyard littered with debris. Conditions of the
building unambiguously show that no repair or maintenance of the
church was carried out. There is no sign warning about status of the
Church and preventing barbarous conduct in relation to the monument.

Monument is under authority of the Ministry of Culture and Historical
Monuments, so members of Armenian community are unable to fulfill
own citizens’ duties ensuring maintenance of the monument.

On the territory of the Church yard there are graves of many prominent
persons, including Vasily Megvinov, Vice-Consul of Belgium, who died
in year 1895. During many years marble grave-stone was abandoned and
finally cracked. Applications of citizens asking for renovation were
not taken into account. Grave-stone fell down. Concerned citizens
suspect fact of vandalism.

All mentioned above inevitably draws the indignation of any citizen
of multinational Georgia, any patriot of own city and country, any
civilized person. There is also question of spending of the public
funds allocated to the Ministry of Culture and Historical Monuments
for the preservation and maintenance of them. The same applies to
the position of the City Council of City of Tbilisi, which provides
construction and renovation works at the buildings in the Old City
District, which are not historical monuments, but ignores drastic
conditions of the Surb Nshan.

On February 4, 2010, at 4 p.m., near the Surb Nshan Church, PMMG
will hold an urgent meeting with the representatives of the Armenian
community of the city of Tbilisi in order to discuss drastic conditions
of the historic monument and attract public attention to the problem.

The Church of the Holy Seal (Surb Nshan) is an 18th century Armenian
church in Old Tbilisi, Georgia. It was built between 1703 and 1711,
and reconstructed in 1780.

Currently the church lies dilapidated and was recently partially
destroyed by arson.