Agos, Istanbul
Feb 5 2010

Georgian NGO Protests Armenian Church in Tbilisi’s Poor Condition

05 Ã?Â?ubat 2010

`Public Movement Multinational Georgia’ organized a rally yesterday
near Sourp Nshan (St. Nshan), an old Armenian church in Tbilisi that
is badly in need of repair. Recently, animals and homeless individuals
were occupying the church, and a release on the NGO’s site states that
there were even reports of individuals keeping cages with dogs in the
building.

`Public Movement Multinational Georgia’ further states that `since
2007, Sourp Nshan has been awarded a status of cultural heritage
protected by the Ministry of Culture and Historical Monuments of
Georgia.’

It’s clear from the building’s state that there’s no repair or
maintenance work being carried out, and `there’s not even a fence or a
sign informing the public about the church’s status and preventing
vandalism in relation to the monument.

`The monument is under authority of the Ministry of Culture and
Historical Monuments and members of Armenian community are unable to
fulfill their own citizens’ duties to ensure maintenance of the
monument.,’ reads the notice on the organization’s website.

The group is appealing not only to the Ministry of Culture and
Historical Monuments, but also to Tbilisi City Hall to turn their
attention to the preservation and maintenance of this cultural
monument and commence construction and renovation work.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress