HOW MORAL IT WAS TO BE SO GENEROUS AFTER PERMYAKOV’S CRIME?

Lragir.am
Interview – 27 March 2015, 13:51

The government has allocated the land under and adjacent to the church
at 173/3 Lalayan Street, Gyumri. The Gyumri-based political scientist
Gagik Hambaryan welcomes this decision. Below is the interview of
Lragir.am with Gagik Hambaryan.

Mr. Hambaryan, what is your opinion on the decision of the Armenian
government?

I think it’s a very good decision to restore all the ruined churches,
and the part of Lalayan Street which used to be the territory of the
Soviet military base and there was an old Russian church there. After
the establishment of the communist regime the church was used as
a warehouse. I welcome the decision of the Armenian government to
allocate the territory of the church to the Russian side to restore
the church because it should be mutual… Land is allocated to the
Armenian communities in different Russian cities to build churches,
cultural centers, and you cannot just state that allocating the
land of the Russian church in Gyumri is an anti-national or an
anti-Armenian step. The question is how moral it is to allocate land
to the Russian side on the backdrop of Permyakov’s crime. This is the
issue. The ruined church must be restored, it is the city’s beauty,
and I hope that this street which is in a terrible state will be
developed. This part of Lalayan Street is ruined. I hope that after
restoring the church the Russian side will upkeep the street which
leads to that place.

Wasn’t it possible to have the Russian church repaired without
allocating the land to a foreign state?

I think it would be a little weird. Look, we have Saint Nshan Church,
and this church will not be repaired unless it is allocated to the
Armenian diocese of Georgia. Now the same is with Russia. Why would
Russia repair that church? If the church must be an operating church,
have priests, it must belong to the Russian orthodox church. I think
so, it’s very good that it is going to be repaired but I repeat that
such a gesture to Russia after the crime committed by Permyakov was
a bit too generous of our government.

It just was not the right time to allocate that church, neither one can
state that there were the grounds for allocating it. At least, if the
Russian side handed Permyakov to the Armenian law enforcement agencies
and the case were examined jointly, it would be a little more proper.

Mr. Hambaryan, similarly, there are other ruined places in Gyumri. If
Russia were willing to restore them all, should we allocate them to
the Russians for the sake of their upkeep?

You know what, it already depends on the importance of that place. The
church area is not a strategic and important place, it is the outskirt
of Gyumri and one of the most ruined places. The street is in a very
bad state. If those territories were at the city center or were a
strategic area. Of course, in that case, they should not allocate it.

Now whatever they have allocated is OK. At the same time, they have
allocated vast land plots to the Russian 102nd base in Gyumri and some
villages of Shirak region and the Russian soldiers with their tanks
and armored cars are simply destroying the crops of the villagers…

This is the problem that must be attended, and those lands must
be acquired or the Russian side should not be allowed to use those
territories. Why have those lands been allocated to the Russians? To
ride their tanks in the fields when our farmers need those lands? Let
the Russian side ride their tanks on other roads, they should not
necessarily ride them on those lands. Or if they use them, they should
make up for the damages to our villagers.

How are the soldiers of the base behaving after the murder in Gyumri?

They are more cautious now but there are soldiers in the town.

Unfortunately, the people of Gyumri, in their current socio-economic
situation, extremely bad situation, need the presence of these
soldiers. By the way, recently Gyumri has been talking that the
Russian side is withdrawing about 1500 soldiers, mostly conscripts,
and it is not known who will come to replace them.

Is there a possibility that Gyumri will become a closed city?

I don’t think so. We are living in a more open country, the society,
the CSOs and the level of development of people is very high. I
should note that Gyumri was not a closed city even during the Soviet
years, even if many people claim it was so. It was not closed in the
totalitarian Soviet Union, it cannot be such now. I believe that the
people of Gyumri will fight against anyone who will try to make Gyumri
a closed city.