PRESS RELEASE
Land and Culture Organization
1435 Old House Road
Pasadena, CA 91107
Contact: Hilda Manjikian
[email protected]
Tel: (626)-688-8027
"Faith & Heritage" Youth Compaign in the Province of Syunik
By Davit Davtyan
This year, during the weekend of August 8-10, under the auspices of
the Land & Culture Organization, the Faith & Heritage Youth Campaign
became a reality once more. The campaign this year, the brainchild of
the late Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian, and in his memory, took place in
the direction of Sisian and Goris regions of Armenia.
Every year, during the summer months, for one or two three-day
weekends, a group of young men and women take to the roads to visit
monasteries and other national historical monuments located in various
regions of Armenia in order together, with the youth of local
villages, to clean the areas surrounding the monuments and thereby
instill the feeling of caring for the vestiges of our history and also
to bring it to a presentable state for all to enjoy.
This year, there were around 50 young participants of college age from
both Yerevan and other regions of Armenia. This group was joined by
participants from local villages and towns on the route to the various
sites visited.
The bus, carrying the participants left Yerevan on August 8 at 6:00 pm
in the direction of Shake Hydroelectric station where organizers who
were sent ahead, had already prepared the tents and other facilities
to spend the night. After a festive evening of food and music, they
settled for the night.
Early in the morning of August 9, the group had their breakfast and
started on their way to the historical monuments of the Sisian region.
First, they arrived to the city of Sisian where they were joined by
local youth and the historical monuments protection officials of the
area. They visited the local St. Gregory the Illuminator Church, a 7th
century temple where to their surprise, the surrounding area was quite
properly maintained. They visited the city museum as well as the
Karadaran, an open air repository of ancient Khatchkars, gravestones
and rock carvings.
The next stop was Aghitu village where they visited the 7th century
mausoleum. With the help of the group, the site was totally cleared
and restored from the wild vegetation growth and thorny bushes that
had covered the entire surrounding area. Later, the group arrived at
the splendid Vorotnavank monastic complex. After familiarizing
themselves with the history of the monument, the group cleared the
area of rubbish and vegetation and brought the debris filled into
large garbage bags to their waiting bus to be disposed of later. Soon
after, the group arrived near the high ground of Vorotnabert where
they were told the heroic story of the fortress. Here, they started on
a long hike along the Vorotan river bank. The beautiful summer weather
and the sublime scenery made the journey a memorable experience. Along
the road, the group went across the Melik Tank bridge that crosses
over the Vorotan river and visited the Ourouti mineral springs as well
as the orchards of Vorotan village.
At the end of the day, the group returned to their tents and from
there they hiked the little distance to the Shake waterfall.
Overwhelmed by the day’s impressions, the goop organized the evening’s
dinner and entertainment around a huge campfire with the accompaniment
of songs and dances.
At 7:00 am next morning breakfast was served. After taking down the
tents, they cleaned the whole area around the Shake Hydroelectric
station and deposited the incredible rubbish with the local
representatives who promised to dispose of them themselves.
The first stop on Sunday was to be the ancient site of Karahounj where
the participants were told in detail of the story of this paradoxical
prehistoric celestial observatory. The bus then left for Tatev
Monastery. As a result of the worn out state of the road climbing to
the top of the mountain, it was not possible to go to the monastery
itself as planned, but instead, they began a very interesting hike
from next to the "Satani Kamourj" (Devil’s bridge), to a not less
interesting and important monument in the gorge of the Vorotan: the
Great Tatev Anapat. The trail was long and steep down to the ravine of
the Vorotan where this late Middle Ages monastic complex is situated.
The trail was quite hazardous and went through an incredibly
breathtaking scenery. The group finally arrived at the monastery.
There they met with the village mayor of Tatev who had come to
welcomed the volunteers and promised to provide any assistance
necessary, being familiar with the Land & Culture Organization that
had renovated the St. Minas church of his own Tatev village during a
two-year campaign some 7 years ago. The participants were familiarized
with the history of the monastery and, since during the previous year,
the whole complex was refurbished with the assistance of the US
Embassy in Armenia, the cleaning work was much easier than at other
monument sites.
The group returned to Satani Kamourj that in itself is a very
interesting site and sat down to rest. The bus then left for the city
of Goris. They visited the local church, the ancient Goris caves, the
local geological museum and finally the Aksel Bakounts house-museum.
The final stop of the campaign therefore was the city of Goris, from
where the group started, late at night, the return trip to Yerevan.
It must be said that this three-day trip, with its participants of
close to 80 youth, counting those from local villages who joined the
group as it traveled on its itinerary, was not only a very rewarding
experience of collaboration, fun, work, education, but also was a
confirmation of Abp. Ashjian’s and Land & Culture Organization’s
legacy of safeguarding our historical monuments and maintaining them
in a proper and clean state of preservation for all to visit and to
enjoy.
It is always possible to go on different trips and campaigns, but if
during the course of those trips you conduct labors that are useful,
they not only revive the participant but also the moment. It gives a
breath of liveliness to those derelict and abandoned churches
scattered all over the mountains. Every time you witness one, you
become more amazed and wonder about the number of treasures that we
possess in far away places, built by our own ancient master builders.
By witnessing these wonders you realize that you are the heir of these
edifices and that it is your duty to preserve them and pass these
spiritual and cultural remnants on to the next generation.
The Land and Culture Organization, along with its other one-month long
projects of renovation and restoration of schools, hospitals,
monasteries, will continue this Faith & Heritage outings every year to
pursue its calling and its activities in the motherland.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
