ELECTRONIC REFERENDUM ON ISSUE OF TURNING SHOUSHI INTO ALL ARMENIAN CULTURAL CENTER STARTS ON APRIL 4
Noyan Tapan
Apr 04 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. On the initiative of the “Shoushi”
charity fund, electronic referendum () started on April
4, on the issue of turning Shoushi into the all-Armenian cultural
capital. As writer-publicist Bakur Karapetian, the founder of the
fund mentioned at the press-conference of the same day, at least 1
U.S. dollar or 1 evro transfered on the fund account number (“Unibank”
LTD, account number 241001541929) will be at the same time cosidered
one vote for the referendum. According to B.Karapetian, the fund
worked out the program of re-birth of Shoushi as the all-Armenian
educational-cultural and tourism center. Considering creation of
some productions in Shoushi not purposeful, he expressed hope that
the most correct thing is development of tourism there. B.Karapetian
reminded that in the 19th century Shouhsi was a cultural center equal
to Tbilisi with its meaning. It was also mentioned that 8000 people
lived in Shushi at the beginning of the Artsakh movement, and about
2500 people live there at present. With financing and assistance
of the Catholic community of Beirut, the “Shoushi” fund organized
archeological excavations in Shoushi plateau, as a result of what
an old castle of the 12th century was found. The Beirut Catholic
community gave 24 thousand dollars for first works in the direction
of excavations, measurements, study of cultural heritage. The fund
initiated gathering of the Artsakh struggle for existence: within
the framework of the program, the fund records evidences of all
participants of the struggle for existence to publish a many-volume
collection of books in future. B.Karapetian mentioned that the fund
has a goal to support cultural development and moral-spiritual ascent
of Shoushi as well, to turn the fortress city having been a stage of
wars constantly into a center of peace and culture.