DESTRUCTION

Armenian bloggers protest destruction of Armenian churches in Georgia
27.11.2008 17:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian bloggers gathered at the Georgian Embassy in Yerevan today to demand that demolition of the Armenian cultural heritage be stopped and those guilty be punished.

The protesters were carrying posters of Norashen church and banners reading “Save Armenian churches in Georgia”, “Republic of Georgia not Europe still Asiatic” and a small coffin with an inscription “The newborn Georgian democracy. This newborn democracy is dead already” on it.

What is happening to Armenian churches in Georgia is nothing but genocide of our cultural heritage, according to historian Samvel Karapetyan. A crime has been committed and those guilty should be punished by the international court, he said yesterday.

Over 650 Armenian churches are situated in the territory of Georgia, most of them already appropriated or destructed by the Georgian side.

On November 16, Georgian monk Tariel Sikinchelashvili instructed workers to raze to the ground the graves of Mikhail and Lidia Tamamshevs.

This barbarian act outraged Armenians, who demanded to let the graves in their place. However, Father Tariel responded with harsh statements.

Upon arrival of representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church and parliament member Van Bayburt, the Georgian monk said he just wanted to replace the gravestones to “clean under them.”

Armenians of Georgia urge to stop barbarous destruction of Armenian cultural heritage

28.11.2008 14:12 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian community of Georgia issued an open letter over destruction of Norashen Armenian church.

The letter says in part, “The Armenian community of Georgia urges to stop barbarous destruction of Armenian cultural heritage by the Georgian clergy. The regular attempt to seize Norashen is outraging. The altar and unique frescos are eliminated; grave are desecrated.

In May 2008, father Tariel Sikinchelashvili’s ordered to isolate Norashen with a fence with symbols of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

The attempts to “georgify” Norashen started in 1989. The altar, whose form is peculiar to the Armenian Apostolic Church was demolished, wall paintings erased.

Presently, the status of Surb Norashen, Surb Nshan, Shamhoretsor Surb Astvatsatsin (Karmir Avetaran), Yerevanots Surb Minas and Mugni Surb Gevorg in Tbilisi and Surb Nshan in Akhaltsikh, confiscated during the soviet period, is still unknown. Owing to the absence of law on religion, Georgian clergy occupy the Armenian churches.

The Armenian community of Georgia urges to stop barbarous destruction of Armenian cultural heritage.”

Catholicos of All Armenians condemns encroachment on Armenian churches in Georgia

29.11.2008 16:01 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Supreme Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) has condemned encroachment on the Armenian churches in Georgia, Holy Echmiadzin’s press service reported.

“As the Georgian Orthodox Church is deaf to AAC requests, Holy Echmiadzin will do everything in its power to bring the problem of the AAC Georgian Diocese to the notion of the international community, hoping for a solution,” Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Garegin II said, condemning the recent encroachment on Norashen.

“The Supreme Council calls on all sons of the Armenian Apostolic Church to support Georgian Armenians in their struggle for Armenian churches,” His Holiness said.

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Georgia pursues a specific ethno-religious policy as regards the Armenian cultural heritage, an Armenian expert said.

“In response to demands to return the Armenian churches in Georgia to the AAC, the Georgian side sets unreasonable conditions. The latest statement by Giorgi Andriadze, the head of the Christian Democratic Movement of Georgia, that the Armenian churches in Lori belong to the Georgian Orthodox Church, looks as preparation for a bargain,” Vahe Sargsyan, expert at Mitq analytical center, told a news conference today.

The Christian Democratic Movement of Georgia held a rally in front of the Armenian on December 11 to demand ‘return’ of Georgian churches in Armenia.

“A dozen of Georgian monasteries are situated in the territory of Armenia, in Lore-Tashir. Unfortunately, they have been robbed, what proves that they belong to the Georgian Orthodox Church,” said Giorgi Andriadze. “The Georgian Patriarchate did not deliberately raise the issue to avoid tensions and maintain the status quo. However, the Armenian side aggravates contradictions. So, we can nothing but demand return of our churches.”

“Rumors circulate that Norashen and a number of other churches in the Georgian territory will be returned to the AAC. In exchange, Georgia can receive some churches in Lori and Javakheti. Georgia lays claims to churches in Lori because of Georgian murals on their walls,” Sargsyan said.

He also informed that representatives of the GOC and ACC met recently in the Georgian Patriarchate and requested the Georgian Ministry of Culture to study the situation with Norashen and take action to determine its status. “Participation of the Armenian side in this process is shameful since it casts doubts to belonging of our churches,” he said, adding that the initiative was nevertheless welcomed by the Armenian Prime Minister.


Mais bien sur......