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GANDZASAR FIASCO: WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MONASTERY DEFACEMENT?
hetq
11:01, July 7, 2011
The accompanying photo showing polished facing tiles being affixed
to the outer walls of the 13th century Gandzasar Monastery in Artsakh
has created a growing furor in Armenia.
The "brain" behind the move belongs to wealthy Russian-Armenian
businessman and benefactor Levon Hayrapetyan who hails from Karabakh.
We dare say that concerned Armenians overseas have been shocked as
well at this nonsensical defacement of our cultural and historical
monuments.
The story broke when a youth group calling itself "We Will Not Remain
Silent" sent this and other photos to the press. The story was quickly
picked up by the papers and news sites.
Quick to react to the mounting criticism of such architectural
shenanigans was Slava Sargsyan, head of the Division of Monuments
Preservation and Research at the NKR Department of Tourism.
Mr. Sargsyan passed the buck to Hayrapetyan, claiming that his state
agency hadn't issued any permission to resurface the monastery walls.
The youth group, at a press conference yesterday, said that it had
petitioned Hayrapetyan to stop further defacement of the monument,
adding that the businessman probably wasn't aware of what was actually
being done in his name.
The group was able to contact Hayrapetyan by phone. The businessman
told them that the walls being resurfaced were built in the 1980s
and not the 13th century and that they were in need of urgent repair.
He also claimed that the tiles were from the same stone quarry used
to construct the monastery itself.
The youth group says that this contradicts what Slava Sargsyan,
the Artsakh agency head, stated on numerous occasions in his press
interviews, i.e., that the walls also date to the 13th century.
Archbishop Barkev Martirosyan, Primate of the Artsakh Diocese of the
Armenian Church, has refrained from commenting on the matter.
The group says that rumours circulating in Artsakh point to the falling
out between Archbishop Martirosyan and Levon Hayrapetyan as the main
reason for the primate's silence.
The youth group argues that Archbishop Martirosyan has a personal
interest in seeing the businessman's reputation tarnished.
They say that it appears that the Artsakh Primate and other
high-ranking clergy are more interested in driving the latest
foreign cars and being seen with well endowed woman than following
the commandments of their Christian faith.
hetq
11:01, July 7, 2011
The accompanying photo showing polished facing tiles being affixed
to the outer walls of the 13th century Gandzasar Monastery in Artsakh
has created a growing furor in Armenia.
The "brain" behind the move belongs to wealthy Russian-Armenian
businessman and benefactor Levon Hayrapetyan who hails from Karabakh.
We dare say that concerned Armenians overseas have been shocked as
well at this nonsensical defacement of our cultural and historical
monuments.
The story broke when a youth group calling itself "We Will Not Remain
Silent" sent this and other photos to the press. The story was quickly
picked up by the papers and news sites.
Quick to react to the mounting criticism of such architectural
shenanigans was Slava Sargsyan, head of the Division of Monuments
Preservation and Research at the NKR Department of Tourism.
Mr. Sargsyan passed the buck to Hayrapetyan, claiming that his state
agency hadn't issued any permission to resurface the monastery walls.
The youth group, at a press conference yesterday, said that it had
petitioned Hayrapetyan to stop further defacement of the monument,
adding that the businessman probably wasn't aware of what was actually
being done in his name.
The group was able to contact Hayrapetyan by phone. The businessman
told them that the walls being resurfaced were built in the 1980s
and not the 13th century and that they were in need of urgent repair.
He also claimed that the tiles were from the same stone quarry used
to construct the monastery itself.
The youth group says that this contradicts what Slava Sargsyan,
the Artsakh agency head, stated on numerous occasions in his press
interviews, i.e., that the walls also date to the 13th century.
Archbishop Barkev Martirosyan, Primate of the Artsakh Diocese of the
Armenian Church, has refrained from commenting on the matter.
The group says that rumours circulating in Artsakh point to the falling
out between Archbishop Martirosyan and Levon Hayrapetyan as the main
reason for the primate's silence.
The youth group argues that Archbishop Martirosyan has a personal
interest in seeing the businessman's reputation tarnished.
They say that it appears that the Artsakh Primate and other
high-ranking clergy are more interested in driving the latest
foreign cars and being seen with well endowed woman than following
the commandments of their Christian faith.