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CULTURAL CONCERN: MOVING "IMMOVABLE" MONUMENTS RAISES DISPUTE
By Siranuysh Gevorgyan
ArmeniaNow
07.11.12 | 13:55
Representatives of Armenia's inbound tourism and civil society
continue a nearly two-month complaint against a government decree
by which more than 60 monuments will be transferred to Yerevan from
outlying provinces.
On September 13, the government granted permission to Armenia's
History Museum "to transfer to Yerevan 'immovable' historical and
cultural monuments" at its own expense to display in a temporary
exhibition titled Time to Assemble the Stones "under the condition of
returning them to their original places at the end of exhibition in
September 2016". So far 40 monuments - stone crosses, tomb stones,
a Dragon stone dating to 3rd-2nd cc BCE, 16th century sundial and
other steles - have been brought to Yerevan from Aragatsotn, Tavush,
Kotayk, Syunik, Vayots Dzor, Lori and Shirak provinces.
While Anelka Grigoryan, director of the History Museum, says the
point in moving the monuments is "to give them a second life" arguing
that they have been abandoned, inbound tour operators say this decree
deprives tourists visiting Armenia of a chance to see those monuments
at their original historical sites.
"They say that the monuments are in a 600-meter deep gorge, at
abandoned sites. I'd like to tell those who say so that if a 3rd c
BCE Dragon Stone has survived up to our days and has preserved its
appearance then it can survive much longer and needs no protection, but
care. If those people do not know where these monuments are located,
that does not mean the monuments are hidden or abandoned as they
claim," says Ruben Baghdishyan, president of Arshavner (Expeditions)
travel club, in response to a recent statement by Minister of Culture
Hasmik Poghosyan.
Apres Zohrabyan, president of Bnatatchar (Natural Temple) camping club,
believes that the government decree has no logic.
"Monuments do not need to be given a second life, they have ancient
life and are valuable for that," says Zohrabyan, comparing the
controversial decree to empire-lead policy of seizing not only lands
from peoples they have conquered but also their cultural values. "It
was also justified by the need to introduce to humanity the given
empire's cultural heritage. In early 20th century there was a similar
decision regarding the Greco-Roman temple in Garni, which was supposed
to be moved to and reconstructed in Tbilisi which at that time was
a political and cultural center. The approach was this - why let it
stay in that dirty village when we can take it to Tbilisi, reconstruct
and let white people come and see."
Zohrabyan says the approach has changed - infrastructures are created
locally to be able to present those monuments in a new light.
Independent deputy Edmon Maroukyan representing Lori province is
concerned with asymmetrical territorial development. Last week he
voiced the issue from the parliament rostrum and has addressed a
letter to the prime minister.
"In the government program for 2012-2017, under section 'Symmetrical
Territorial Development', it is stated that the government is planning
a complex project for unloading Yerevan by moving separate state,
educational, cultural and economic entities and functions to other
parts of the country and by that raise those cities' and towns' role
in public processes. Meanwhile this decree in no way contributes to
symmetrical territorial development: in case these historical and
cultural immovable monuments are moved the flow to the provinces
will decrease of tourists who have been coming to see historical
sites with its monuments, which from now on will be in Yerevan,"
writes the law-maker.
E
By Siranuysh Gevorgyan
ArmeniaNow
07.11.12 | 13:55
Representatives of Armenia's inbound tourism and civil society
continue a nearly two-month complaint against a government decree
by which more than 60 monuments will be transferred to Yerevan from
outlying provinces.
On September 13, the government granted permission to Armenia's
History Museum "to transfer to Yerevan 'immovable' historical and
cultural monuments" at its own expense to display in a temporary
exhibition titled Time to Assemble the Stones "under the condition of
returning them to their original places at the end of exhibition in
September 2016". So far 40 monuments - stone crosses, tomb stones,
a Dragon stone dating to 3rd-2nd cc BCE, 16th century sundial and
other steles - have been brought to Yerevan from Aragatsotn, Tavush,
Kotayk, Syunik, Vayots Dzor, Lori and Shirak provinces.
While Anelka Grigoryan, director of the History Museum, says the
point in moving the monuments is "to give them a second life" arguing
that they have been abandoned, inbound tour operators say this decree
deprives tourists visiting Armenia of a chance to see those monuments
at their original historical sites.
"They say that the monuments are in a 600-meter deep gorge, at
abandoned sites. I'd like to tell those who say so that if a 3rd c
BCE Dragon Stone has survived up to our days and has preserved its
appearance then it can survive much longer and needs no protection, but
care. If those people do not know where these monuments are located,
that does not mean the monuments are hidden or abandoned as they
claim," says Ruben Baghdishyan, president of Arshavner (Expeditions)
travel club, in response to a recent statement by Minister of Culture
Hasmik Poghosyan.
Apres Zohrabyan, president of Bnatatchar (Natural Temple) camping club,
believes that the government decree has no logic.
"Monuments do not need to be given a second life, they have ancient
life and are valuable for that," says Zohrabyan, comparing the
controversial decree to empire-lead policy of seizing not only lands
from peoples they have conquered but also their cultural values. "It
was also justified by the need to introduce to humanity the given
empire's cultural heritage. In early 20th century there was a similar
decision regarding the Greco-Roman temple in Garni, which was supposed
to be moved to and reconstructed in Tbilisi which at that time was
a political and cultural center. The approach was this - why let it
stay in that dirty village when we can take it to Tbilisi, reconstruct
and let white people come and see."
Zohrabyan says the approach has changed - infrastructures are created
locally to be able to present those monuments in a new light.
Independent deputy Edmon Maroukyan representing Lori province is
concerned with asymmetrical territorial development. Last week he
voiced the issue from the parliament rostrum and has addressed a
letter to the prime minister.
"In the government program for 2012-2017, under section 'Symmetrical
Territorial Development', it is stated that the government is planning
a complex project for unloading Yerevan by moving separate state,
educational, cultural and economic entities and functions to other
parts of the country and by that raise those cities' and towns' role
in public processes. Meanwhile this decree in no way contributes to
symmetrical territorial development: in case these historical and
cultural immovable monuments are moved the flow to the provinces
will decrease of tourists who have been coming to see historical
sites with its monuments, which from now on will be in Yerevan,"
writes the law-maker.
E