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Where to Invest Our Resources?
By Raffi Bedrosyan // October 17, 2013 in Headline, Opinion
When visiting Armenia for the first time, one's itinerary invariably
includes a multitude of churches and monasteries. Modern Armenia is
the land of churches. Historic Armenia in Anatolia was also a land of
churches, with nearly 4,000 churches and monasteries. The Van Lake
region alone had over 300 churches. The ancient city of Ani, dubbed
the `city of 1,001 churches,' contained 40 churches. We are proud of
our churches, awed at their architectural beauty and intricate
construction techniques, and amazed at their settings, perched as they
are on inaccessible mountaintops.
Poetry reading and music at Sourp Giragos Church (Photo by Arif Temel)
Yet, this obsession with churches, when combined with our tragic
history, makes me think, `I wish we had fewer churches to visit, and
instead many more victory monuments like Sardarabad. I wish our
Armenian kings, princes, political leaders, and wealthy notables in
the past had spent less time, talent, resources, and money on these
churches, and instead more on fortifications and defense of our lands
and territories.'
Delving into the reasons why these churches were built, it becomes
apparent that it was not merely to meet the religious needs of the
population; rather, it was to bring glory to the benefactor and
perhaps help him `ease into heaven.' Throughout history, our religious
leaders have told benefactors that there is no better way to serve
God, Jesus Christ, and Armenians than to build another church.
Therefore, regardless of political, economic, or social realities and
upheavals, Armenians continued to build churches, in both historic and
modern Armenia, as well as in all corners of the world, often times
disregarding other needs and priorities. This was the case in medieval
Armenian kingdoms in historic Armenia, in Cilicia and Eastern Anatolia
up until 1915, then in the diaspora, and now in modern Armenia.
When future generations look back on our 22 year-old Armenia and on
the diaspora, they will see the challenges we faced in establishing a
new country from the ruins of the Soviet Empire, while at the same
time fighting the deadly Karabagh war, dealing with the closed borders
and economic blockade by Turkey and Azerbaijan, the disastrous 1989
earthquake, and most critically, the continuing depopulation of
Armenia due to a lack of employment and investment opportunities. And
they will also see examples of vast church-building activities both in
Armenia and the diaspora. In 1997, in the midst of urgent needs to
reconstruct Armenia and Karabagh, Armenians found the money to build
the St. Gregory Illuminator Cathedral in Yerevan. In 2001, diasporans
in Los Angeles started the construction of a huge cathedral, while
there was and is still scarce resources to keep Armenian schools open.
In 2011, an oligarch donated all the funds to build the St. Hovhannes
Cathedral in Abovyan, while the starving local population had almost
emptied the town. Just last month, wealthy Russian Armenians opened a
vast new cathedral in Moscow. The Etchmiadzin Catholicosate has become
a Vatican-like complex continuously expanding with new buildings. The
combined total expenditure on these large churches, as well as several
other smaller church projects, easily exceeds $200 million. These
projects are not funded from revenue-generating sources or regular
budgets, but instead, from one-time significant donations from
benefactors, mostly from the diaspora. They will not generate any
revenue, either, but will create a continuing need for additional
donations for upkeep and maintenance.
One wonders if these donations could be used for more worthwhile
projects, such as helping Armenians remain in Armenia, or helping
Armenians remain Armenian in the diaspora. There seems to be a widely
accepted belief that neither the government nor the church is in touch
with the concerns and needs of the common people. During a recent
private audience with the Catholicos, he was asked what the Armenian
Church can do to keep our youth more interested in the church and
attached to their Armenian roots. His curt response was, `This should
be done at home and at school.' The much-anticipated Bishops Synod,
assembled last month for the first time in 600 years, did not produce
any tangible resolutions to address the concerns of the common
Armenian, be it in Armenia or the diaspora. Most benefactors do not
want to invest in Armenia, due to a fear that government corruption
and required bribes will make their investment useless - and, in so
doing, will fail in creating economic benefits for either themselves
or the Armenian population. Unless the government takes concrete steps
to change the valid perception that investments only end up in the
hands of the governing oligarchs, there will not be much participation
in the desperately needed economic growth of Armenia. In the meantime,
church leaders will continue to preach the tried and true argument
that the most beneficial donation a benefactor can make for himself
and his family is giving to the church.
Of course, there are truly worthwhile church-building and restoration
projects, with strategic and significant benefits for all Armenians.
One example is the restoration of the Ghazantchetsots Church in
Shushi, undertaken immediately after the Karabagh war. During the war,
Azeris controlling Shushi used this historic church as an arms depot
and military center, from which they continuously bombarded
Stepanakert in the valley. They knew that Armenians would never attack
or fire on their own church. When Armenian commandos victoriously
entered Shushi in May of 1992, they found the church in shambles,
burned, desecrated, and full of human excrement. Today, it stands as a
symbol of victory against all odds.
The other critical restoration project is the total reconstruction of
the Diyarbakir/Dikranagerd Surp Giragos Church in Turkey in 2011, the
first time a church was restored as a functioning church (and not
merely a museum) in historic Armenia after being destroyed in 1915.
This project was strategically significant for a number of reasons:
First, the restored church is concrete evidence against the denialist
state version of history of the government of Turkey, as it
demonstrates that there was a large Armenian presence in Anatolia
before 1915. Secondly, it immediately became a religious and cultural
center, helping the Turkish and Kurdish population of Turkey
understand the realities of 1915 through media events, conferences,
and concerts. Third, and for the first time since 1915, the foundation
that restored the church started the process of reclaiming the
properties belonging to the church (but confiscated after 1915) with
several properties already secured through negotiations and courts.
Fourth, the church became a living genocide memorial, attracting tens
of thousands of Armenian visitors from the diaspora and Armenia
annually, and starting a dialogue while fostering closer relationships
with liberated Kurds and Turks who have faced the historical truths of
1915, and now demand their government to do so as well. Last but not
least, the most significant outcome of the restoration of this church
has been the emergence of `hidden Armenians.' Islamized Armenians have
started `coming out,' visiting and praying in the church, getting
baptized, participating in Armenian-language courses, helping build an
Armenian museum on church grounds, contributing to the security and
administration of the church, demanding acceptance of their real
identity by the government, and so on. The church acts like a magnet
for these people. More than 100 people visit on average per day,
coming from all over Anatolia, and not just Diyarbakir, to try to find
their Armenian roots. New initiatives are underway to restore and
reclaim other destroyed Armenian churches and monasteries in historic
Armenia.
It is my sincere hope that future government and church leaders, as
well as future benefactors, will decide more wisely on what projects
to invest in, giving higher priority to the needs and wants of the
Armenian people compared to their own.
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2013/10/17/where-to-invest-our-resources/
By Raffi Bedrosyan // October 17, 2013 in Headline, Opinion
When visiting Armenia for the first time, one's itinerary invariably
includes a multitude of churches and monasteries. Modern Armenia is
the land of churches. Historic Armenia in Anatolia was also a land of
churches, with nearly 4,000 churches and monasteries. The Van Lake
region alone had over 300 churches. The ancient city of Ani, dubbed
the `city of 1,001 churches,' contained 40 churches. We are proud of
our churches, awed at their architectural beauty and intricate
construction techniques, and amazed at their settings, perched as they
are on inaccessible mountaintops.
Poetry reading and music at Sourp Giragos Church (Photo by Arif Temel)
Yet, this obsession with churches, when combined with our tragic
history, makes me think, `I wish we had fewer churches to visit, and
instead many more victory monuments like Sardarabad. I wish our
Armenian kings, princes, political leaders, and wealthy notables in
the past had spent less time, talent, resources, and money on these
churches, and instead more on fortifications and defense of our lands
and territories.'
Delving into the reasons why these churches were built, it becomes
apparent that it was not merely to meet the religious needs of the
population; rather, it was to bring glory to the benefactor and
perhaps help him `ease into heaven.' Throughout history, our religious
leaders have told benefactors that there is no better way to serve
God, Jesus Christ, and Armenians than to build another church.
Therefore, regardless of political, economic, or social realities and
upheavals, Armenians continued to build churches, in both historic and
modern Armenia, as well as in all corners of the world, often times
disregarding other needs and priorities. This was the case in medieval
Armenian kingdoms in historic Armenia, in Cilicia and Eastern Anatolia
up until 1915, then in the diaspora, and now in modern Armenia.
When future generations look back on our 22 year-old Armenia and on
the diaspora, they will see the challenges we faced in establishing a
new country from the ruins of the Soviet Empire, while at the same
time fighting the deadly Karabagh war, dealing with the closed borders
and economic blockade by Turkey and Azerbaijan, the disastrous 1989
earthquake, and most critically, the continuing depopulation of
Armenia due to a lack of employment and investment opportunities. And
they will also see examples of vast church-building activities both in
Armenia and the diaspora. In 1997, in the midst of urgent needs to
reconstruct Armenia and Karabagh, Armenians found the money to build
the St. Gregory Illuminator Cathedral in Yerevan. In 2001, diasporans
in Los Angeles started the construction of a huge cathedral, while
there was and is still scarce resources to keep Armenian schools open.
In 2011, an oligarch donated all the funds to build the St. Hovhannes
Cathedral in Abovyan, while the starving local population had almost
emptied the town. Just last month, wealthy Russian Armenians opened a
vast new cathedral in Moscow. The Etchmiadzin Catholicosate has become
a Vatican-like complex continuously expanding with new buildings. The
combined total expenditure on these large churches, as well as several
other smaller church projects, easily exceeds $200 million. These
projects are not funded from revenue-generating sources or regular
budgets, but instead, from one-time significant donations from
benefactors, mostly from the diaspora. They will not generate any
revenue, either, but will create a continuing need for additional
donations for upkeep and maintenance.
One wonders if these donations could be used for more worthwhile
projects, such as helping Armenians remain in Armenia, or helping
Armenians remain Armenian in the diaspora. There seems to be a widely
accepted belief that neither the government nor the church is in touch
with the concerns and needs of the common people. During a recent
private audience with the Catholicos, he was asked what the Armenian
Church can do to keep our youth more interested in the church and
attached to their Armenian roots. His curt response was, `This should
be done at home and at school.' The much-anticipated Bishops Synod,
assembled last month for the first time in 600 years, did not produce
any tangible resolutions to address the concerns of the common
Armenian, be it in Armenia or the diaspora. Most benefactors do not
want to invest in Armenia, due to a fear that government corruption
and required bribes will make their investment useless - and, in so
doing, will fail in creating economic benefits for either themselves
or the Armenian population. Unless the government takes concrete steps
to change the valid perception that investments only end up in the
hands of the governing oligarchs, there will not be much participation
in the desperately needed economic growth of Armenia. In the meantime,
church leaders will continue to preach the tried and true argument
that the most beneficial donation a benefactor can make for himself
and his family is giving to the church.
Of course, there are truly worthwhile church-building and restoration
projects, with strategic and significant benefits for all Armenians.
One example is the restoration of the Ghazantchetsots Church in
Shushi, undertaken immediately after the Karabagh war. During the war,
Azeris controlling Shushi used this historic church as an arms depot
and military center, from which they continuously bombarded
Stepanakert in the valley. They knew that Armenians would never attack
or fire on their own church. When Armenian commandos victoriously
entered Shushi in May of 1992, they found the church in shambles,
burned, desecrated, and full of human excrement. Today, it stands as a
symbol of victory against all odds.
The other critical restoration project is the total reconstruction of
the Diyarbakir/Dikranagerd Surp Giragos Church in Turkey in 2011, the
first time a church was restored as a functioning church (and not
merely a museum) in historic Armenia after being destroyed in 1915.
This project was strategically significant for a number of reasons:
First, the restored church is concrete evidence against the denialist
state version of history of the government of Turkey, as it
demonstrates that there was a large Armenian presence in Anatolia
before 1915. Secondly, it immediately became a religious and cultural
center, helping the Turkish and Kurdish population of Turkey
understand the realities of 1915 through media events, conferences,
and concerts. Third, and for the first time since 1915, the foundation
that restored the church started the process of reclaiming the
properties belonging to the church (but confiscated after 1915) with
several properties already secured through negotiations and courts.
Fourth, the church became a living genocide memorial, attracting tens
of thousands of Armenian visitors from the diaspora and Armenia
annually, and starting a dialogue while fostering closer relationships
with liberated Kurds and Turks who have faced the historical truths of
1915, and now demand their government to do so as well. Last but not
least, the most significant outcome of the restoration of this church
has been the emergence of `hidden Armenians.' Islamized Armenians have
started `coming out,' visiting and praying in the church, getting
baptized, participating in Armenian-language courses, helping build an
Armenian museum on church grounds, contributing to the security and
administration of the church, demanding acceptance of their real
identity by the government, and so on. The church acts like a magnet
for these people. More than 100 people visit on average per day,
coming from all over Anatolia, and not just Diyarbakir, to try to find
their Armenian roots. New initiatives are underway to restore and
reclaim other destroyed Armenian churches and monasteries in historic
Armenia.
It is my sincere hope that future government and church leaders, as
well as future benefactors, will decide more wisely on what projects
to invest in, giving higher priority to the needs and wants of the
Armenian people compared to their own.
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2013/10/17/where-to-invest-our-resources/