FIRST CREMATORIUM TO BE BUILT IN ARMENIA NEXT YEAR

09:59, 11 March, 2013

YEREVAN, MARCH 11, ARMENPRESS. In accordance with the decision of
the Government of the Republic of Armenia first crematorium will be
built in the republic in 2014. In a conversation with "Armenpress"
the Director of "Special Public Service" CJSC under the Yerevan
Municipality Razmik Harutyunyan stated that a number of problems
regarding burials and cemeteries will find their solution due to
the building of the crematorium. Razmik Harutyunyan noted: "The
crematorium, which will be built next year, will simultaneously
perform 4,500 burnings. It will be in a distance of 3 km from Yerevan.

In comparison with the traditional burial, cremation is much cheaper
and ecologically clean." Also Harutyunyan stated that he is afraid
that if the crematorium is not built some time later the territory
of the cemeteries will reach the dwelling space. This can have a
psychological impact on the people living nearby.

The Armenian Apostolic Church does not share this opinion on the
creation of crematorium and cremation in general. In a conversation
with "Armenpress" the Spiritual Pastor of St. John the Baptist Church
Fr. Shmavon Ghevondyan stated that the church has already officially
declared that it is against cremation. Among other things the priest
noted that instead of building crematorium it's necessary to raise
living standards of people so that the average age of death will become
70-80, instead of 50-60. Among other things Fr. Shmavon noted: "The
church will never accept cremation and the people is also against it."