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MUNICIPAL PANTHEON UNDER SIEGE
Vahe Sarukhanyan
http://hetq.am/en/society/panteon/#more-41400
2010/10/18 | 13:30
Feature Stories society
Vandals Deface Grave of Writer Derenik Demirchyan
On October 6, Emil Stepanyan, the son of poet Anjela Stepanyan,
telephoned the staff at the Derenik Demirchyan House-Museum in Yerevan.
He wanted to know if they were aware of the fact that the bust of
the famous Armenian novelist and playwright had disappeared from the
Central (Tokhmakh) Cemetery's Municipal Pantheon.
Museum Director Karineh Rafayelyan recounts that the last person to
see the bust was Emil, who had gone to the cemetery after Easter. He
visited the cemetery again in September, right after Khachverats
(Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross). This time he noticed that
the bronze bust was missing. Emil assumed that the museum staff knew
that the bust was no longer where it should be so he never called
them. Later on, when he noticed that no one was writing or talking
about the missing bust, he decided to contact the museum.
Museum staff visit grave every five years
The news came as a shock to the Demirchyan Museum staff. They couldn't
believe what they heard. Karineh Rafayelyan says that once every
five years the museum organizes a grand cortege to the pantheon to
celebrate Demirchyan's anniversary. In 1997, they commemorated the
writer's 120th anniversary; in 2002 his 125th and in 2007 his 130th.
The last time the museum staff saw the bust was back in 2007.
After Emil telephoned, museum staffers visited the pantheon. Mrs.
Rafayelyan immediately contacted her immediate superior, Henrik
Bakhchinyan, Director of Armenia's Literature and Art Museum. He
advised her to call the police; which she did.
On October 8, the RA Police issued a communique stating that the
Erebuni Division had received a report from the Yerevan Central Police
that sometime on October 7 the bust of Derenik Demirchyan had been
stolen from the gravesite at the Central Cemetery's Municipal Pantheon
and that an investigation had been launched.
Stolen Demirchyan bust weighed 300 kilos
Upon inspecting the site, the police concluded that the thieves had
toppled the huge bust from its perch and that this had caused the
damage to other grave stones immediately in front of Demirchyan's.
In addition, it became apparent that the theft had occurred at least
one month before the police inspected the crime site. Investigators
noticed that that birds had proceeded to build a nest atop the basalt
memorial stone and that it had already dried-up and withered.
Mrs. Rafayelyan says that according to Demirchyan's relatives the
bust weighs about 300 kilos and that a sculpture named Aharonian from
the diaspora was invited to Armenia to construct it. Most likely
it was placed at the grave site in 1957, one year after the death
of Demirchyan.
Vandals hit other graves as well
Other graves of Armenian notables in the cemetery have also been
vandalized. Years ago, thieves removed a metal cloak-like ornament
from the gravestone of actor Vagharsh Vagharshyan. The sculpted laurel
wreath framing the round gravestone of Armenia most famous sculptor
Yervand Kochar has also vanished. Robbers have also carted off the
bronze cross that once adorned the grave of writer Sipan Shiraz.
Just last month, vandals made off with a 10 kilo metal section ripped
from the grave of linguist Hrachya Ajarian. One of the maintenance
crew at the Central Cemetery has said that just 20 days ago the metal
bust of former Yerevan Mayor Yeghisheh Vardanyan was also stolen from
the pantheon.
After 5 pm, the Central Cemetery literally becomes a ghost town;
no one patrols the grounds. Only grounds sweepers and laborers are
to be seen at the cemetery. There are no gatekeepers to monitor the
comings and goings at the huge facility. The cemetery is open to the
public from Monday to Friday from 9 to 5, and on the weekend till
3pm. It seems that those with ulterior motives in mind wait until
the cemetery officially closes to do their dirty work.
No guards on duty
There are four entrances to the cemetery through which cars can pass.
The gate at the main entrance is always open. A few years back the
police padlocked the gate. The next morning street sweepers noticed
the locks had been smashed and tossed aside.
Katarina, a woman who's been sweeping the cemetery grounds for the
past ten years, says that thefts have risen during recent years.
When we asked Karineh Rafayelyan why a prominent writer like Derenik
Demirchyan was never buried in the more prestigious Komitas Pantheon
she answered, "Not all of our notables have caring and selfless
descendants."
She pointed out that given the pitiful condition of the museum itself,
the condition of Demirchyan's gravesite wasn't high on their list of
priorities. After the theft of the bust, however, it's become their
main concern.
About a year ago the poet Lyudvig Duryan made a public plea that the
remains of Derenik Demirchyan be interred at the Komitas Pantheon.
Presently, Armenian Writers Union President Levon Ananyan and Karineh
Rafayelyan are discussing the matter. Ananyan claims that the Armenian
public does not appreciate Demirchyan in a manner befitting his rich
literary legacy.
Thieves don't care whose grave they rob
"Today, we should be talking about why Demirchyan was not worthy of
eternal resting place in the Komitas Pantheon upon his death in 1956.
The unfortunate situation in the Municipal Pantheon demands that we
must learn from our past mistakes and see to it that the writer's
remains are transferred to the Komitas Pantheon," Mr. Ananyan says.
The Writer's Union President also argues that the public at large
can no longer afford to tolerate such outrages. "The looting of these
gravesites is just one manifestation of the immorality that surrounds
us and which we take for granted. We have returned to the level of
the grave robbers of old."
"Do you think the thieves knew who Demirchyan was? More improbably,
do you think they ever read his masterpiece Vardanank? Of course not.
They just were interested in making a few bucks to get by," notes
writer Hrachya Matevosyan. "This nation which has survived through
the centuries today has lost its moral compass because a social system
has arisen in which there are the filthy rich and the dirt poor. And
those who plunder are in control."
From: A. Papazian
Vahe Sarukhanyan
http://hetq.am/en/society/panteon/#more-41400
2010/10/18 | 13:30
Feature Stories society
Vandals Deface Grave of Writer Derenik Demirchyan
On October 6, Emil Stepanyan, the son of poet Anjela Stepanyan,
telephoned the staff at the Derenik Demirchyan House-Museum in Yerevan.
He wanted to know if they were aware of the fact that the bust of
the famous Armenian novelist and playwright had disappeared from the
Central (Tokhmakh) Cemetery's Municipal Pantheon.
Museum Director Karineh Rafayelyan recounts that the last person to
see the bust was Emil, who had gone to the cemetery after Easter. He
visited the cemetery again in September, right after Khachverats
(Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross). This time he noticed that
the bronze bust was missing. Emil assumed that the museum staff knew
that the bust was no longer where it should be so he never called
them. Later on, when he noticed that no one was writing or talking
about the missing bust, he decided to contact the museum.
Museum staff visit grave every five years
The news came as a shock to the Demirchyan Museum staff. They couldn't
believe what they heard. Karineh Rafayelyan says that once every
five years the museum organizes a grand cortege to the pantheon to
celebrate Demirchyan's anniversary. In 1997, they commemorated the
writer's 120th anniversary; in 2002 his 125th and in 2007 his 130th.
The last time the museum staff saw the bust was back in 2007.
After Emil telephoned, museum staffers visited the pantheon. Mrs.
Rafayelyan immediately contacted her immediate superior, Henrik
Bakhchinyan, Director of Armenia's Literature and Art Museum. He
advised her to call the police; which she did.
On October 8, the RA Police issued a communique stating that the
Erebuni Division had received a report from the Yerevan Central Police
that sometime on October 7 the bust of Derenik Demirchyan had been
stolen from the gravesite at the Central Cemetery's Municipal Pantheon
and that an investigation had been launched.
Stolen Demirchyan bust weighed 300 kilos
Upon inspecting the site, the police concluded that the thieves had
toppled the huge bust from its perch and that this had caused the
damage to other grave stones immediately in front of Demirchyan's.
In addition, it became apparent that the theft had occurred at least
one month before the police inspected the crime site. Investigators
noticed that that birds had proceeded to build a nest atop the basalt
memorial stone and that it had already dried-up and withered.
Mrs. Rafayelyan says that according to Demirchyan's relatives the
bust weighs about 300 kilos and that a sculpture named Aharonian from
the diaspora was invited to Armenia to construct it. Most likely
it was placed at the grave site in 1957, one year after the death
of Demirchyan.
Vandals hit other graves as well
Other graves of Armenian notables in the cemetery have also been
vandalized. Years ago, thieves removed a metal cloak-like ornament
from the gravestone of actor Vagharsh Vagharshyan. The sculpted laurel
wreath framing the round gravestone of Armenia most famous sculptor
Yervand Kochar has also vanished. Robbers have also carted off the
bronze cross that once adorned the grave of writer Sipan Shiraz.
Just last month, vandals made off with a 10 kilo metal section ripped
from the grave of linguist Hrachya Ajarian. One of the maintenance
crew at the Central Cemetery has said that just 20 days ago the metal
bust of former Yerevan Mayor Yeghisheh Vardanyan was also stolen from
the pantheon.
After 5 pm, the Central Cemetery literally becomes a ghost town;
no one patrols the grounds. Only grounds sweepers and laborers are
to be seen at the cemetery. There are no gatekeepers to monitor the
comings and goings at the huge facility. The cemetery is open to the
public from Monday to Friday from 9 to 5, and on the weekend till
3pm. It seems that those with ulterior motives in mind wait until
the cemetery officially closes to do their dirty work.
No guards on duty
There are four entrances to the cemetery through which cars can pass.
The gate at the main entrance is always open. A few years back the
police padlocked the gate. The next morning street sweepers noticed
the locks had been smashed and tossed aside.
Katarina, a woman who's been sweeping the cemetery grounds for the
past ten years, says that thefts have risen during recent years.
When we asked Karineh Rafayelyan why a prominent writer like Derenik
Demirchyan was never buried in the more prestigious Komitas Pantheon
she answered, "Not all of our notables have caring and selfless
descendants."
She pointed out that given the pitiful condition of the museum itself,
the condition of Demirchyan's gravesite wasn't high on their list of
priorities. After the theft of the bust, however, it's become their
main concern.
About a year ago the poet Lyudvig Duryan made a public plea that the
remains of Derenik Demirchyan be interred at the Komitas Pantheon.
Presently, Armenian Writers Union President Levon Ananyan and Karineh
Rafayelyan are discussing the matter. Ananyan claims that the Armenian
public does not appreciate Demirchyan in a manner befitting his rich
literary legacy.
Thieves don't care whose grave they rob
"Today, we should be talking about why Demirchyan was not worthy of
eternal resting place in the Komitas Pantheon upon his death in 1956.
The unfortunate situation in the Municipal Pantheon demands that we
must learn from our past mistakes and see to it that the writer's
remains are transferred to the Komitas Pantheon," Mr. Ananyan says.
The Writer's Union President also argues that the public at large
can no longer afford to tolerate such outrages. "The looting of these
gravesites is just one manifestation of the immorality that surrounds
us and which we take for granted. We have returned to the level of
the grave robbers of old."
"Do you think the thieves knew who Demirchyan was? More improbably,
do you think they ever read his masterpiece Vardanank? Of course not.
They just were interested in making a few bucks to get by," notes
writer Hrachya Matevosyan. "This nation which has survived through
the centuries today has lost its moral compass because a social system
has arisen in which there are the filthy rich and the dirt poor. And
those who plunder are in control."
From: A. Papazian