Tweet
EurasiaNet.org, NY
Sept 27 2012
Armenia: Churches Fast Collapsing in World's First Christian Country
September 27, 2012 - 3:16pm, by Gayane Abrahamyan
Armenian officials tend to be quick to voice concern over the
destruction or deterioration of Armenian churches and monasteries in
neighboring Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey. But conservationists
complain that the same officials who sound the alarm about sites
abroad, often are reticent about preservationist challenges within
Armenia itself.
Experts claim that almost 50 percent of the 24,000 religious monuments
in Armenia are in urgent need of repair, and that around 30 percent
are on the verge of collapse.
For many, Armenia's status as the first country in the world to accept
Christianity as a state religion (in 301 AD) means that the
dilapidated state of religious monuments is a blow to national pride.
`Who among our officials has seen the state of the churches in our
country?' said historian Rafael Tadevosian, a member of a public
commission on the conservation of historical-national values and
monuments.
The area around central Armenia's Geghardavank Monastery, founded in
the 4th century, `is a dump with as much garbage and waste as there is
in city dumps,' asserted Samvel Karapetian, a historian and the head
of Research on Armenian Architecture, a Yerevan-based non-governmental
organization that promotes architectural preservation. `And it's not
the Turks or Georgians or Azerbaijanis who do that. We are the ones
littering, polluting, destroying.'
While the Armenian government has been part of successful campaigns
for the restoration of the 10th-century Church of the Holy Cross near
Turkey's Lake Van, and is engaged in an ongoing tug-of-war with
Tbilisi over the state of Armenian churches in Georgia, 5 officials
seem less active when it comes to preservationist issues inside the
country.
One rare exception occurred in 2011, when a popular campaign assembled
video footage that showed the derelict state of northern Armenia's
10th century Sanahin monastery complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The footage prompted a strong wave of discontent against the head of
the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Garegin II, who responded
that he had `nothing to do with the monasteries and churches in the
mountains.'
Amid Facebook calls for Garegin II's resignation, the Ministry of
Culture created a commission on churches and invited German experts to
examine the property to identify the cause of gaping cracks in
Sanahin's walls. A restoration effort began early this year.
Money is the most frequently cited problem. The Armenian government
only started allocating money for the restoration of
historical-cultural monuments in 2005, 14 years after the collapse of
the Soviet Union. In the time since, the dram-equivalent of around $5
million has been spent to restore 34 churches.
The restoration process remains controversial in Armenia. In 2009, the
Chamber of Control charged that the Ministry of Culture had misused
186 million drams ($465,000) out of its budget, resulting in
`incorrect, unprofessional reconstruction' work at the 12th-century
Kobair monastery, the 10th-century Vahanavank monastery and the
7th-century Hnevank monastery.
Stones removed from the original structures `were later replaced by
new ones of a different kind,' resulting in the `distortion' of the
monasteries' original design, Ishkhan Zakarian, chair of the Chamber
of Control, asserted in a 2010 report to parliament.
(As a result, the head of the ministry's agency for the protection of
historical-cultural monuments, Gagik Gyurjian, was dismissed, but
three months later was appointed as head of one of Yerevan's most
important museums, the Erebuni Fortress, dating from the 8th century
BC).
Serzhik Arakelian, the current head of the Ministry of Culture's
Historical-Cultural Monument Protection Agency, told EurasiaNet.org
that his agency now has `stricter and more professional control over
restoration work.'
Yet he concedes that the state `doesn't have too much money to do everything.'
Citing the near-destruction of 13th-century inscriptions on the walls
of Haghartsin Monastery in northeastern Armenia, Karapetian, the
preservationist, argued that, in some cases, it is better not to
attempt repair work on Armenian churches and monasteries at all since
`the monument suffers rather than benefits.'
Meanwhile, the seat of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Mother See
of Holy Echmiadzin, also periodically comments that it lacks the funds
to look after Armenia's churches and monasteries. `We [the Church]
have limited resources and have to restore the monuments by state
means, but if those funds keep being misused, then one day everything
will simply disappear,' commented Father Vahram Melikian, a church
spokesperson.
Bakur Hovsepian, a state-appointed administrator who oversees the
12th-century Goshavank Monastery in northern Armenia, says he has
repeatedly turned to the Ministry of Culture and Church for help in
restoring the monastery's main church, Mariam Astvatsatsin (Church of
the Virgin Mary). He contends that the structure is on the verge of
collapse.
The monastery administration has decided to close parts of the church
to tourists to avoid accidents from stones falling from the church
walls and dome.
But the short response from church and state alike is always the same:
`No money.'
Hovsepian says that he wonders why the 20 million - 26 million drams
($50,000-$60,000) the monastery sends per year to Echmiadzin from the
sale of candles, souvenirs and visitor donations cannot be used.
Echmiadzin representatives say they are trying to find private
sponsors to underwrite preservation work.
Deputy Culture Minister Arev Samuelian contends that `the issues are
under control.' He places the burden for action on the general
Armenian public.
`Attitudes have to change. The state or the church cannot put guards
in front of each church to not let people write on the walls or light
candles on cross-stones or inscribe their names,' Samuelian told
EurasiaNet.org. `Society has to become aware of the value of
[historical] monuments.'
`The ministry,' she added, `is not almighty.'
Editor's note: Gayane Abrahamyan is a reporter for ArmeniaNow.com in Yerevan.
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65974
Sept 27 2012
Armenia: Churches Fast Collapsing in World's First Christian Country
September 27, 2012 - 3:16pm, by Gayane Abrahamyan
Armenian officials tend to be quick to voice concern over the
destruction or deterioration of Armenian churches and monasteries in
neighboring Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey. But conservationists
complain that the same officials who sound the alarm about sites
abroad, often are reticent about preservationist challenges within
Armenia itself.
Experts claim that almost 50 percent of the 24,000 religious monuments
in Armenia are in urgent need of repair, and that around 30 percent
are on the verge of collapse.
For many, Armenia's status as the first country in the world to accept
Christianity as a state religion (in 301 AD) means that the
dilapidated state of religious monuments is a blow to national pride.
`Who among our officials has seen the state of the churches in our
country?' said historian Rafael Tadevosian, a member of a public
commission on the conservation of historical-national values and
monuments.
The area around central Armenia's Geghardavank Monastery, founded in
the 4th century, `is a dump with as much garbage and waste as there is
in city dumps,' asserted Samvel Karapetian, a historian and the head
of Research on Armenian Architecture, a Yerevan-based non-governmental
organization that promotes architectural preservation. `And it's not
the Turks or Georgians or Azerbaijanis who do that. We are the ones
littering, polluting, destroying.'
While the Armenian government has been part of successful campaigns
for the restoration of the 10th-century Church of the Holy Cross near
Turkey's Lake Van, and is engaged in an ongoing tug-of-war with
Tbilisi over the state of Armenian churches in Georgia, 5 officials
seem less active when it comes to preservationist issues inside the
country.
One rare exception occurred in 2011, when a popular campaign assembled
video footage that showed the derelict state of northern Armenia's
10th century Sanahin monastery complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The footage prompted a strong wave of discontent against the head of
the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Garegin II, who responded
that he had `nothing to do with the monasteries and churches in the
mountains.'
Amid Facebook calls for Garegin II's resignation, the Ministry of
Culture created a commission on churches and invited German experts to
examine the property to identify the cause of gaping cracks in
Sanahin's walls. A restoration effort began early this year.
Money is the most frequently cited problem. The Armenian government
only started allocating money for the restoration of
historical-cultural monuments in 2005, 14 years after the collapse of
the Soviet Union. In the time since, the dram-equivalent of around $5
million has been spent to restore 34 churches.
The restoration process remains controversial in Armenia. In 2009, the
Chamber of Control charged that the Ministry of Culture had misused
186 million drams ($465,000) out of its budget, resulting in
`incorrect, unprofessional reconstruction' work at the 12th-century
Kobair monastery, the 10th-century Vahanavank monastery and the
7th-century Hnevank monastery.
Stones removed from the original structures `were later replaced by
new ones of a different kind,' resulting in the `distortion' of the
monasteries' original design, Ishkhan Zakarian, chair of the Chamber
of Control, asserted in a 2010 report to parliament.
(As a result, the head of the ministry's agency for the protection of
historical-cultural monuments, Gagik Gyurjian, was dismissed, but
three months later was appointed as head of one of Yerevan's most
important museums, the Erebuni Fortress, dating from the 8th century
BC).
Serzhik Arakelian, the current head of the Ministry of Culture's
Historical-Cultural Monument Protection Agency, told EurasiaNet.org
that his agency now has `stricter and more professional control over
restoration work.'
Yet he concedes that the state `doesn't have too much money to do everything.'
Citing the near-destruction of 13th-century inscriptions on the walls
of Haghartsin Monastery in northeastern Armenia, Karapetian, the
preservationist, argued that, in some cases, it is better not to
attempt repair work on Armenian churches and monasteries at all since
`the monument suffers rather than benefits.'
Meanwhile, the seat of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Mother See
of Holy Echmiadzin, also periodically comments that it lacks the funds
to look after Armenia's churches and monasteries. `We [the Church]
have limited resources and have to restore the monuments by state
means, but if those funds keep being misused, then one day everything
will simply disappear,' commented Father Vahram Melikian, a church
spokesperson.
Bakur Hovsepian, a state-appointed administrator who oversees the
12th-century Goshavank Monastery in northern Armenia, says he has
repeatedly turned to the Ministry of Culture and Church for help in
restoring the monastery's main church, Mariam Astvatsatsin (Church of
the Virgin Mary). He contends that the structure is on the verge of
collapse.
The monastery administration has decided to close parts of the church
to tourists to avoid accidents from stones falling from the church
walls and dome.
But the short response from church and state alike is always the same:
`No money.'
Hovsepian says that he wonders why the 20 million - 26 million drams
($50,000-$60,000) the monastery sends per year to Echmiadzin from the
sale of candles, souvenirs and visitor donations cannot be used.
Echmiadzin representatives say they are trying to find private
sponsors to underwrite preservation work.
Deputy Culture Minister Arev Samuelian contends that `the issues are
under control.' He places the burden for action on the general
Armenian public.
`Attitudes have to change. The state or the church cannot put guards
in front of each church to not let people write on the walls or light
candles on cross-stones or inscribe their names,' Samuelian told
EurasiaNet.org. `Society has to become aware of the value of
[historical] monuments.'
`The ministry,' she added, `is not almighty.'
Editor's note: Gayane Abrahamyan is a reporter for ArmeniaNow.com in Yerevan.
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65974