At the end of the 19th century, Tbilisi counted 29active Armenian Churches, today a mere two areleft. Eight Armenian Churches have undergoneappropriation efforts and were turned into Georgianones, in addition thereto frescos, khatshkars and allArmenian references have systematically beendestroyed. The fate of five churches, includingNorashen, currently lies in the hands of the Georgianpatriarchate. And this is just in Tbilisi. The destruc-tion and appropriation process of the Armenian spir-itual and ecclesiastical heritage continues through-out Georgia. Many historians already refer to it asthe genocide of the Armenian cultural heritage in

Georgia (the Armenian Apostolic Church is notalone, all traditional religions face the same prob-lems), as the only Church in Georgia, regulated byLaw is the Georgian Orthodox Church.A law is in the making which will enable religiousgroups to register as legal persons of private law.However, the Armenian Apostolic Church can lookback on a centuries old historical presence inGeorgia, and declares in one its Press Releases thatit has no intention of registering as a person of pri-vate law, since the Church, in essence, is of societalnature.

In an interview, Samvel Karapetyan (Research onArmenian Architecture) declares: "Georgia hasnever been on such a low spiritual level. They blind-ly destroy a part of their own culture, because it was

created by ethnic Armenians. You have to be blindand stupid up to a point… which I can't imagine.Thank God, everything is documented, everythinghas been photographed. However, by breaking akhatshkar or removing Armenian inscriptions, it isimpossible to erase the Armenian himself.Everything will be revealed. They are digging out aditch for themselves, and this ditch will become anabyss into which they will inevitably fall. And stilldare standing alongside other civilized nations. Thisis not possible. Everything will be revealed."

According to this organization, more than 300 his-torical monuments have been destroyed throughoutGeorgia within the last 17 years.

We think that the actions in Georgia are not in accor-dance with democratic principles and commonhuman values, that Georgia is trying to associateitself with in front of the international community.

Renovating streets and repainting houses before thevisit of President Bush, putting up billboards abouta Multi-cultural state on the main crossings ofBush's itinerary is not a guarantee for being a dem-ocratic and civilized state. The billboards are just thesurface, underneath which Armenian khatshkars andgravestones are destroyed and vandalized by thehundreds. It is not acceptable to speak of brotherlyfriendship between nations and of democracy and totry to change the demographic balance with the aimof creating a mono-national state.

In the last 17 years, 35 Armenian Churches havebeen appropriated in Georgia (the appropriation wasgoing hand in hand with the destruction of gravestones, the falsification of the remaining, thedestruction of khatshkars and Armenian inscrip-tions, the destruction of the Armenian altar and bap-tism basins, the falsification of the Churches' histo-ry and the writing up of a new one).

THE CULTHE CULTURALTURAL GENOCIDE OF GENOCIDE OF ARMENIANARMENIANHISTHISTORICALORICAL MONUMENTS INMONUMENTS IN GEORGIAGEORGIA

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Following is the story about the appropriation ofNorashen, similar to all the others:

The conflit around Norashen, one of the Armenianchurches in Tbilisi, which has started 17 years ago,has just reached another step with the obvious try ofchanging historical facts.

A few months ago, a hundred year old Georgiangrave stones, carrying Georgian inscription havesuddenly appeared in the courtyard of the Armenianchurch Norashen. Or rather, they were transportetthere using a crane.Our fotographer and cameramanfilmed these stones still wrapped in their iron wires,thrown randomly into the church's courtyard. Now,these stones are already neatly lined up and safelyinstalled along the church's wall.

The reasoning behind these actions is clear : they areto prove that the church is of Georgian orthodox ori-gin, as according to the words of the Georgianpriest, Father Tariel, the Armenians would havenever let the Georgians bury in their dead in front oftheir own church. At the same time when theGeorgian stones were brought from an unknowncemetary to Tbilisi, the Armenian stones, located onthe other side of the church were vandalised - theArmenian inscriptions were destroyed.

The church Norashen is located in Tbilisi, onLeselidze street, sided on the left by a Greek church,now transformed into a Georgian orthodox one, onthe right by the Georgian church Sioni, a few moremeters away is the synagogue and yet a bit furtherup the mosque. For centuries the different confes-sions have managed to live side by side in peace.Norashen was founded in 1467 and renovated in1650 by Nazar. At this time, the great cupola was re-built by Master Petros. A series of renovations fol-lowed in 1795, 1808 and in 1875. TheLidatamashian and Vartanov families and Mrs.Pridonian were buried in thechurch's courtyard. In 1924-25, a committee consistingof Georgian officials sug-gests to completely destroythe church. The majority ofthe committee membersapprove this decision.However, on July 2, 1925,Severov put the questiononce again on the agenda andsucceeds by ferociously voicing his opposition tothe project, in stopping the proposed destruction.Later on, during the Soviet era, the church wastransformed into a library.

Eventually, in 1989, shortly before Georgia's inde-pendence and under the influence of the ultra-nationalist Gamsakhurdia, the Georgians intensifiedand multiplied their actions aimed at appropriatingthe church in order to transform it into a Georgianorthodox one. They reached their climax in 1994,when the Armenians from Tbilisi were alert afterhaving been informed that all valuable books werebeing evacuated from the library. All that was leftnow were Marx's and Lenin's complete works,which led to believe that Norashen was headingtowards the same fate as Karmir Avetaran, whichused to be Tbilisi's highest Armenian church (40mhigh) and which was completely destroyed in anexplosion in the fall of 1989.

On 25 January 1995, the Armenians living in thevicinity of Norashen noticed that apparently someworks had started inside the church. The officialprotest, delivered on 2 February to the Georgianpriest, Father Tariel, in charge of the renovationworks by the Armenian Ambassador in Georgia,H.E. Khatchatrian and the president of the ArmenianAssociation of Charity and Culture, Mr. Muradian,were greeted with contempt. Three days later, TerYerishe, the Armenian priest, saw this same Tariel,the axe in hand, busy with the renovation works, thatis the destruction of the church's stage. In theArmenian Church, the stage, located opposite to the

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Georgian grave stones2004 and 2005

entrance, is a bit higher and can be reached byclimbing a few steps. Ter Yerishe told him: " You,who are supposed to be serving the Lord, youdestroy the Lord's house. Take off your cross andyour coat at least! " Father Tariel to answer back: " Iam a priest and I do what I have been told. " On 8February, the writing of Master Petros telling thereconstruction of the cupola in 1650 on the church'swall destroyed. Other Armenian inscriptions, twokhtatshkars as well as two magnificent frescoes ofthe Hovnatanyan School from the 19th century werealso destroyed.

In the following days, a group of Armenians in thecompany of a photographer were barred from enteringthe church, instead they were greeted with fascisticinsults by the Georgians and priests present at thescene. They attacked the photographer, who ducked toprotect his camera. Thanks to the courageous interven-tion of one the Armenian women in the group, who inturn jumped at the priest pulling his beard and throw-ing him down, the photographer was able to escape.

On 15 February, the church was consecrated accordingto the Georgian orthodox rite. One month later, theArch-bishops Garegin and Grigoris came fromArmenia to Tbilisi, where they met with Iliad II, theGeorgian Patriarch and they decided to stop everythinguntil better times would come. The church has beenclosed since.

Now, after the appearance of the fake Georgian graves,emotions are flying high again, and their consequencescannot be foreseen. To the Armenian clergy in Tbilisi,there is no doubt that Norashen shall open its doorsagain as Armenian Apostolic Church and that the gravestones need to be returned to their places of origin.

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Published by the Organisation for the support of the Organisation for the support of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia “Kanter”Armenian Diocese in Georgia “Kanter”

Karmir Avetaran, exploded in 1992

Appropriated Appropriated Armenian ChurchesArmenian Churches

In In Tbi l i s iTbi l i s i1) Karapi St. Gevorg, built 18th century2) Blessed Virgin of Betlehem, built 13th century3) St. Stepanos, built 18th century4) St. Cross of Vera, built 18305) Blessed Virgin of Djugureti, built 19th century6) St. Karapet, built 16th century7) St. Gevorg Zorabashe, built 19th century

In the vicinity of In the vicinity of TbilisiTbilisi8) St. Gevorg Teleti, built 18th century9) St. Gevorg Shavnabad, 18th century10) Blessed Virgin of Shindisi, 18the century11) St. Gevorg of Tsekhneti village, 19th century12) Blessed Virgin of Nakhshir Gora, 19 century13) St. Gevorg of Lisi village, 19th century

In Kakheti regionIn Kakheti region14) St. Gevorg of Signakhi, 18th century15) Blessed Virgin of Velitsikhe, 19th century16) Blessed Virgin of Telavi, 18th century17) Holy Trinity of Telavi

In Gori regionIn Gori region18) St. Gevork of Tzegvi village, 19th century19) Blessed Virgin of Akhalkalk, 19th century

20) Blessed Virgin of Doesi, 19th century21) St. Gevorg of Bergu village, 19th century22) Blessed Virgin of Zerti village, 18th century23) St. Gevorg of Akhalgori town, 18th century

In Khashuri regionIn Khashuri region24) St. Grigor Illuminator of Surami, 18th century25) Blessed Virgin of Vahga village, 19th century

In Kutaisi regionIn Kutaisi region26) St. Gevorg of Kutaisi, 18th century27) St. Gevorg of Marneuli, 19th century28) Teleti Blessed Virign, 18th century29) St. Gevorg of Mukhad village, 19th century

Armenian Churches,with uncertain fateArmenian Churches,with uncertain fate

In In TbilisiTbilisiNorashen, built 15th centurySt. Nshan, built 18th centurySt. Minas, built 19th centuryMughnu St. Gevorg, built 14th centuryShamkoretsots Blessed Virgin, built 19th century

In In AkhaltsikheAkhaltsikheSt. Nshan, built 19th century