The Minister of Culture, replying to Aravot.am’s question if she would help to return 4 frescoes by Minas Avetisyan stolen from Gyumri people, which are in the House of Government and “Zvartnots” airport, said: “We should give it a start, of course. We should do everything to return the frescoes which are not in the place they belong to in the exhibition halls. We have commenced that process and should be consistent in its continuation. I should ask you to regularly alert us with your questions and reminders, we will definitely be consistent.”
Let us remind you that two of the frescoes by Minas – “Meeting” and “By the Cross-Stone” were moved to the Government building and another two – “I Spin a Thread” and “Hand Millstone” were moved to “Zvartnots” airport later, in 2011.
A number of Gyumri residents raised a huge wave of protests, regarded this to be a cultural robbery, inasmuch as those frescoes were the ownership of this city, were created due to their funding, meanwhile they were taken from Gyumri against their will.
Minister Makunts has given a start also to the president of “Asparez” journalists’ club, Levon Barseghyan’s proposal to move Geological Museum of Gyumri to the building of the former hospital after Gyulbenkyan. The Minister said that Levon Barseghyan’s application was inscribed to the new Deputy Minister. She also said that she was ready to work in Gyumri and to move her Ministry to the second city.
“Earlier I was speaking with the actors and saying that at the very first days of my appointment I was asked what I thought about it – I have only positive inclinations. Only an administrative issue is in place, I mean the Government sessions, a need for urgent meetings emerges. As soon as we understand how we can address those issues and the issue of the building as well, I am ready to become the pioneer who moves the ministries to regions. I believe, the Ministry of Culture should not be the only ministry to be moved to the regions, other ministries should function in different regions as well, for us to be able to provide the model of that symmetrical development and logic.”
Nune AREVSHATYAN
