by The Armenian Mirror-Spectator
ISTANBUL (PanARMENIAN.Net) — A fountain built in the memory of famed Armenian painter Arshile Gorky in his birthplace, Turkey’s eastern Van province, has been damaged by unknown persons, Ahval said citing a report from Duvar, on January 29.
Van’s Edremit district municipality built the fountain in 2015, continuing a tradition of commemorating the departed by providing water for residents and passers-by.
Four sides of the fountain were embellished with details about Gorky’s life in Turkish, Armenian, Kurdish and English, with water pouring from each of them. The fountain’s architects used special stones from the region, and it was built close to Gorky’s former family home.
The monument had suffered several attacks in the past, especially after a government-appointed mayor let the fountain fall into ruin again.
Over time, the spouts on all four sides were damaged and blocked, while Gorky’s name was scratched out. In the most recent incident, the signs depicting Gorky’s life story were scratched out.
When asked why the water had been shut off, the municipality under the appointed mayor told reporters it had been a measure due to insufficient water levels. Municipal officials denied any knowledge of damages, Duvar said.
Gorky, born Vostanik Manoug Adoian in 1904, fled to Russian-controlled territories to the east during the 1915 Armenian Genocide with his mother and sisters. He lost his mother to starvation in Yerevan in 1919, and emigrated to the United States in 1920. He is considered one of the foremost modern American painters.
