"Hasmik Poghosyan can no longer visit Shirak"
"The Armenian government is doing business under the pretext of saving the frescoes of famous artist Minas Avetisyan," public figures from Gyumri (a city in the north-west of Armenia) told journalists in Yerevan on Monday.
By a government decision, two frescos of Minas Avetisyan were given to "Armenia International Airport with the right of limitless and gratuitous usage. Another two frescos were transferred to the government building. The decision aroused dissatisfaction among Gyumri citizens who demand to return the frescos to Avetisyan's hometown.
"On June 17, the Minister of Culture [Hasmik Poghosyan] said she had received no letter from the Gyumri Municipality in connection with the return of the disputed frescos," Levon Barseghyan, founding chairman of "Asparez" Journalists Club NGO, said when commenting on the decision of the Culture Minister.
"This document shows that Poghosyan was lying. Last year, the Gyumri Municipality applied to the Minister with the same request. The Ministry sent a response letter in December 2010. It is interesting to know whether Poghosyan reported the Prime Minister about her talks with the Gyumri authorities," said Barseghyan.
Hasmik Melkonyan, member of the Committee for the Protection of Gyumri's Historical-Cultural Immovable Monuments and Movable Values, says the Minister disseminated another misinformation saying that Minas has 16 murals in Gyumri.
"Only two of the aforesaid frescos remain in Gyumri which, according to our information, are also sold," she said.
Gyumri citizens are determined to return the artist's works. They have launched a collection of signature which will be presented to the government.
"Should Poghosyan ever visit Shirak Marz, we shall thwart her meetings," promised Barseghyan.
