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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Georgian activists called on the authorities to protect ancient temples |
| 2024-02-19 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [KavkazUzel] The Georgian authorities should pay more attention to protecting ancient temples from destruction, activists of the Committee for Cultural Heritage said. Video footage of damaged frescoes in the Cathedral of St. Nicholas of Kintsvisi in the Kintsvisi Monastery was published today by the Formula and Mtavari Arkhi TV channels, the Caucasian Knot correspondent reported. *Insert LeafGutter ad* According to a TV report, rainwater flows down the walls of the temple, which dates back to the 13th century, and the unique frescoes are washed away. The walls of the monastery are so damp that the ancient wall paintings are no longer visible. “This year, water leaked into the temple and the frescoes were damaged, and the Ministry of Culture, of course, is silent, and I don’t hope that it will do anything,” a Georgian art critic said in the Mtavari Arkhi TV report. The fact of water penetration and damage to the frescoes was not confirmed after inspection, the National Agency for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage said. "The department's specialists checked the condition of the temple, and the fact of water penetration and damage to the paintings was not confirmed. This was also rejected by the clergy. In addition, qualified specialists compared photographs taken during last year's monitoring and published on social networks, as a result of which it was determined that the stains identical in the interior, and there are no changes. The department calls on everyone to refrain from disseminating unverified information," Mtavari Arkhi quoted the department as saying. In turn, the non-governmental organization Committee for Cultural Heritage (Sakdrisi) called on the government to pay more attention to the restoration and protection of cultural heritage. “Unfortunately, this problem is often neglected, and cultural and natural monuments are sacrificed to the interests of private business or carelessness and vandalism on the part of citizens. Many monuments throughout the country are in need of restoration and care. Accordingly, we believe that the restoration of cultural monuments should be allocate as many financial resources as possible and do more for the development of this area. In addition, we consider it necessary that in case of damage to monuments, an effective and timely response from the state should be taken in accordance with the law," the organization stated on its Facebook page*, the publication of which was translated into Russian by a correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot". In particular, “information is being spread on social networks, where the whitened wall painting in the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is clearly visible,” the organization said. “The specific reason that caused the change in color of the unique frescoes is not yet known. So far, no explanation has been received from the National Agency for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Georgia. The Sakdris Committee contacted several restorers who claim that the problem is probably related to wetness walls, but at the same time they state that it is wrong to draw conclusions without on-site research and this fact requires immediate in-depth research,” the publication says. Svetitskhoveli is the patriarchal cathedral church of the Georgian Orthodox Church in the city of Mtskheta, which for a millennium was the main cathedral of all Georgia. Since 1994 it has been a World Heritage Site. |
| Posted by:badanov |
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