Nearly 80-90 percent of about

24,200 monuments calculated in Armenia need reconstruction YEREVAN, DECEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS:About 24,200 monuments are currently calculated in Armenia. This number has a tendency for growth, as new monuments are discovered as a result of different archeological excavations. Artyom Grigoryan, head of the Agency for the Protection of Monuments of the Armenian Culture Ministry told Armenpress that nearly 80-90 percent of the monuments today need reconstruction, as the financial means extended to the sphere after 1980-s has been restricted, and the years have had their negative impact as well. Financial means are extended from the state budget for the reconstruction of average 20-28 memorials annually, but according to him, greater sums of money are to be directed toward the protection of monuments and in general, toward the development of tourism. And the solution of problems part by part with small expenses delays and prolongs the final solution. The money extension for the protection of monuments for the next year is intended to be in the size of 250 million AMD. Money is needed also for the material insurance and for the preparation of high-quality cadres. A. Grigoryan said that in regard to the reconstruction and protection of monuments, a private support is necessary as well, but the state is to participate in suchlike processes, as the reconstruction works must be implemented with great cautiousness and in a professional way. “Why do the Turks change the history, expend great sums of money in `order` to show what they have, even to present as their own that what does not belong to them? And we do not write books, because what we do have is undeniable. But in case of not protecting the cultural heritage, we will lose our identity. The protection of the monuments is the issue of our existence, as well as is one of the preconditions of protecting the place occupied by Armenian people”, he said. A. Grigoryan also noted that if in the soviet years a great attention was paid mainly to the reconstruction of churches, at present a great attention is paid mainly in the direction of castles and bridges. Works are carried out, for example, in the direction of protecting Smbataberd, Halidzor fortress, Amberd and Dashtadem. A number of bridges, particularly in Ashtarak and Oshakan, are being reconstructed. This A. Grigoryan considers a new approach to monuments.