Opposition MP criticizes acting director of Yerevan Ter-Ghevondyan  music school over removal of Artsakh monument painting

ArmInfo.Tigran Abrahamyan, a member of the Armenian parliament from the opposition "With Honor"  faction, has harshly criticized the acting director of  the Anushavan Ter-Ghevondyan Music School in Yerevan for removing a painting from an exhibition pavilion.  The painting depicted the "We  Are Our Mountains" monument, commonly known as the "Grandmother and Grandfather" monument in Artsakh.

According to Abrahamyan, the acting director justified the removal of  the artwork by labeling it an "anti- state act." "It is difficult to  imagine more pathetic, contemptible, and wretched behavior. The  government and the moral principles it imposes are transient, while  the idea of the homeland and its symbols are eternal," Abrahamyan  wrote on his Facebook page.

The MP further expressed hope that the individual responsible for  this "repugnant act" would eventually come to realize this truth and  find the strength to overcome their "fears and moral weakness."

Earlier, the NGO "Center for the Preservation of Artsakh Culture"  issued a statement, reiterating that state bodies in the Republic of  Armenia are failing to take adequate measures to protect Artsakh's  cultural heritage. The statement emphasized that, despite the  possibilities available under international law, relevant mechanisms  at the state level are not being fully utilized. The statement added  that no processes, reports, communications, or legal initiatives with  legal justification have been initiated at UNESCO, the relevant UN  bodies, or other international platforms to document violations  committed against Artsakh's cultural heritage, to take measures to  prevent them, and to implement international accountability  mechanisms.

"Indeed, the problem is not limited to state inaction. Public  statements made by the leadership of the Republic of Armenia, which  portray the preservation of Armenian churches and the cultural  heritage of Artsakh as an internal matter for Azerbaijan, are also  concerning. Such statements effectively weaken Armenia's legal and  political position and could negatively impact the effectiveness of  further legal initiatives in international forums," the NGO statement  continued.

It is also noted that it has also become known that some cultural  groups operating in Armenia have been given internal instructions to  remove the word "Artsakh" from the titles of their works.

"In this context, the recent incident at the Anushavan Ter-Ghevondyan  Music School in Yerevan can be considered a specific manifestation of  the described general trend. During an exhibition-competition, the  acting director of the school removed a student's work depicting the  Stepanakert monument "We Are Our Mountains" ("Grandmother and  Grandfather") from the competition pavilion, calling it an  "anti-state act." Seeking clarification, the NGO has sent an official  letter to the Yerevan Municipality. In response, the municipality  provided a written explanation from the director of the Music School   named after A. Ter- Ghevondyan, without offering its own assessment  of the incident. The director's explanation that the painting was  removed from the wall solely due to a violation of internal  disciplinary rules (since it was placed without prior approval from  the administration) appears unfounded. The work on display was  consistent with the overall theme of the competition, and only the  painting depicting the Artsakh monument was removed, raising  questions about the real motives behind the decision," the NGO  stated.

As it  became known  later,  the instructor of the student whose work  was removed from the exhibition has resigned. The instructor stated  that he could no longer continue working in an institution where the  feelings of  students are not respected.