Non-Armenian Historic-Cultural Monuments in Syunik
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Armenian and Azeri people have lived side by side in Lehvaz village of Meghri town till ‘80s of the 20th century. The 75% of the population of the village was Azeri, while today, Armenian refugees from different parts of Azerbaijan inhabit the village. In Lezvah, you can see the monument to fallen soldiers of Lezvah in the World War II, and only 8 out of 49 names engraved on it are Armenian. The Armenians, who have been deported from Azerbaijan and now live in Lezvah, treat that monument with respect. “Here, the villagers organize not only the May 9 celebrations, but many other events. Recently, the Meghri City Hall has placed new benches near the monument,” says Artyusha Alexanyan, a 60-year-old resident of the village.
Not far from the village, on the left bank of Meghri River, there is an Azeri cemetery of 18-20 centuries, in the center of which there is an octahedral-shaped mausoleum dating back to 18-19 centuries. It has been regarded as state property since 2006. Many of Lezvah residents remember that Azeris used to hold religious rites there. Seven years ago, the cemetery and the mausoleum made part of the area of the Lichavaz-Tea gold mining workshop. Since then, this historic-cultural territory has been fenced off for maintenance reasons. The dilapidated Muslim mausoleum is still standing there, and you can see many tombs around it.
At 15 km from Shvanidzor village of Meghri, in a cozy forest angle, took shelter the Baba-Hajji holy place. Grigor Poghosyan from Shvanidzor remembers how, during the Soviet Union years, the Armenians used to visit that holy place with Azeris to make animal sacrifices there. They say, once residents of two neighboring Armenian and Turkish villages got into a fight. The leaders of the groups were an Armenian called Baba and a Turkish called Hajji. In order to end the years-long fight, Baba and Hajji made peace and built the holy place, since then, the two villages with people of two different nationalities have always lived in peace and solidarity. According to another story, in order to save themselves from the Turks, the residents of the Armenian village would climb the nearest mountain. With the purpose of breaking through the Armenians’ defense, the enemy would cut off the water having found the pipes with the help of an old woman. So they would take horses where the pipes were supposed to be and the horses, hearing the water sound, would start digging the soil. Left without water, the Armenians would give in. So, they say, that in the sign of victory, the Turks built the Baba-Hajji holy place. The traces of the water pipe are still visible. The people of Shvanidzor don’t know whether the holy place is of Persian, Turkish or Azeri origin since Armenians used to call all their Muslim neighbors Turks.
There is a building in Kapan’s Achanan village (former Khalaj) with an inscription in Persian on its façade proving it was built in 1316 (Persian Chronology) which matches the year 695 (7th century) of the Armenian chronology. The inscription has mossed with time rendering it more difficult to read. But Village Head Vache Avetisyan, whose daughter, Hasmik, is an orientalist, says that the inscription cites some parts of the Koran, which means once that place was a holy place. But the former Azeri residents of Achanan never used that building as a holy place, but only as a warehouse for the village. Armenian refugees, who currently live there, also use the building as a warehouse, if necessary, but, at the same time, they take care of it. “Yesterday, I noticed a stone is missing from the wall. We need to put it back for sure,” says the Village Head. Villagers have reconstructed the roof for several times but it goes to pieces with age.
The cemetery of 36 Romanian prisoners of war of World War II is situated in the suburban Shgharshik district of Kapan. So far, it has not been entered on the list of the state maintained areas, but A. Hakobyan assures that the data on the monument have already been sent to the Ministry of Culture, and soon it will also be included in the list. But, before, ten years ago, the commissioner of the district Shahen Babayants initiated an agreement with the Embassy of Germany to Armenia, in accordance with which, the embassy supports the maintenance of the monument. “We applied to them, they came, studied and assumed the task of helping us in the preservation and renovation of the monument,” says the commissioner of the district. If necessary, from time to time, the pupils, individuals of the district also participate in the cleaning activities.
On the western edge of the Aghitu village, an Azeri mosque adjoined by a cemetery is located on the hillside to the right from Aghitu-Sisian road. It is included in the list of areas maintained by the state. The inscriptions on the preserved tombstones and the façade of the mosque are in Arabic since, before the establishment of the Soviet Union, the Azeris used the Arabic script for writing. The Aghitu people know nothing about the mosque. They just say that years ago, the former secretary of their village head explored the history of the mosque and the tombstones, but the work was left incomplete at his untimely death. Village head Hrachik Hayrapetyan assures that the former Azeri inhabitants of the village used it as a holy place. “Villagers have adapted to the existence of the cemetery which has already become an inseparable part of the village. Why do people need to fight with stones? I think it’s ignorance, a mistake. If you have problems, you need to fight with people and not the stones,” says the Village head. Another ram statue with an inscription in Arabic is placed in front of the Rural Municipality. “It’s a beautiful ram statue. So what if it has an Arabic inscription on it?” says the school director Suren Blbulyan.
There is another Muslim cemetery in a different district of Sisian, Vorotan (former Urut), which also has numerous Arabic tombstones. They are situated a short distance from Melik-Tangu bridge. This cemetery of 19-20 centuries is also maintained by the state.
There are other cemeteries in Kapan town, more precisely in Kirs, Karut and Geghi. We meet Muslim tombstones also 12 km northeast of Nrnadzor village, in the former Armenian Yrnadzor village.
“You will see no ill-treatment of monuments by the villagers. No attempt to destroy, harm or damage the monument has been ever reported. We’re always watchful to prevent any agricultural or construction works in the proximity of the monuments,” says the deputy head of Syunik Service for the Protection of Historical Environment Aram Davtyan.
The holy places and cemeteries in the territory of Syunik, even if they are not preserved by the state, are safe and maintained anyway. Being Muslim, they don’t serve as holy places to the villagers of neighboring communities, but, at the same time, they are never exposed to vandalism. With due respect to others’ holy places, we, Armenians, want to support the preservation of Armenian monuments spread across the world.
Greek Church of Bashkend
The only dilapidated high-dome Greek Church located 4 km from the suburban Kavart district of Kapan town is the only speechless witness of once prosperous Bashkend settlement. It is the unique non-Armenian Christian historic-cultural monument, which is on the list of state-maintained monuments. It stands out for its unique architectural form and creative solutions. The Bashkend church, to which the local people refer as the Greeks’ church, can really be retained as a unique piece of art. It was built in 1865 in dark umber tuff, which is supposed to have been brought from abroad. “This stone of the Bashkend church is used in the construction of no other building in our parts. The color of this stone is very interesting which creates a beautiful play of colors. It is assumed to have been brought from Karabakh, Shushi. The ore was transported by camels and pack animals from Kavart to Kirovabad, Yevlakh station, and probably, they have brought the stone from Shushi. The Armenians didn’t have camels. The Persians used to immigrate here to work taking along their camels. The Greeks were merely engaged in mining industry,” says Vigen Tsatryan, Ministry of Culture, History and Culture Monuments Protection Agency, Head of Department of Syunik and Vayots Dzor. Architect Yurik Gevorgyan, describing the architecture of the church of Bashkend, notes: “It is a domed basilica in the shape of a rectangle having an internal semi-circle shape, one tabernacle, two semi-circle sentries (also from outside) and a two-storey chapel. Once a copper tile roof covered both the church and the arrow-shaped dome. The roof of the mitre-shaped and eight-faceted chapel is also made of copper. The walls are built of tuff and basalt, the exterior stonework is polished. The walls are covered with plaster from inside. Window width is edged with yellowish limestone. The cornices are also made of yellowish limestone. The eight-faceted dome is leaning on a drum on which the cupola sits resting together on four 50 cm diameter round pillars. The pavement of the church including the sanctuary is made of natural flagstones. The external walls are largely built of 30 cm high natural tuff stones. The entrance is on the West side of the church.” Razmik Kostandyan, who is originally from Kavart, says that once the church was provided with a water supply system. The water arrived to Kavart through clay water pipes which are still in place. All the strand stones of the church are connected to one another by iron channels. Specialists think that the constructors did a high quality work thanks to which the church is still standing even after having passed many trials. This technology is an old Armenian one which was used in the construction of huge buildings. Since the church area is an emergency site, during the Soviet years, the church was reinforced with iron bands by the Kapan Mining Enrichment Combine. “In that period, the adjacent mines were largely operated, explosions were carried out almost every day which could result in the collapse of the church,” says R. Kostandyan.
Bashkend
Bashkend: the name is translated into Armenian as “big village” or “main village”. It’s located on Vorsasar Mountain. According to the information that has reached us, the village was the town of Greek coppersmith brothers Kondurov who came here in the ‘40s of the 19th century from Trabzon. Brother Kondurovs invited 128 Greek workers, mainly youths, from the Western Armenia to work in the mines. Later on, they married Greek girls who had come from Western Armenia too. The most famous of the seven brothers, Kharlamp Kondurov, nicknamed Master Alaverdi, built in 1865 the Bashkend Orthodox Church. This fact is testified by the façade stone of the church which fell down a few years ago and is currently deposited in Kapan Geological Museum.
The Greek coppersmiths had lived in Bashkend for 73 years, when they underwent mass deportation in 1918-21, in the period of the revolution and civil war. Bashkend had stayed empty for some years before 20 Armenian families moved to this village. In 1924, the new people of Bashkend started working in the mines. Forced by an accident on May 5, 1957, Bashkend people had to leave the village. Mrs Satenik, when working her land, was killed in a landslide on that day. A hole deep 10-12 meters appeared there. Rescuers found Satenik’s body only after four days of searching. After this tragedy, the people of Bashkend moved to Kapan. In 1960s, more landslides were reported in the territory of the church. All the houses of the village except of the half-ruined church were destroyed. The village and surrounding territories, total area of 75 thousand cubic meters, were fenced and declared a “danger zone”. Though the Bashkend Church is among the monuments maintained by the state, it is nonetheless not maintained due to its dangerous location.
The fate of the church is endangered
Moving the Bashkend church is a necessity. In the result of years-long explosions in the mines nearby, the church has appeared in an emergency zone and is in danger of collapsing.
A research conducted by architect Yurik Gevorgyan within the frameworks of the Scoop Caucasus project came to confirm the deteriorating state of the church. According to expert conclusions, the church’s wall cracks have widened by 0.5-1.0 cm in four years which is the consequence of the absence of a roof and active influence of the climate and nature. “You can see cracks wide 1-2 cm at the bottom of the eastern part of the circular altar which spread up to the cornice of the roof becoming wide 5-6 cm. The same cracks are spread over the entire wall length towards the internal part of the altar. Stones are missing from the window arcade.
The eastern sector of the Southern front has 2-3 cm cracks which are spread across the entire wall height. In the same part, the roof, as well as the cornices of the pediment, are missing. You can see similar cracks on the southern and northern walls of the western front. Irregularly spread cracks sized 1-3 cm 1 m far from each other are found near the window of the northern wall”, is said in the expert conclusions.
In 2007, Deno Gold Mining Company, former Kapan Mine Enrichment Plant, planned to move the church and applied to the relevant bodies. But, after some geological works, the company cancelled the license and refused dealing with the church issues though some documents on the financial means necessary for moving the church had already been worked out. According to experts, at least AMD 300 million will be necessary to move the church. The Control Service of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia took an interest in this issue as well. The list of the most damaged monuments of the Syunik Service for the Protection of Historical Environment hosts the Bashkend church too, but due to the scarce state financial means, this issue is not solved. Sponsors, who would be able to support the moving of the Bahskend church, which, according to experts, is possible, need to be found. According to Yurik Gevorgyan, there are small parts, fragments of monuments, which enable the restoration of the full image of the church. “The church is located in a dangerous zone facing collapse. It already leans a little. Conditions are unfavorable for the further survival of the church. It is advisable to take apart the church there, numerate the key cohesive stones, transport and rebuild it in another place”, says Yurik Gevorgyan.
The beauty of the church of Bashkend is a magnet for everyone. It is so beautiful even from afar. In spite of being a Greek church, Kapan people love it and worry about its future. Formerly, Armenians also lighted candles and prayed in Bashkend church. Today, few Greek people live in the region, but despite their great desire, they are afraid to enter the church. Meghri-born Greek Artyusha Alexanyan’s father, Yurinka Alexandr Kandaziri, was born in 1897 in Bashkend. During Soviet years, he changed his surname into Kandazov, later Kandazyan. Then Artyusha decided to become Alexanyan, after his grandfather. Artyusha Alexanyan has visited Bashkend a few times; he marveled at the beauty of it, but he is sorry that since the place is dangerous, he has to admire it only from afar.
Famous French political-military officer Charles de Gaulle, who served as the first president of France in 1959-1969, is supposed to have been born in Bashkend on November 22, 1890. Razmik Kostandyan, 73, from Kavart, remembers people talking as if Charles de Gaulle wanted to return and see his birthplace. They also say he intended to take care of the church. But, he has never visited Bashkend for some reason.
Commissioner of Kavart district Gagik Khachatryan heard from his grandfathers that the places where churches are built are never chosen accidentally, so even if moved, the church should not be taken to far from its original location. For this reason, Kavart people have already chosen the new location of the church. “It is a very good place. The church will be visible from the neighboring Norashenik, Arajadzor and Khotanan villages. So what if the church is not Armenian? It’s all the same the house of God, and we are Christians, we will go on a pilgrimage there,” say the Kavart villagers. They decided to close the road in case the church is moved to a different location from the one they have chosen. Razmik Kostandyan says, once there was a famous Armenian church in Kavart, St. Sargis, where Sparapet Garegin Nzhdeh was anointed. During the Soviet Union, it was blown up by the state and since then no other church has been ever built in this district. People say the man, who blew it up, died short after the explosion. “Building a new church in the district costs much. We will agree if the Bashkend church is transferred here. We are Christians, we will pray there and make it our holy place”, says the commissioner of the district.
Gohar Isakhanyan
This investigation is done with support from the Danish Association for Investigative Journalism /Scoop.
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