The 'Problem' Was the Eye: They've Removed the Eye and the Eyebrow Too, White Paint Is Being Applied to the Murals

The former Deputy Minister of Culture, Tigran Galstyan, wrote on his Facebook page: “White paint is being applied to the internal murals of the Orthodox Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Gyumri. And you are insulting the one who broke the dry tree of Haghartsin!”

Alexander Martirosyan also commented, saying, “The 'problem' was the eye: they removed the eye and the eyebrow too.” This refers to the Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Gyumri, where white paint is being used to clean the murals because many have questioned the presence of a Masonic eye in the church. Following numerous recent controversies, a decision was made to clean not only the dome but also all the murals of the church to appease the rebellious opposition members who, driven by conspiracy theories, demanded its removal.

Now all the murals have been cleaned, but the eye remains. I am not discussing whether the eye is Masonic or belongs to God (many assert that it is God's omniscient eye), but the cultural value and resources that have been squandered are simply unforgivable.

When speaking with the church's caretaker, I could feel his regret and helplessness. He could not explain why and how this happened. He was disheartened but said, “Nothing, one day we will restore it.” He also shared with me photos of the murals he managed to take before the cleaning work began.