Photos: Statues of Renowned Armenian Figures Defaced in Jermuk

In the central park of Jermuk, there is a large, almost derelict public-sports complex that houses statues of prominent Armenian figures, including Komitas, Yeghishe Charents, Hovhannes Tumanyan, Aram Khachaturian, Martiros Saryan, and dozens of others. This was reported by Samvel Pipoyan on his Facebook page, raising alarm about the cultural vandalism that has taken place inside this complex and sharing photographs.

“In the central park of Jermuk, there is a large, almost derelict public-sports complex where statues of Armenian greats including Komitas, Yeghishe Charents, Hovhannes Tumanyan, Aram Khachaturian, Martiros Saryan, and many others are located,” Pipoyan stated. “I have seen many statues, but I have rarely encountered such successful works from an aesthetic and sculptural perspective all in one place. Moreover, all the statues are quite successful, which is a unique phenomenon in our reality. Just two to three years ago, those statues were only dirty with various tasteless paints and could still be saved. The situation is horrifying now, as almost all the statues are either broken or irreparably defaced (I can't find another word). It pains the heart to see how vandalism has developed among us, to the extent that art and science are disregarded, allowing such magnificent works to be trampled not only by ordinary citizens but also to be overlooked by state and public services.

Do the authorities of Jermuk not see this? Is it only the streets of the city that need attention in terms of improvement? No one seems to be touching these statues, and I fear they won't even be able to. As such, we are losing our history and the respect for it, especially among the youth, whose main activity seems to be scrawling on the statues or adjacent walls saying 'We were here.'