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Artists, Writers Condemn Komitas Pantheon Thefts

While meeting with journalists today, Writers’ Union of Armenia President Levon Ananyan, writer and publicist Hrachya Matevoysan and Derenik Demirchyan House-Museum Curator Karine Rafaelyan spoke about the busts that have been stolen from the Komitas Pantheon in Yerevan.

Rafaelyan said that she knew about the thefts on Oct. 6, which, according to police, took place between April and October of this year.

The museum curator was surprised as to how it was possible to remove a 300-kg bust without the Pantheon employees having noticed. 

Ananyan, in turn, noted that a separate pantheon should be built for politicians and the Komitas Pantheon remain only for artists and writers. According to the writers’ union president, a lesson must be learned from what happened: Armenian writer Derenik Demirchyan’s remains should be moved to the Komitas Pantheon.

Matevosyan noted that Armenians don’t have a right to blame Azerbaijanis in destroying historical, cultural monuments.

“Today’s robbers are plundering the homeland. The homeland is being robbed in all aspects,” he said.

According to the writer, Armenia was also robbed during the days of Robert Kocharian’s rule.

“One wants to withdraw from these damned authorities,” he said.