Today was the real test as regards to safety. I walked by myself from Vake, the suburb where I am staying, from Chavchavadze Street down to the McDonald�s on Rustaveli Street. Most of the shops were closed even as late as 11am(I�d hate to think what time they finish work). I was only harassed once by a street kid holding a baby who was stationed outside Wrangler Jeans store. Anyway I had a Mcfish and chips cost about $2.50. While I was eating, a local asked me if I had spare ketchup to start up a conversation. So I asked him if he knew about Armenians living near Sheraton hotel, he says I�ll take you there, I have a car. I declined the offer politely saying I wasn�t going there just yet. So a little further down from McDonalds on Rustaveli Street, marshrutka no 68 takes you all he way up to Sheraton Hotel. So once there, I was just walking around and asking people (Armianski oolitsa) Armenian Street, then finally a woman with a child happened to be Armenian and she took me to the Armenian area called Avlabari, in Armenian it�s Havlabar. We walked past Hay Tadron then she led me to Etchmiadzin Church built in 1804 where I met Hair Vartan Vartabed.
After Etchmiadzin we walked up to the Pantheon where the graveyard is located: Raffi, Tumanian, Charents, Nar Dos, Sountoukian etc.(I thought Tumanian�s hometown was Dsegh and would have been buried there). I never would have found this graveyard site. It is hidden behind a new Church, which is being built, which has taken 5 years to build and is almost completed. Now the sad part is that this new Church is being built on top of an Armenian graveyard, which were destroyed pre Soviet times. (the lady I met whose name is Aida told me her uncle was buried there). I asked the Vartabed at Etchmiadzin how this could be and he said we have written numerous letters but who�s listening? The easiest way to find the graveyard, from Etchmiadzin Church at Avlabani go straight up Mekrhishvilli street and it is located behind the new Church. The graveyard is in good condition with new paving being laid leading up to it. , however some of the tombstones have been removed or vandalized. On my walk up to the grave I also noticed the damage on some of the buildings from the recent earthquake in April.
Aida invited me to her place for coffee, mentioning a few times that her house is not that great (as if I cared, I was just so glad to have met an Armenian). Her mother in law was making jam out of the shell of a watermelon not the green skin but the yellow bit inside. Aida�s grandparents were from Kars. While I was there, people started screaming and we saw a guy running down the street. He was a thief who had just pinched a necklace off a girl�s neck and ran off with it. So the people further down asked him why he was running, not knowing that he had just stolen a chain, his reply was that somebody was getting killed up the street and he was scared. I couldn�t believe it in broad daylight it was about 3 in the afternoon.
Again when asked how they were treated in Georgia, they told me that the common phrase was you�re Armenian, we�re Georgians, implying that Armenians are lower class. I have noticed the Armenians here do not volunteer any information, I had to repeat my question a few times. Aida also told me that the Georgians are now moving to their suburb since the new Church is being built in Avlabari. So the Armenians are selling up and moving to Russia.
After that visit, I walked down to Sourp Kevork Church where the Sayat Nova grave is located. I spoke to a few Armenians there, including the serving priest, and was told that 75% of Armenian writers were buried in Tiblisi. By the way there is a yearly festival held at this Church for Sayat Nova, held on the last Sunday in May. There are representatives from Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. They also told me that they are not treated well, they are discriminated in regards to job opportunities and if they are employed their advancement is slow. In summary, there are only two operating Churches, the rest are shut down.
Then I walked up Leselidzis Street from Sololaki region where Sourp Kevork is located. The street leads to Freedom Square but just off that street to the right is where the other Armenian Church is located (the one where the Argentinean funds ran out). While walking on that street I noticed locals even young ones making a sign of the cross when passing a church. I was later told each family has a favoutite church where they cross themselves if they pass the it even when seated on a marshrutka.
I then went Levon Travel; they now have two branches in Tiblisi, www.levontravel.ge
Finally I went to Djvari (meaning cross), a 6th Century Monastery. I�m told an aerial shot would look like a cross. It�s only 20 minutes from Tiblisi. Then I went Mtskheta an 11th Century Church with a fourth Century Church in the same courtyard, surrounded by a fortress. The frescoes in that place were amazing and it�s believed to be the place where the robe of Christ is buried. Mtskheta is the ancient capital of Georgia, I purchased a book and will read further.
I truly am sorry my logs are so lengthy but I get back to Yerevan soon and won�t be writing long logs.
After Etchmiadzin we walked up to the Pantheon where the graveyard is located: Raffi, Tumanian, Charents, Nar Dos, Sountoukian etc.(I thought Tumanian�s hometown was Dsegh and would have been buried there). I never would have found this graveyard site. It is hidden behind a new Church, which is being built, which has taken 5 years to build and is almost completed. Now the sad part is that this new Church is being built on top of an Armenian graveyard, which were destroyed pre Soviet times. (the lady I met whose name is Aida told me her uncle was buried there). I asked the Vartabed at Etchmiadzin how this could be and he said we have written numerous letters but who�s listening? The easiest way to find the graveyard, from Etchmiadzin Church at Avlabani go straight up Mekrhishvilli street and it is located behind the new Church. The graveyard is in good condition with new paving being laid leading up to it. , however some of the tombstones have been removed or vandalized. On my walk up to the grave I also noticed the damage on some of the buildings from the recent earthquake in April.
Aida invited me to her place for coffee, mentioning a few times that her house is not that great (as if I cared, I was just so glad to have met an Armenian). Her mother in law was making jam out of the shell of a watermelon not the green skin but the yellow bit inside. Aida�s grandparents were from Kars. While I was there, people started screaming and we saw a guy running down the street. He was a thief who had just pinched a necklace off a girl�s neck and ran off with it. So the people further down asked him why he was running, not knowing that he had just stolen a chain, his reply was that somebody was getting killed up the street and he was scared. I couldn�t believe it in broad daylight it was about 3 in the afternoon.
Again when asked how they were treated in Georgia, they told me that the common phrase was you�re Armenian, we�re Georgians, implying that Armenians are lower class. I have noticed the Armenians here do not volunteer any information, I had to repeat my question a few times. Aida also told me that the Georgians are now moving to their suburb since the new Church is being built in Avlabari. So the Armenians are selling up and moving to Russia.
After that visit, I walked down to Sourp Kevork Church where the Sayat Nova grave is located. I spoke to a few Armenians there, including the serving priest, and was told that 75% of Armenian writers were buried in Tiblisi. By the way there is a yearly festival held at this Church for Sayat Nova, held on the last Sunday in May. There are representatives from Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. They also told me that they are not treated well, they are discriminated in regards to job opportunities and if they are employed their advancement is slow. In summary, there are only two operating Churches, the rest are shut down.
Then I walked up Leselidzis Street from Sololaki region where Sourp Kevork is located. The street leads to Freedom Square but just off that street to the right is where the other Armenian Church is located (the one where the Argentinean funds ran out). While walking on that street I noticed locals even young ones making a sign of the cross when passing a church. I was later told each family has a favoutite church where they cross themselves if they pass the it even when seated on a marshrutka.
I then went Levon Travel; they now have two branches in Tiblisi, www.levontravel.ge
Finally I went to Djvari (meaning cross), a 6th Century Monastery. I�m told an aerial shot would look like a cross. It�s only 20 minutes from Tiblisi. Then I went Mtskheta an 11th Century Church with a fourth Century Church in the same courtyard, surrounded by a fortress. The frescoes in that place were amazing and it�s believed to be the place where the robe of Christ is buried. Mtskheta is the ancient capital of Georgia, I purchased a book and will read further.
I truly am sorry my logs are so lengthy but I get back to Yerevan soon and won�t be writing long logs.
posted by lena at 10:03 PM
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