YEREVAN (ArmRadio)—The $145,000 deal on the sale of Hovannes Tumanian’s house was concluded in Tbilisi Thursday. The keys were handed to Levon Ananyan, Chairman of the Union of Writers of Armenia. The sum was provided by the Mayor of Gyumri, Vardan Ghukasyan, and his brothers.
According to Levon Ananyan, the house will still be managed by the Fund of the Union of Writers. He said this was the best solution for now.
Later the Armenian Government, the Georgian Armenian Diocese and the Armenian community of Georgia will decide the destiny of the Tumanian residence.
The Union of Armenians in Tbilisi sounded the alarm in December and issued an announcement about the fate of the Tumanian home.
“The historical building was transferred to a businessman back in the 90s. The businessman put the apartment on sale, and the ‘GeoTuran’ Turkish-Georgian joint venture is going to purchase the apartment to turn it into a hostel for Turkish workers. Company’s management has even asked poet’s great-grandchild Alina Tumanyan, who lives in the second part of the building, to sell her territory also, but she refused to,” the statement said.
At a press conference late last year, Safrazbekyan complained about the fact that Armenia did not purchase the home when it had the chance.
Employees of GeoTuran visited Alyona Tumanyan, the poet’s great-granddaughter who owns a part of the house and proposed that she sell them to the company as well. She refused.
It is very important news! Hope we can protect Armenian Heritage in Georgia!