YEREVAN (Combined Sources)–Voicing concern over a recent incident in Tbilisi involving the desecration of Armenian gravestones–the Javakhk Union of Georgian Armenia’s sent a letter to Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili–urging him to take measures to preserve Armenian cultural monumen’s in Georgia.
On February 8–Armenian gravestones from the St. Virgin Church in Tbilisi’s Norashen district were removed and replaced with Georgian ones. A Georgian priest also told the Armenian clerics to pray in Armenia because "this church is ours now."
The 15th century church’s ornamen’s made by the Hovnatanyans are still preserved. Head of the Georgian-Armenian diocese Archbishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan–said he is concerned that the next incident will involve vandalism of the church.