It is disappointing to see Armenia’s sole Christian neighbor, the Republic of Georgia, to continue the “Georganization” of that country’s rich Armenian heritage.

When Turkey and Azerbaijan “convert” Armenian churches to mosques (such as in Kars, Urfa and other places), to sports centers (such as in Kesaria) or to prostitution houses (such as in Afyon Karahisar), it is “understandable:” one would expect fanatic Muslims to desecrate Christian entities. But when the “second Christian nation on Earth” [Georgia] converts the heritage of the “first Christian nation on Earth” [Armenia], it is troubling.

This is a khachkar (cross-stone in Armenian). It was erected in memory of Father Hakob in 1681, as the Armenian inscriptions on it depicted (l). In 1997, when Georgians “reconstructed” St. Gevorg Monastery of Telet Village, the inscription (aka, it’s Armenian identity) “disappeared” ®. Why? There has never been an inscription on it, according to Georgian nationalism. From www.raa.am

Hetq Online has a new article on the uncertain developments in Georgia. "Georgia is the only country in the world where not only do Armenian churches not have legal status, but they are also the subject of heated arguments,” the Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia is quoted as saying.

This is St. Gevorg Monastery of Telet Village (Republic of Georgia). The photo on the left was taken in 1988. The white marble slabs are inscriptions in Armenian and Russian telling the story of this Armenian Church’s establishment. The photo on the right is from 1990, and shows that the marble slabs have been removed. This is the traditional method of the Georganization of the Armenian culture. From www.raa.am.

The common Georgian response to the conversion of Armenian monuments is the same ol’e myth, “These monuments are originally Georgian.” So these individuals are not denying their action: they are simply justifying their vandalistic actions. The nationalists in Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital, get more angry when it is mentioned that over 90% of the mayors of that city have been Armenian and that the Armenian minority has had huge contribution to the development of that city. This could be a reason for “revenging” the Armenian culture and trying to eliminate the Armenian trace from Georgia’s history.

What do you do when you remove the Armenian letters? Exactly! You put a Georgian inscription (from The Idiot’s Guide to Denying Georgia’s Armenian Heritage)

Since the Georgian and Armenian alphabets are different (though both were, NOT according to Georgian nationalists, created by the same person – Armenian Bishop Mesrop Mashtots in the 5th Century C.E.) the “Best Way” of Georganizing an Armenian church or another Armenian monument is the removal of the Armenian inscriptions that were usually placed during the establishment and the major reconstructions. And since Georgian and Armenian architecture are very similar (and not being an architect major, I will not dare to say that Georgian architecture is based on the Armenian architecture), “letters” are the only problem.

This is the Sourb Astvatzatzin (Holy Virgin) Church, Shindis Village, built during 1866-1873. The Armenian inscription of the church was removed during a 1998 “reconstruction” by Georgians. From www.raa.am

The unjust treatment toward the Armenian heritage in Georgia may well invoke Armenian apprising in Javakhk (Armenian Javakheti region of that country); something that I hope will not make it to a war between the two Christian nations.

Hetq's article