The Young Writers’ Union of Armenia has sent letters to Catholicos Garegin II and Armenian national and local officials demanding that construction of a restaurant adjacent to the Kecharis monastic complex be immediately halted.
Shahgaldyan says that Catholicos Garegin II responded that, “We are not opposed to the construction but that the Ministry of Culture has the final say.”
Ministry of Culture says restaurant blueprint inappropriate and incomplete.
"It’s shameful. You don’t believe in God and have no moral values. Be silent, shut up."
Allegedly, the Catholicos proclaimed, “What have you done. This isn’t what we agreed to.”
This would seem to contradict an earlier statement made by Chief Architect Nazaretyan that Catholicos Garegin II only heard about the restaurant construction through press reports.
Artavazd Nazaretyan, Chief Architect at the Holy See of Etchmiadzin, told Hetq that construction of a restaurant on the grounds of the Kecharis Monastery has been halted, pending approval of the Church’s Architectural Council.
An official at the RA Ministry of Culture has confirmed to Hetq that the construction of a restaurant in the proximity of Kecharis Monastery is illegal.
A fancy restaurant is now being built practically on the doorstep of the Kecharis Monastery in Tzaghkadzor and it would appear that the Armenian Church is not opposed to the eatery.