Hovsep Dagdigian
Summary: The Shengavit Historical and Archaeological Culture Preserve is
a stone-age archaeological site on the bank of Yerevan Lake in Yerevan. It
contains a small museum and remains of a settlement dating to the 4th millennium
B.C. In 2009 Mr. Vladimir Tshagharyan assumed the position of director of the
site, reporting to the director of the Erebuni Museum, Mr. Gagik Gyurjyan. The
Shengavit preserve and Karmir Blur archaeological sites (both in Yerevan) are
under the control of the Erebuni museum and its director. Mr. Tshagharyan had a
staff of two others at the site. There was no ($0.00, yes zero!) funding for the
operation or maintenance of the site which was badly in need of repair. In 2012
the Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association (CYSCA) initiated a program to buy
construction materials to allow Shengavit’s staff to maintain the site and make
needed repairs. That year, as a representative of CYSCA, I briefly met with Mr.
Gyurjian who inquired about the amount of aid available from CYSCA and stated
that funding should go through him. When told this was impossible he acquiesced
to CYSCA’s plan to purchase construction material which would be used by Mr.
Tshagharyan to make repairs. By the end of 2012 significant improvements were
made to the site, though an immense amount of work still needed to be done. In
2013 additional funds were raised by CYSCA for this project but at every step
numerous, deliberate obstacles were created to halt progress. Erebuni’s director
appeared more interested in the amount of funding available from CYSCA than the
maintenance and improvements Mr. Tshagharyan planned for Shengavit. With Mr.
Tshagharyan’s hands tied and unable to continue Shengavit’s maintenance and
upkeep, he resigned. This terminated CYSCA’s support program as well as a
support program by another NGO. Details are contained in the main body of this
article. Facts for this article were corroborated by a number of
individuals.
This report is mine alone and not that of the CYSCA or any other
organization.
