Sona Hakobyan
“Radiolur”
Every year on 18 April, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) celebrates the “International Day for Monuments and Sites”, whose establishment was approved by the 22nd UNESCO General Conference in 1983. In 2013, the theme is Heritage of Education (schools, universities, libraries, academies, etc.) in its expressions in different geo-cultural contexts.
The aim of the International Day for Monuments and Sites is to encourage local communities and individuals throughout the world to consider the importance of cultural heritage to their lives, identities and communities, and to promote awareness of its diversity and vulnerability and the efforts required to protect and conserve it.
The protection of monuments does not always depend on money, said Samvel Karapetyan, President of the Research on Armenian Architecture Fund. According to him, more important are the moral features of the nation, the minimal respect and good taste. The expert said he does not see a careful attitude towards monuments in Armenia today.
Samvel Karapetyan said he would like to be the Minister of Education for just five minutes. He would use the time to instruct the headmasters of all general schools to organize trips to historical-cultural sites, as he’s confident indifference and lack of attitude are to blame for the poor condition of monuments in our country.
