On September 22, 2014, the Public Defender (Ombudsman) of Georgia issued a Statement regarding the demolition of the roof of Surb Minas Church in Tbilisi. The Statement is available in Georgian and English and can be accessed from the Public Defender’s official website

We hereby provide an Armenian and Russian translations of the Ombudsman’s Statement.

The Public Defender of Georgia Comments on Damage of Surb Minas Church

On September 19, 2014, a roof of late 18th century Surb Minas Church collapsed in Tbilisi.

The Church is located at 13 Gelati str.

For years the Public Defender of Georgia have been calling on the Georgian Government to timely and effectively resolve the question of five and one so-called “disputed” churches of Armenian origins in respectively Tbilisi and Akhaltsikhe and these monuments of Georgia’s cultural heritage to be returned to their historical owners.

In addition, the Public Defender called on the Government to make every effort to avoid the monuments being damaged and to start their conservation-restoration process.

On the course of the last five years, state of all of these monuments hasdeteriorated, while some of them face the danger of complete destruction. In 2009, dome and walls of Surb Gevorg Church collapsed, while 2012 saw devastation of Surb Nshan Church tower and entrance.

We have to note with some concern that despite promises, the Georgian Government failed to realize restoration works and that caused these devastating results.

We once again call on the Georgian Government to take timely and effective measures to protect monuments of the cultural heritage from damage and destruction and to start resolving the issue of so-called disputed  churches.