yes I agree that Saakashvili imagines that Georgia is somewhere in the middle of Europe..he has encouraged Georgians to think that Armenia Azerbaijan and Russia are on the other side of the globe. Creating hostility with Armenia by attacking Armenian heritage in (what became ) Georgia is as foolish as provoking Russia

Mike, did you hear the latest speech by president Sakashvilli? he is urging Georgians to learn Turkish and Chinese. He feels Georgia and the caucasus region is so developed that nationalism is to a minimum between the races. He is day dreaming that Georgia is bordering France or Belgium so they should learn the neighbors language. Sure, we all wish that everyone is so civilized in the caucasus, but the western-graduate president is very good in the short term for Georgia but strategically, in my opinion, he is a disaster to his country. He should attend one day the Turkic republics meetings and listens careful to what's going on...

Mkrtich, of course this has "something to do with the Turks and the Genocide," common sense and politics dictates the ongoing happenings in Georgia. Well, assuming that Turkey and Armenia were forever friends, and that there was no indirect pressure on Georgia from Turkey and others, then Georgia would have prevented the demise of this beautiful old church. If you think that politics has nothing to do with this sad happening, then, you are dazed and dreaming. Why would Georgia confiscate ancestral churches of Armenians? Why would Georgia, like Turkey, allow the structural deterioration of these old churches? Is it because they hate Armenians? Is it because they envy our political situation? Of course not, the only reason they have neglecting our churches is because they want to show Turkey that Georgia can do anything it wants, and Armenians are powerless to stop them. Poor Georgians, their whole country is falling into pieces, and they are worried about Christian Armenians. On a recent trip to Georgia, visiting the Georgian villages east of Tblisi, I was shocked to see only Turkish speaking peoples there, no Georgian was to be found, what's more, the local Turks alleged that the eastern part of Georgia belongs to Azerbaizan. Selling Georgia for the greenbucks...sad, very sad indeed.

This barbarism It would be wrong to think there is no “Christian Talibans” in the world! Either his H. the Georgian Catholicos needs the cross of this medieval Armenian Church to decorate his office or just Georgian president needs one more „cross” to put on the Georgian state flag- in order to have a “true Christian flag”!

Mkrtich, In a sense you are correct. But, if the Georgian-Armenian diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church is making the statement, don't you think that they know what the ACTUAL situation surrounding this and other related issues is? I think the issue is not that Georgia did "something" so the church collapsed, rather that Georgian authorities DID NOT do anything to prevent it (maybe along with the Armenian reps in that country, in case their hands were not tied up as in Turkey).

We are making fools of ourselves by relating this to Turks and genocide. Is this the only way an Armenian can show grief? This church collapsing is extremely sad on its own right and it would seem appropriate to contemplate its loss as it is, a terrible unexpected event reminding us of the vulnerable nature of our heritage. This is not an appropriate occassion for starting self-victimizing anti-Georgian or anti-Turkish rants. Think of the people who built this church, I'm sure they would be offended to see their work used for hateful and resentful conspiracy theories.

Sadly, Georgia is devouring itself, getting rid of any and all Armenian religeous and cultural monuments. Armenians are being replaced by Turks, who already make 22% of the total population of Georgia. Come 2047, when Turks make 65% of the total population of Georgia, and thus the beginning of the end of Georgia as we knew. Sad ending for a proud people whose leaders are out of greed are destroying Georgia. OK, take our churches, blow them up and see if you will last the next century.

i cannot believe this story, not that it didn't happen...

Shame on You, Georgia. jeshmarid2yahoo.com

this is culture genocide by our christian Georgia!