CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VIII (2) ContEurVIII2 | Page 33

CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VIII (2)
Additionally, in the past few decades, the Georgian Church and the
government have adopted a policy of the complete “abolition” or
“Georgianisation” of cultural monuments (churches, cemeteries,
khachkars, tombstones, lapidary inscriptions) of Armenian origin. One of
those is the famous Khojivanq cemetery in Tbilisi which was destroyed
during Stalin’s time and where many remarkable Armenian public figures
were buried. Later, in the early 2000s, the cemetery was recovered thanks
to the efforts of the “Teryan” cultural center. However, there is no
guarantee that it is safe from future destruction.
The Problem of Transit Transportation
Most of Armenia’s passenger transportation passes through Upper
Lars checkpoint. Elibekyan underlines the importance of Upper Lars in
the cargo and passenger transportation of Armenia and the accessibility
of tourism, which is directly linked to transport availability. 62 However,
according to official records, the flow of passenger cars passing through
the checkpoint has doubled in 2018compared to the previous year,
exceeding the transport capacity of Lars and often causing kilometers-
long queues. 63 The problem extends further due to the mountainous area
the checkpoint is located at. The Georgian military road that passes
through Lars is usually unstable during the winter as a result of harsh
weather conditions that very often cause heavy snowfalls and avalanches,
making the road impenetrable and in constant need of repair. 64 The rest of
the year, Lars sometimes has to be closed down due to floods and
landslides.
Minasyan highlights the South Ossetian Rock tunnel as an
alternative. However, given the complicated relations between Georgia,
Russia, and South Ossetia, it is not likely to be carried out soon. 65 For

62
Gita Elibekyan, “Upper Lars: Armenia’s Lifeline”, EVN Report, December 17, 2018,
https://www.evnreport.com/economy/upper-lars-armenia-s-lifeline.
63 Hashvetvutyun Hayastani Hanrapetutyan Transporti, Kapi yev Teghekatvakan
Tekhnologianeri Nakharari Gortsughman Ardyunqneri Masin [Report on the Results of
the Business Trip of the Minister of Transport, Communications and Information
Technologies of the Republic of Armenia],
https://www.gov.am/files/docs/2899.pdf?c=305814
64 Austeja Judzentyte, The Georgian Military Road. Political Architecture: Critical
Sustainability (2017).
https://kadk.dk/sites/default/files/project-downloads/pacs_austeja_judzentyte.pdf.
65 Sergey Minasyan, “Armenia and Georgia: Potential of Mutual Transit in the Context of
Trade Economic and Political Cooperation of Two Countries”, Regional Dialogue,
September 16, 2016, http://regional-dialogue.com/en/armenia-and-georgia-potential-of-
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