Tabuyeva: architectural monuments of Tskhinval must be restored, not pulled down

In the course of restoring the Jewish quarter of Tskhinval, capital of South Ossetia, the builders pull down houses which are part of the architectural reserve. This has been reported to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Nelli Tabuyeva, head of monument protection section at the South Ossetia Ministry of Culture.

The old town is an architectural reserve, says Tabuyeva, and before building something there one must warn the monument protection section at the South Ossetia Ministry of Culture.

Tabuyeva has also complained about the construction of town-hoses which are not well-planned from the point of view of the quarter architectural integrity.

According to Tabuyeva, in the course of restoration works, builders come across old artifacts of Tskhinval residents and not always keep them.

"When pulling down such houses the builders cracked several big wine jugs 1000 litres or more. One of the jugs even contained wine", says Nelly Tabuyeva.

Employees of the monument protection section at the South Ossetia Ministry of Culture tend to dig out the remaining two jugs and hand them over to the museum which does not exist in Tskhinval yet. "What is wrong if they date back to 18-th century or maximum to 17-th. The matter is not only in the antiquity", says the head of the monument protection section.

Tabuyeava relayed that a training archeological expedition is planned for the next year.

According the artist Tamerlan Tskhovrebov, when such plans as rebuilding an old town are to be implemented an artistic council must be formed: "I realize that there are other more important problems, people have nowhere to live. But such issues must also be discussed today, because tomorrow we shall only live among concrete walls in houses which resemble prisons".