Author: Hunanian Jack

Vardan Oskanyan: OSCE Minsk Group is the most effective mediation format
ArmRadio.am
14.07.2006 17:33
“Disclosure of some details of the negotiations process over the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict was not unexpected for the
Armenian side. Moreover, it provides an opportunity for launching
a healthy discussion in the society,” Armenian Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanyan declared. “At the same time, publication of all the
suggestions includes the danger that this or that side of the conflict
may reject its principles,” the Foreign Minister said.
In Vardan Oskanyan’s opinion, the time has not come for Armenian
authorities to persuade the Armenian society of the necessity to
adopt the publicized principles, since Azerbaijan does not agree to
some provisions of the document.
Speaking about the opportunity of holding another meeting of the
Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Vardan Oskanyan said there is
no such question in the agenda.
“However, we do not exclude anything. Probably, something will become
clearer after the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Matthew Bryza’s visit to
the region,” he said. Vardan Oskanyan noted also that the OSCE Minsk
Group continues to remain the most effective mediation format. As for
eth aspiration of separate countries to participate in the settlement
of the Karabakh conflict, in Vardan Oskayan’s words, we are ready to
discuss all interesting suggestions.

ARMENIA IS HOPEFUL OF BRYZA BUT HAS NO MESSAGE FOR HIM
Lragir.am
14 July 06
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan announced July 14 Armenia
is hopeful that during the regional visit of Mathew Bryza the future
of settlement of the Karabakh conflict will become definite to some
extent. The minister announced, nevertheless, that at the moment
it is difficult to predict the next steps in the settlement. Vardan
Oskanyan says Bryza is visiting the region in late July.
Vardan Oskanyan announced that the revelation of the details of
the talks was not unexpected because they knew the co-chairs were
considering declassification of the talks.
“In the long run, I cannot see any problems. I even think that this
enables us to start healthy public debate on these issues,” says Vardan
Oskanyan. For the mood of the public opinion, Vardan Oskanyan thinks
it is normal that some people will disagree to the offered settlement,
others will accept it.
“You see, I am not making efforts and I will not make efforts to
persuade anyone, particularly the public that the principles of
this document must be accepted. Because the Azerbaijani side has
not accepted them yet. We should we persuade our public now that the
document is good, if the Azerbaijani side has not agreed yet. We are
not in that stage. When we enter this stage, when the two parties,
the three parties reach agreement, we will start persuading the public,
the political forces. We are not in this stage yet,” announces Vardan
Oskanyan.
He disagrees that official Stepanakert rejects this document, which was
proposed and endorsed by Armenia. Vardan Oskanyan says the leadership
of Armenia is fully aware of the content of the talks. “I think in
the long run the principles in this document are acceptable for the
Armenian side,” says Vardan Oskanyan.
The Armenian foreign minister says the Armenian party will reassert
its stance to Bryza during the American co-chair’s visit.
“We will reassert that these principles, which are not ideal for
us, they are difficult to fulfill, it is difficult to persuade the
political forces, the public, but we are ready to assume political
responsibility and continue the talks on the basis of these principles
and reach a peace settlement. We are hopeful that Mathew Bryza will
arrive from Baku with positive messages. We, however, do not have
anything new to tell him,” says Vardan Oskanyan.

THANKS TO NEXT ELECTIONS WE SHOULD PLACE ARMENIA ON A NEW LEVEL,
VARTAN OSKANIAN SAYS
YEREVAN, JULY 14, NOYAN TAPAN – AEMENIANS TODAY. “The statements
said by us have never gone against the content of the negotiations,
we have never contradicted the spirit of the negotiations and
speaking about the territories, we ran risks. Azerbaijan’s problem
is that it does not want to run risks and to speak about Nagorno
Karabakh’s self-determination, which is one of the pivotal issues
in the negotiations process,” RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
declared at the July 14 press conference.
As for the NKR leadership’s position towards the proposed frame
agreement, the Minister declared: “NKR does not take a direct part
in the negotiations on the discussion of this document, but the NKR
authorities in the person of the President and Prime Minister have
been informed about the document’s content. I cannot say that they
expressed consent to each step, but they were aware of Armenian side’s
actions in the negotiations. I think, at large, the principles stated
in the document are acceptable for the Armenian side.”
In connection with confrontation to Azerbaijan in the respect of
economic development, Vartan Oskanian said that Armenia has one way
of struggling against Azerbaijan having oil: this is utmost effective
use of the existing resources, namely, internal resources, those
of the Diaspora and international resources and it is necessary to
actively work in all these three directions. He assured that in the
respect of democratic reforms Armenia occupies leading positions in the
region. As for the fact that no fair elections have been held in the
recent years in the country, the Minister said: “I think our people
will be more resolute. Thanks to the next elections we should place
our country on a new level. Our problem is not what political force
will come to power but what problems we will solve in the near future.”
As regards rumours about his possible nomination to the post of the
President in 2008, Vartan Oskanian answered: “I think I can still
take part in processes of building statehood, but what manifestations
this participation will have, I cannot say at the moment and I am not
thinking about it for the present.” According to him, at present all
his efforts are concentrated on his work, as he has really serious
things to do: the forthcoming Armenia-Diaspora forum, the Nagorno
Karabakh problem, issues relating to foreign policy.

THIRD OPEN INTERNATIONAL INTERBANK CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN
ON OCTOBER 11-14
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 12 2006
YEREVAN, July 12. /ARKA/. The Third Open Interbank Conference (OIIC)
“Money Transfers. Retail Bank Services” will be held in Yerevan October
11-14, 2006, the official website reports. The conference
will be held under the assistance of the Russian Banks Association,
Russian Regional Banks Association, Unions of the Banks of Armenia
and Moscow International Forex Association. “Anelik” international
system of private money transfers is the initiator of the activity.
This conference, with the extended topic “Retail Bank Services”, will
arouse the active interest not only of money transfer systems and
banks, rendering such services, but also all commercial and credit
organizations, rendering the widest scope of retail services on the
market of CIS, Baltic and other remote countries.
Large banks of Russia and CIS countries, foreign and local money
transfer systems, largest developers of financial technologies,
analytical and banking publications, international and bank
associations are the participants of the conference.
“Issues on extending and improving the quality of the range of bank
retail services, problems of liberalization of the foreign exchange
legislation and legalization, successful methods of solutions to
technological, economic and other tasks that confront the bank
community,” the website reports.
The first conference “Money Transfers” was held in Moscow in November
2004. R.O. –0–

Saakashvili Speaks of U.S. Visit, Conflicts, Hints on Cabinet Reshuffle
Civil Georgia, Georgia
July 11 2006
President Saakashvili, who convened a news conference on July 11 upon
arrival from trip to the United States and Croatia, spoke much about
his recent talks with President Bush describing them as “historic” and
announced about planned visit of the U.S. Vice President to Georgia.
He also hinted that he may reshuffle the cabinet, but added “no
dramatic changes” will take place.
During his 40-minute press conference Saakashvili also spoke about his
opponents and slammed the current political environment where personal
humiliation prevails and called for civilized political debates “on
any kind of topic.” But he said nothing about the Sandro Girgvliani
high-profile murder case, which has recently once again topped the
country’s political agenda.
‘Historic’ U.S. Visit
Saakashvili said that his recent visit, as well as timing of the
visit, was “a historic” as it came ahead of a summit of the G8 leaders
scheduled for July 15-17 in St. Petersburg.
“[Timing of the U.S. visit] is an indicator of role of our small
country in the world’s big politics,” Saakashvili said.
“It was historic because the U.S. President for the first time has
stated about the U.S. firm support towards Georgia’s NATO membership,”
Saakashvili said.
“The second important thing: [the U.S. President] has openly supported
Georgia’s territorial integrity,” he added.
Saakashvili also said that after the Bush’s statements Russian
President Putin again spoke about “Kosovo precedent” and principle
of universality while dealing with conflicts.
“But the statements by the U.S. President are more valued,”
Saakashvili said.
He said that there is unanimous position about Georgia among the
political circles of the United States.
“We should use this huge support,” he added.
He said that Georgia has “very intensive relations” with the United
States. “In a period of two and a half years we [Saakashvili and Bush]
had three officials meetings,” the Georgian leader said.
He said that an agreement was reached during the visited that the
U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney will visit Georgia “in coming few
months.”
After visiting the United States, President Saakashvili participated
in the Croatia Summit 2006 on July 9-10 in Dubrovnik, which gathered
senior officials from the South East Europe to discuss the region’s
Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
Secessionist Conflicts/Russia
At the news conference Saakashvili reiterated that Georgia is committed
to solve secessionist conflicts through peaceful means.
Recently the South Ossetian side has been intensively warning about
possible incursion of Georgian troops. About 8 000 Georgian troops
are currently participating in the large scale military exercises at
the Orpolo firing range.
“Troops are not going from Orpolo to Tskhinvali,” Saakashvili said
at a news conference.
He also denied allegations of the secessionist authorities that in the
United States Saakashvili received an approval on forceful resolution
of the conflicts.
“I am not kind of a leader who travels abroad for taking permissions,”
Saakashvili said.
He also said that Georgia will solve conflicts “peacefully together
with Russia, or without Russia.”
“No one else has a key to a solution to these conflicts except of
Russia, but of course we should understand that we will anyway solve
these conflicts… We are not going to drag-out resolution of these
issues,” Saakashvili said.
He criticized Russian President Putin’s statements made on July 6 in
which he recalled referendum in Chechnya and hinted about this option
as one of the ways to solve conflicts.
“I really do not want a kind of referendum which was held in Chechnya,
because referendum in Chechnya was held at the expense of slaughter
of hundred of thousand of people, at the expense of a huge human
tragedy… Are they offering us to hold a referendum of this
kind? Absolutely unacceptable statements are made,” Saakashvili said.
He described recent statements by the Russian officials as “a hysteric
reaction” to the Georgia’s policy.
He also criticized Russian peacekeeping forces stationed in the Abkhaz
conflict zone and said that “Georgian territory’s intensive annexation
is taking place behind these peacekeeping troops.”
“Time for making decision on peacekeepers is approaching… We are
waiting for the Parliament’s decision about his issue,” he said.
The Georgian Parliament is expected to consider the Russian
peacekeeping troops’ performance in the Abkhaz conflict zone at a
special session on July 13-15 as it is envisaged by the Parliament’s
resolution passed in October, 2005.
Saakashvili noted that he wants to meet with his Russian counterpart
after the G8 summit. Apparently the meeting will take place on the
sideline of the CIS summit in Moscow in July.
He said that it is not difficult for him to talk with Putin, “who is
very intelligent person.”
Saakashvili also noted that Georgia has to take a decision about the
CIS membership as well.
“We are counting everything. We are not going to deceive ourselves
about this issue. We are not going to take a decision which might
create even a slight problem to our entrepreneurs,” Saakashvili said.
‘Huge Challenges’ Ahead
Saakashvili said that Georgia is facing “huge challenges” ahead and
added that Georgia has “very strong friends, but we also have very
strong enemies.”
“Georgia is under the huge attack. Georgia is the country which faces
the greatest ever economic embargo… Georgia is in the situation,
when several days ago we became deprived of free movement with
Russia [after Moscow closed down Zemo Larsi border crossing point],”
Saakashvili said.
“We will not suffer much from the economic point of view with this
decision, as no Georgian exports are carried out anyway to Russia.
But it is very negative for people and it is especially negative for
Armenia,” Saakashvili said.
He also warned that “a scenario of energy blockade, which will be of
larger scale that it was this January, is planned for this winter.”
Cabinet Reshuffle
President Saakashvili said at the news conference that no major
changes are expected in the cabinet, which he hailed as stable.
“There always have been certain corrections in the cabinet, but it
has become very stable as well recently… Team will remain unchanged.
Of course persons might change but it will not mean change of a
course,” he said.
Saakashvili noted that he will consider possibility of appointment
of Giorgi Papuashvili, the Environmental Minister, on the position of
Chairman of the Constitutional Court with the Parliamentary Chairperson
Nino Burjanadze.
“But no final decision is taken about this issue… Let us see,”
the President said.
“But I can say directly that I do not expect any dramatic changes,”
Saakashvili said.
Dismissal or resignation of at least one Minister will automatically
lead to a resignation of the entire cabinet, as it will be sixth
replacement among the government members since the current cabinet was
approved in February, 2005. According to the law the entire cabinet
should resign if one-third of its members change.
The opposition parties are slamming Saakashvili for his refusal to sack
Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili who is accused by the opposition
leaders of covering up some top-level police officials who have
allegedly been behind the Sandro Girgvliani high-profile murder case.
“I am really surprised with the hysteric tone of some politicians.
There is a huge concentration of stupid [persons] in the politics,”
Saakashvili said.
He said that personal humiliation of opponents prevails in the Georgian
politics, which is unacceptable.
“As a President, it is important for me to create a political
environment free of this kind of debates and these dirty things,”
Saakashvili said.

“Insulting Turkishness”: Charges Reopened Against Author Elif Shafak
By Kimberly Maul
Kirkus Reviews
The Book Standard
July 11 2006
A case against author Elif Shafak, who is charged with “insulting
Turkishness” under Article 301 in the Turkish Criminal Code, reached
a new level this week. Shafak wrote The Bastard of Istanbul, in which
a character references Armenian genocide.
Last month, a public prosecutor in Istanbul dismissed the charges,
based on Shafak’s argument that the book is a work of fiction and
therefore un-prosecutable.
A complaint from a member of the Unity of Jurists, a group of
right-wing lawyers, caused the seventh high criminal court to overrule
the decision. The charges have also been brought against Shafak’s
translator, Asli Bican, and publisher, Semi Sokmen, of the Metis
Publishing House.
“The situation in Turkey has changed since the introduction of
Article 301 last year,” Sara Whyatt, director of the Writers in Prison
Committee at International PEN, told The Guardian on Monday.
“I think the trials are intended to harass and intimidate these writers
and journalists. Elif Shafak is at the beginning of what could be a
long and painful process.”
Shafak faces three years in prison if convicted.
At the end of 2005, Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk was persecuted under
Article 301, but the charges were later dropped.
In Shafak’s Bastard, two families-one in Istanbul and one, an exiled
Armenian family, in San Francisco-share an old secret that affects
their current lives. It is set to be released next year from Viking
Penguin. The date for Shafak’s trial has not been set.
Farrar, Straus & Giroux released in the U.S. last year an English
translation of the author’s The Saint of Incipient Sanities.

Egypt Today, Egypt
July 11 2006
Cairo’s Dimming Ghosts
As the capital’s elegant past sinks further into obscurity,
intellectuals,government agencies – and this historian in particular
– are calling for the restoration and preservation of the city’s most
significant buildings
By Fayza Hassan
DOWNTOWN CAIRO, a khedivial creation of the nineteenth century, has
suffered neglect and steady decay since the 1950s. Elegant hotels,
palaces and villas have given way to shoddy apartment buildings,
ramshackle storefronts and improvised parking garages. The elite fled
to more congenial surroundings in the suburbs, and in a matter of
decades, Cairo’s city center was completely de-gentrified.
Khedive Ismail’s beautiful quarter and all of its architectural
treasures have been abandoned to powers whose least concern was to
respect this particular heritage.
At the turn of the twenty-first century, however, a number of well
known architects and intellectuals sounded the alarm, attempting to
raise public awareness in a bid to save the few buildings that had,
for the time being, escaped the general decay.
One such building is a much-abused palace that stands incongruously
on Champollion Street, a stone’s throw from the Supreme Court, amidst
mechanics’ workshops, popular cafes and commercial apartment
buildings. The walls of what was once its garden are covered in
posters and graffiti. Peeking through the gates, one finds a grim
view of the terminally neglected, dingy architectural treasure: a
palatial stone construction with two wings, featuring tall columns
and a central (now-shattered) bay window. As the sun sets on busy
Champollion Street, the broken glass ominously reflects the sun’s
dying rays, helping the princely abode take on the aura of a rotting,
bat-infested ghost house.
The building, however, was never abandoned – far from it. To know
more about its history one must turn to social historian Samir
Raafat, who describes it in Cairo: The Glory Years.
“To begin with,” writes Raafat, “the architect was Antonio Lasciac,
Egypt’s renowned palace builder [H]is clients included members of the
khedivial family, Cairene notables and trusted institutions. Among
his most visible works are Banque Misr on Mohamed Farid Street and
the palace of Princess Nimet Kamal Al-Din across from the Arab
League.”
The original owner was Prince Said Halim Pasha, a grandson of the
great wali of Egypt, Mohammed Ali. The palace’s decorative motifs
bear testimony in the form of his monogram SH imprinted in the stone.
Prince Halim’s father could have been the ruler of Egypt had Khedive
Ismail not disregarded tradition and coaxed the sultan in Istanbul to
change the rule of primogeniture, thus favoring Ismail’s own son
instead of the oldest male member of the reigning family.
Prince Said was born in Shubra Palace but grew up in Istanbul. It was
the strong Italian tradition of architecture that inspired his
Cairene palace, which was constructed almost exclusively from
Italian-imported materials and decorations.
According to Raafat, Prince Halim’s wife, Amina Indji Toussoun –
herself a great-granddaughter of Mohammed Ali – did not care much for
the palace, preferring to live in Istanbul. As for the prince, he
replaced Mahmoud Shevket Pasha, prime minister of the Ottoman Empire,
who was assassinated in June 1913. It is said that the prince was
manipulated by the Young Turks until they brought the empire to its
eventual demise.
Prince Halim’s star began to dim when Turkey signed its secret treaty
with Germany in 1914, thereby aligning itself against the British
during the First World War. Three months later, Britain, France and
Russia declared war on Germany, and Egypt officially became a British
Protectorate.
In Cairo, Prince Halim’s assets were confiscated, and following
Turkey’s defeat, he was arrested and deported to Malta. An Armenian
terrorist ultimately assassinated him in Rome on December 6, 1921.
The prince never had a chance to live in his Cairene palace.
Galila El-Qadi, an architect with the Institute of Research for
Development (IRD), recounts that the palace was sold in 1918 to
Monsieur Carlsioni, who rented it to the Ministry of National
Education. The palace transformed into a school, Al-Nasra, to be sold
once more in the 1940s to the Societe Chaoul Mediano, at which point
it became El-Nasriya School.
Many Egyptian luminaries received their primary education on these
regal premises; among them were Mustafa and Ali Amin, founders of the
daily Al-Akhbar; Ibrahim Badran, former minister of health; and
Ismail Serageldin, the present director of the Bibliotheca
Alexandrina – to name but a few.
A few years after the school opened its doors, the palace’s gardens
were sold to make room for a new apartment building in front of
Antikhana Street. The reputation of the school did not suffer from
this amputation, however, and it remained one of the two leading
educational establishments (the other being Al-Saidiya School) for
the sons of the Egyptian elite.
The palace only closed its doors in 2004, when El-Fath Company for
Reconstruction & Development bought the premises – just two months
before it was placed on the list of protected historical monuments.
As a part of this important list, El-Qadi suggests, the palace lends
itself perfectly to the transformation into “the historical museum of
the city of Cairo.” Furthermore, it is exceptionally qualified
architecturally for this purpose, endowed as it is with vast rooms,
high ceilings, a majestic staircase and a splendid bay window. The
ceilings are beautifully painted and the facade richly decorated. The
palace is still surrounded by a garden – albeit one much smaller than
the original.
The Supreme Council of Antiquities is the body empowered to make
decisions regarding the restoration and management of the monuments
entrusted to its care, as well as collaborations with technical
institutions and international organizations. The SCA assigned the
task of presenting the pre-project study for the transformation of
the palace into a museum to a consortium including an Egyptian and a
French consultant firm – Mirmar and Bonnamy, respectively – which are
now designated collectively by the name “Mirmar Bonnamy.” They work
in association with the Institute for Research and Development (IRD).
The European Commission and the IRD have financed this preliminary
stage. Since in the long term, the entire project will generate
expenditures of both time and money, the IRD has taken the initiative
to mobilize Egyptian civil society as well as international
organizations.
The IRD plans to target the former pupils of Al-Nasriya School who
today occupy key posts in public and private sectors alike; among
whom are renowned physicians and engineers, famous actors and
successful business leaders. It is hoped that they will form the
Association of the Friends of Said Halim’s Palace and contribute to a
fundraising campaign in support of the project.
A second target will be society itself, which will be the focus of a
campaign for donations to the cause. An additional plan is the
organization of concerts and exhibitions in the palace and its
gardens, with the help of interested professionals and businessmen.
Beyond this particular museum, the IRD hopes to introduce a new
culture in Egypt, encouraging the full participation of civil society
in the preservation and restoration of our heritage. Quite rightly,
El-Qadi comments that without the full commitment of Egyptian
society, the treasures of our past might forever be lost. et
ID=6858

Kenya: Armenians? It’s Only a Movie
The East African (Nairobi)
July 11, 2006
Posted to the web July 11, 2006
L. Muthoni Wanyeki
Nairobi
The cartoonist Gado got it right. His daily offering in last Friday’s
Daily Nation depicted the Kenyatta International Conference Centre as
a movie theatre showing the saga of The Artur Brothers. A poster to
one side advertised the movie, showing them together with two African
women – one old and one young. No prizes for guessing whom they were
meant to represent – the repudiated daughter of the repudiated second
wife now euphemistically referred to as a ‘NARC activist.’ Meanwhile,
a woman excitedly described the contents of the movie to her male
companion, “It has everything: intrigue, conflict, romance, betrayal,
comedy and tragedy.”
The reference was to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry now
sitting on the matter, its proceedings open to the public. The
sub-text was the turning of serious national proceedings into
circuses where our outrage is silenced. Just as we did with the
Goldenberg inquiry, we will troop to this inquiry’s sittings in large
numbers. We will exclaim and wring our hands, beside ourselves at the
juicy revelations.
The proceedings will dominate media coverage for the duration. We
will feel we participated. That we have learnt just how security is
assured at our international airport. That we have sufficiently
chastised and embarrassed the senior airports officials involved in
enabling the breach of that security. Simply by being there. Or
hearing about it. And discussing it, endlessly, tediously, with our
families and friends.
For Kenyans, it is apparently now enough to know. But only after
having resisted knowledge in the first place. Let us not pretend,
after all, that we had not been forewarned about the presence of the
so-called Armenian brothers in our country.
AND WE LET THE STORY DIE DOWN, while allowing the jurisdiction of our
Police Commissioner to be trampled upon unceremoniously. Until the
goings-on at our international airport when, finally (so the story
goes), one brave minister apparently stepped up to the plate to
enable the Police Commissioner to do his job.
But, even then, we resisted the logical progression from partial
knowledge to full knowledge to decisive action. We decided that it
was enough to know only as much of the story as is allowed to come
through by inflexible and strict adherence to basic principles of
law. Meaning that no inferences are to be drawn based on broader
understandings of accountability. At all.
Thus the Judicial Inquiry into Goldenberg can be closed with
absolutely no mention of our former president’s good name. Even
though he clearly had, if not legal accountability, then political
accountability for everything that transpired under his watch.
Similarly, the only result of the release of John Githongo’s dossier
on Anglo-Leasing has been the resignation of erstwhile ministers,
only for them to be resurrected unchallenged in various House
committees – including those (gasp!) dealing with financial matters.
The events at our international airport, together with the
discoveries made in the home of the “Armenian brothers” should have
resulted in the prompt (and I do mean prompt!) sacking (not
“resignations”) of our Ministers for Internal Security and
Immigration – just for a start. Because they are so clearly
politically accountable.
Instead, what do we see going on before our very eyes? A movie.
We know what happened. The direct line of accountability that can be
legally established and substantiated never tells the whole story.
Political accountability demands more.
L. Muthoni Wanyeki is the Executive Director of the African Women’s
Development and Communication Network (FEMNET)

CHESS ACADEMY OF ARMENIA ORGANIZED INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENTS IN JERMUK AND SEVAN
JERMUK, JULY 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The International Youth Tournament of
Chess ended in Jermuk on July 9, which was organized by the Chess
Academy of Armenia.
Zaven Adreasian, Hrant Melkumian and Avetik Grigorian gained 7 points
from the possible 9 ones in the men’s strained competition and shared
the 1-3 places. In the ladies’ competition, Armine Babayan took the
first place with 5.5 points.
On July 12, the “Kaputak Sevan” Traditional International Tournament
of the 9th category will start in Sevan on the initiative of the
Academy. This time chess players from the Russian Federation, Georgia
and Iran arrived in Sevan.

Main Gate Magazine
American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Spring 2006 Vol. IV, No. 3
A Journey from Geology to Iconography
Lena Kelekian’s (BS ’81) exceptional career has been a journey of
faith coupled with perseverance and passion. This internationally
acclaimed artist, iconographer, muralist, restorer, conservator,
environmental designer, and geologist believes that prayer and food
must provide equal sustenance for the fulfillment of the body.
It was an inspirational incident that drove her to iconography. “I
knew about icons from my family. My mother’s prayers that helped me
overcome an ordeal during the civil war turned me into a true
believer,” says Kelekian.
With her scientific background, artistic talent, and faith, Kelekian
decided that “nothing will stop her” from expressing her beliefs
through iconography. “After I graduated from AUB in 1981…I chose to
attend the University of London where I studied restoration and
painting. Later I trained in many places all over Europe.”
“I was part of the team that restored the frescoes of the Duomo of
Florence. I was the pigment expert on a team of ten working under the
supervision of Giorgio Mathieni. I painted in Greece, Spain,
Portugal, Yugoslavia, and in the Macedonian area where I restored
frescoes at medieval churches.”
The distinctive feature of Kelekian’s iconography is her use of
traditional Byzantine methods and natural pigments. As a geologist,
Kelekian learned how to extract colors from minerals.
“I rediscovered 89 mineral-extracted colors, and discovered a few
types of green and yellow.” In keeping with Byzantine methods, she
paints her icons in an egg tempera (the egg being the biblical symbol
of life and fertility) and embellishes the gold or silver backgrounds
with precious and semi-precious stones and pearls.
Despite the technical knowledge that enabled her to restore and
create religious art, Kelekian felt something was missing. “My faith
needed to be corroborated with the proper theological knowledge. I
decided to study theology.” She earned a Doctorate of Theological
Studies from the Institut Superieur pour la Formation Religieuse.
“When I learned about the history of the church and the unwavering
faith of the early believers despite the torments they underwent, my
perception of religious art changed. Now, I paint the same religious
figures knowing their life story…”
Kelekian and her sister Hilda, a calligrapher and arabesque designer,
held their first exhibit in 1992 at the Salon des Artistes in Beirut.
The ensuing media coverage led to requests to exhibit their work at
galleries around the world.
Kelekian has won numerous medals and awards. “Italy gave me the title
of ‘Lady’ for my achievements in the fields of arts and sciences.”
She has been honored with more than 12 international awards including
France’s La Toile d’Or, and appointed ordinary academician by the
Accademia Internazionale Greci Marino, Italy. She has exhibited in
nine countries. Eight museums around the world have purchased her
artwork, as has Queen Sophia of Spain. In 2001, the sisters launched
the Kelekian Art Gallery during New York’s International Art Expo,
where they exhibited their work for two weeks. Currently, Kelekian’s
art studio and laboratory are located in Zalka, Lebanon.
Representing Lebanon around the world was an honor, but it wasn’t
enough. She wanted to help her country in a more tangible way. The
opportunity came in 1997, when she participated in a contest to
decorate the wall of a 500-meter long tunnel in Ashrafieh, Beirut.
She won the contest with her design in the trencadis Antoni Gaudi
mosaic style, depicting 500 trees of different dimensions ranging
between three and 75 meters.
“Afterwards, I went in 1997 to Barcelona to learn about ceramics and
mosaics…. because I had to get the X, Y, and the Z axes [three
dimensional perspective] of things. One should aim at the deep roots
of things and then try to blossom. What results is an authentic and
long lasting product,” she says.
“Upon returning to Lebanon, I thought that something ought to be done
to embellish the Corniche; the only way to do this is through
ceramics and mosaics.” She embarked on the project of installing
ceramic benches and a large mosaic chessboard. “I hope that these
ceramic benches will attract millions of tourists to Ain Mreisseh,
Beirut as they do in Barcelona,” says Kelekian. When asked about the
concept behind the ongoing project on the Corniche, Kelekian says,
“my idea was to narrate the myth of Zeus and Europa on the benches,
thus showing the West that Phoenicians gave the name of Europa to
Europe…The project is a gift from me to Beirut, and I hope it
flourishes to be a landmark.”
Kelekian hopes to embellish many parts of Beirut. She has already
designed and executed cartoons in a public garden in the Naba’a area
that turned the place from a dump into an attractive spot for
children from the area. “I try to use art in service of the
underprivileged community. Also, to raise environmental awareness
about the ailing Beirut River, I designed a facade of ceramics on its
banks.”
When her sister delivered triplets in 2003, Kelekian decided to
experiment in a different direction: children’s art and cartoons.
“Last year, I was asked to furnish and paint the floors of the
Clemenceau Medical Center-Johns Hopkins with whatever suits the
ambience. For the pediatric section, I designed animal and insect
cartoons. I hope to offer the St. Jude Children’s Cancer Center of
Lebanon (CCCL) some of those paintings.”
CCCL will not be her only contribution to AUB. Kelekian and her
architect husband Hagop Silahian (BE ’85), hope to place ceramic
benches and facades of their own design on the AUB campus.
There seems to be no end to Kelekian’s talent-or her interests. Her
art will continue to celebrate her passion for her country and her
faith for years to come.
The distinctive feature of Kelekian’s iconography is her use of
traditional Byzantine methods and natural pigments. As a geologist,
Kelekian learned how to extract colors from minerals. “I rediscovered
89 mineral-extracted colors, and discovered a few types of green and
yellow.”
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