Official loud slogans about "friendship" and brotherhood between Armenia and Georgia hide not only the obvious support of separatism by Armenian nationalists on Georgian territory but also impudent attempts to appropriate the most important thing that Georgians have - their shrine. Moreover, they report these claims explicitly and openly on their official websites.

For example, here is the Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs official website under the Government of the Republic of Armenia: http://diaspora.gov.am/. We go to the section "Georgia". It provides information about the Armenian diaspora in Georgia, and it is almost a direct test that Tbilisi was an “Armenian city”. Here is a verbatim quote.

“Mass migration of Armenians to Georgia began in the 11th century, after the fall of the Armenian kingdom of Bagratuni and its capital Ani. Georgia has become a springboard for Armenian patriots in the struggle for the liberation of the Motherland. The city of Gori was founded to house a large number of Armenians who moved from Ani.
In the 18th century, a large group of Armenian merchants began to populate Tbilisi (then Tiflis), where they built churches and educational institutions.

In the 19th century, Armenians made up a significant part of the population. At this time, the Armenian trading bourgeoisie (consisting of the well-known families Mantashev, Aramyants, and Gukases) was formed, which owned about 60% of Tbilisi's trading houses and industrial enterprises. The city became the economic, cultural, and political center of Eastern Armenia, laying the foundation for the activities of the most influential figures in the history of Armenia."

Thus, the capital of Georgia turns out to be "the economic, cultural and political center of Eastern Armenia"! No more, no less! And this is written in plain text on the official website of the government body of the Republic of Armenia.

But still interesting on the same site is the following quote:

“In the 7-19 centuries, the Armenians built over 600 churches in Georgia, forming the Georgian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Despite their rich religious history, many churches were destroyed during the Soviet era. Currently, of the many Armenian churches in Tbilisi, only the Church of St. Gevork (Mother See) and the Church of St. Echmiadzin (St. George of Echmiadzin in Avlabar), the Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator in Akhaltsikhe, the Church of the Holy Cross in Akhalkalaki, Church of St. Sarkis in Ninotsminda. " (http://diaspora.gov.am/ru/pages/42/georgia).

Explicit claims and claims to the Georgian churches, which were allegedly "built" by the Armenians. Moreover, Armenian religious organizations claim to those Georgian churches where there is not even a hint of anything "Armenian". For example, to the Kumurdo Cathedral, Armenian nationalists already tried to seize by force in 2017.

To make sure that the information about the allegedly "built churches by Armenians" in Georgia posted on the website of the Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs under the Government of the Republic of Armenia is no coincidence, we quote from another official website - the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia armenianchurch.ge. Here is an excerpt from the page where the official information about the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia is posted:

“At present, the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia demands that the Georgian authorities return 442 Armenian churches that existed on the territory of Georgia before the establishment of Soviet power, which today are destroyed and turned into ruins, on the territory of which other objects were built, which were“ Georgianized ”and act as temples of the Georgian Orthodox Church. The Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia demands the return of the Tbilisi churches of Surb Norashen Astvatsatsin, Surb Nshan, Mugnetsots Surb Gevorg, Erevantsots Surb Minas, Shamkhoretsots Karmir Avetaran, Surb Nshan church in Akhaltsikhe, confiscated in Soviet times. The Georgian authorities have not yet responded to this request, but restoration work is already underway in the Surb Norashen Astvatsatsin church in Tbilisi."

https://armenianchurch.ge/ru/znakomstvo-s-eparkhiej/eparkhiya-aats-v-gruzii

Officially, Echmiadzin does not even think to give up the historically unfounded claims to the Georgian churches on the territory of Georgia. Just as the Armenian authorities do not even think not to return dozens of churches and monasteries on the territory of the Republic of Armenia to the Georgian Orthodox Church, but they also do not allow Georgian restorers, priests, and pilgrims there.

Not to mention the fact that one of the monasteries of Khujabi was robbed by the Armenian side, simply moving the border 500 meters into the depths of Georgia. And when Georgian journalists tried to approach the Khujabi monastery, the Armenian border guards met them with shots.

The claims of official Yerevan and Echmiadzin to Georgian shrines should not be underestimated. Experience shows that claims to temples are inevitably followed by claims to land. And since if you listen to the Armenian nationalists and historical falsifiers, the “Armenian” churches are allegedly scattered throughout Georgia, then the entire Georgian territory can become an object of Armenian aggression.

KavkazPlus