The tombstone of the creator of the Armenian letters Mesrop Mashtots (362-440) is located in Oshakan. After his death governor Vahan Amatuni builds a little chapel in the place of the tombstone and afterwards in the XIX century a church was built named after Mesrop Mashtots. The body of Mashtots is buried in the mausoleum. The church after Mashtots and the tombstone are considered the sacred place of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Every year in September the first-grade students of Armenia learn their first letter near that church after their solemn vow in front of the tombstone of Mashtots. The All-Armenian 131st Catholicos Garegin A (1995-1999) realized the plan of Catholicos Vazgen A in 1997, by which a religious school was built next to the church, which has become a significant cultural and scientific center. This was the place, where “Mashtots readings,” “Biblical Armenia,” “Armenian state and church,” “Coronation of Tigran the Great,” “Christianity and Armenian reality” cultural and scientific events were organized. The school has a unique gallery and a specialized library. The renowned head of Ararat wing of the Armenian church, Archbishop Navasard (Samvel) Ktchoyan has ascribed the creation of the school to himself taking into account the fact that in 1996 he was entrusted the Ararat wing of the Armenian Church by Garegin A. In his biography we read, “With the blessing of Garegin A in 1996 Ktchoyan established St. Mesrop Mashtots school complex.” By the way, RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan allotted a whole government session to the school.
On the second floor of the school we can see a three-piece sculpture the Archbishop next to Trdat III sculpture, who adopted Christianity as state religion in 301 and Saint Grigor Lusavorich in the role of Mesrop Mashtots and the alphabet in his hand. The sculptor is Levon Tokmajyan. Nonetheless, one of the sculptures of sculptor Levon Tokmajyan is the bust of Navasard Ktchoyan. It is interesting to find out whether the church will somehow react to the statue of the live Archbishop, who is erected next to the statues of the saints. Or maybe Ktchoyan has indulgence in regard of these questions as well. By the way, all these sculptures were made with Karara white marble sent from Italy by the Armenians of Italy. Sculptor Tokmajyan is famous with his tenacious attitude and mostly with his tasteless pieces. His only successful piece is Martiros Saryan’s statue. During the soviet years the council of art was somewhat restraining Tokmajyan’s appetite. On the years of independence Armenia and specifically Yerevan became full with his statues. The tasteless and meaningless statues and busts of Leonid Yengibarov, Karabala, Tigran Mets, Noah, King Argishti, Soghomon Tehleryan, Gevorg Chavush and Aram Manukyan remind us of mass production. Tokmajyan succeeds in “snatching” the best orders from city councils, government corridors and private rooms. Everybody knows the working style of Tokmajyan. He pages the calendar at the beginning of the year and after that runs to the state and public institutions – ministry of culture, president’s office, etc. They have numerously spoken about his tasteless sculptures of Noah and Tigran Great placed in front of the president’s office. There were recommendations on part of specialists to remove these statues. Months ago the minister of culture Hasmik Poghosyan, prime minister Tigran Sargsyan and the former mayor of Yerevan Gagik Beglaryan stopped by Tokmajyan’s workshop. The latter presented to the prime minister the statue chain dedicated to the 95th anniversary of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. It is worrisome that these works are done at the expense of the state budget and most importantly it is going to be located in Yerevan. And the chain of statues consists of 10-11 pieces. “The prime minister should see my pieces so it would be easier for him to provide spots for them in the city,” stated Tokmajyan. He first creates the statues then adheres to state bodies to impose those. Yerevan has sort of become a market for Tokmajyan and people like him to do their bargains. Let us not forget to mention that during the annual award granting ceremony, which hosted the prime minister of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan, Archbishop Ktchoyan and other guests Tigran Sargsyan won the prize “Diamond Ararat” and Tokmajyan received “the Sculpture” prize for Vahan Tekeyan’s bronze statue.