The Pantheon of Yerevan named after Komitas has been reconstructed only once (in 1968). A monument is going to be installed in the Pantheon where they will write the names of our relatives and friends from other countries. There will also be a new wall put up with the purpose of memory jugs, which will be closed with stones carved on them.
These reconstruction works started on June 25 and will finish in December. The government has provided 134 million dram from the budget for these works. The territory will be enlarged up to 1.100 square meters, they will construct new entrances for people and cars, they will locate benches there and electricity facilities so the park will be lightened at night.
Several days ago we asked some school children where the graves of our great writers were. Alas only few of them knew the place of the Pantheon and most of them said that they had never been to the Pantheon named after Komitas nor had heard anything about it. This is a serious issue and the relevant departments of the science and education ministry are the ones to blame here. For instance, in Russia you can see the pictures of their famous writers, their anthem and other things on school exercise-books, but you can see only pictures of tv soap opera heroes on exercise-books in Armenia. But Armenians give the names of our famous people to their cafes and car spare part shops only.
The graves of our great writers must be as important for us as their creations are. You can see how people relate to their culture and moral treasure only by paying attention on how they keep and protect the graves of their great writers. In a lot of countries people take their tourists and visitors to see famous monuments with pleasure, they take them to see the sightseeing of their cities and as well as their pantheons, because they think this is one important part of their history.