Cultural heritage agency rejects TV channel’s allegations on “abandoned” Vardzia monument as “fake”

Georgia’s national agency for cultural heritage preservation on Monday rejected as “fake” the allegations by Mtavari Arkhi TV channel that said the culture ministry had “abandoned” work on reinforcing the structural integrity of the ancient cave complex in the south of the country.

The agency was responding to a news story by the channel that aired on Sunday and featured claims by professionals on the complex being threatened by newly appearing gaps in the face of the rock slope housing its caves.

The report said the ministry had “shelved” conclusions produced “over the years” by scientists on threats facing the complex, ended access to the monument for Italian professionals working on geological studies, and “abandoned it to fate”.

In its response, the agency said work on stabilising and reinforcing “critical areas” of the 12th century site was ongoing with UNESCO expert Claudio Margottini - who has been involved in the efforts since 2016 - and added the effort was in its “closing phase”.

It also added a meeting between Margottini and professionals of the agency in July had produced a plan for continued works on the complex next year, which would involve “preventive” works in “close cooperation” between Italian and Georgian experts. 

The TV channel’s report - which featured comments by a director and a geologist of the Ilia State University cultural heritage and environment research centre - comes following a rockfall near the entrance to the site earlier this month.

It said professionals had identified dangers of rockfalls at the site, as well as “other threats”, as early as two years ago and called for “urgent intervention” for dealing with the risks. The channel report claimed authorities had failed to show attention to the calls.