YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. On the initiative of the "Shoushi" charity fund, electronic referendum (www.shoushi.am) started on April 4, on the issue of turning Shoushi into the all-Armenian cultural capital. As writer-publicist Bakur Karapetian, the founder of the fund mentioned at the press-conference of the same day, at least 1 U.S. dollar or 1 evro transfered on the fund account number ("Unibank" LTD, account number 241001541929) will be at the same time cosidered one vote for the referendum. According to B.Karapetian, the fund worked out the program of re-birth of Shoushi as the all-Armenian educational-cultural and tourism center. Considering creation of some productions in Shoushi not purposeful, he expressed hope that the most correct thing is development of tourism there. B.Karapetian reminded that in the 19th century Shouhsi was a cultural center equal to Tbilisi with its meaning. It was also mentioned that 8000 people lived in Shushi at the beginning of the Artsakh movement, and about 2500 people live there at present. With financing and assistance of the Catholic community of Beirut, the "Shoushi" fund organized archeological excavations in Shoushi plateau, as a result of what an old castle of the 12th century was found. The Beirut Catholic community gave 24 thousand dollars for first works in the direction of excavations, measurements, study of cultural heritage. The fund initiated gathering of the Artsakh struggle for existence: within the framework of the program, the fund records evidences of all participants of the struggle for existence to publish a many-volume collection of books in future. B.Karapetian mentioned that the fund has a goal to support cultural development and moral-spiritual ascent of Shoushi as well, to turn the fortress city having been a stage of wars constantly into a center of peace and culture.

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