Georgia’s National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation announced that its Cultural Heritage Monitoring Service uncovered an unauthorized construction project last year at the ruins of the St. George Church, a protected cultural heritage monument located in the village of Zghuderi in Kareli Municipality.

According to the agency, it responded immediately to the violation and sent a written request to the Ruisi-Urbnisi Diocese, which was directly carrying out the construction works, demanding that the activities be halted. The Georgian Patriarchate, which owns the monument, was also informed of the situation.

“The National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation’s Monitoring Service will once again assess the situation on site, after which measures provided by law will be taken.

The agency calls on all interested parties to act in accordance with the law and refrain from damaging or destroying historical monuments,” the agency said in a statement.