Latest update April 3rd, 2026 12:35 AM
Millions spent annually on repairing vandalized monuments
A replica of the 1763 Monument
on display at the National Museum
Every year, millions of dollars that can be spent on implementing new programmes at the Guyana National Trust have to be plugged into remedying vandalized monuments, usually those on the coastland.
The Trust’s Chief Executive Officer, Nirvana Persaud, is of the view that defacing of monuments perhaps exists because persons are oblivious to the significance and in some cases, the struggle that resulted in such monuments being erected.
In an effort to better educate and get persons to appreciate history and the battles that were fought along the way, the Trust decided to host an exhibition.
The one-day event held Tuesday, served as the local observance of International Day for Monuments and Sites. It saw the courtyard of the National Museum being nicely decorated with some beautiful and intriguing replicas of a number of significant monuments.
Large banners and signs bearing detailed information about the significance of Guyana’s monuments and national locations like St. George’s Cathedral and Kaieteur Falls were plastered on the museum’s fence.
Ironically though, even the banners and materials used to promote the exhibition were vandalised.
“We would have liked to extend the exhibition beyond just the one day, but it will be difficult for us to do that, because we are not sure if when we return here tomorrow these things will be here,” Persaud said. Guyana has in excess of 400 documented monument sites, and these are all open to the public, which means that they are all exposed to vandals, ignorant of history.
“Heritage preservation is more than just saving bricks. It is saving layers and layers of information about our lives, and the lives of our ancestors.”
This was the assertion made by Junior Education Minister, Dr. Nicolette Henry, as she declared open, an exhibition showcasing most of the country’s monuments.
“It is not just a set of cultural objects or traditions from the past. It has to do with making a concerted effort to engage as many stakeholders as possible,” Minister Henry said.
She added, “Trafficking of artefacts or cultural objects, defacing and destructing historical buildings and monuments, cause irreparable damage.”
The Minister also believes that perhaps if persons are fully au fait with the reasons for each monument, they would become more appreciative of its existence and try to safeguard it.
“It is my fervent wish that this exhibition today will be a motivating factor, or a source of inspiration for all of us to get involved, in whatever way we can, to preserve our cultural heritage,” Minister Henry said.
Meanwhile, Donald Sinclair, Director General of Tourism at the Ministry of Business, emphasised the importance of monuments with regards to tourism.
Sinclair pointed out that monuments and national sites are the key features used to market the country and thus, should be cared for properly.
“We allow many of our precious relics, precious possessions to go to waste, instead of recognizing the importance and value that they have, so this observance today is another effort towards raising awareness,” Sinclair said.
He went further to criticise the lack of appreciation that many Guyanese display when it comes to their culture.
“We need to develop a lot more in ourselves. We need to develop a sense of reverence, a sense of respect for what is the past,” the Tourism Director said.
Sinclair holds the firm belief that in preserving one’s heritage, a person is also preserving aspects of their own self.
“It goes beyond material things,” he said. “The intangible heritage is also as important to preserve – our food, music, architecture, belief systems, our ways of making clothing, how we get married, conduct and so on.”
Nirvana Persaud, the woman behind all the hard work that went into actually putting the exhibition together, told Kaieteur News on the sidelines of the exhibition, that it has been quite difficult for the Trust to prevent monuments from being vandalized.
“Despite the setbacks, we have tried to monitor the ones that are easy to access within the city and some outlying areas.
We have installed warning signs of how persons should interact with the sites, and some of the penalties of not following the rules.”
Unfortunately though, Persaud said, these do not deter vandals.
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