State says it will help flooded museum

The state intends to help with repairs at the Hambis Printmaking Museum in Plataniskia with the consent of the lessors of the two adjacent properties, Limassol district administrator Marios Alexandrou said on Wednesday.

Museum founder and Europa Nostra award winner Hambis Tsangaris told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that an engineer was sent to the site by the Limassol district administration, but was doubtful about its next steps, pointing out that “the issue could have been solved five years ago, within two hours”. 

In a scathing open letter last week, Tsangaris had slammed local authorities, accusing them of ignoring the issue despite his multiple attempts to notify them. He also said that the museum would be suspending all activities.  

In the letter, he explained that the museum’s archive room has been exposed to water damage over the years, and is in danger of being completely overtaken by the damp, caused by water from a neighbouring house seeping into its floor.  

He also said that neither the Plataniskia community council nor the Limassol Turkish Cypriot property agency, which manages the buildings as they are located in a former Turkish Cypriot village heeded his calls for help, which have been going on for the past five years.  

Tsangaris told CNA that on Monday, an engineer visited the building to assess the situation, took photos and visited the adjoining building to look for the source of the water affecting the museum building. 

The engineer found that the house next door has a well, and the museum is affected by it as it is built at a lower level. 

“The problem started in 2018, but until then there was no issue,” Tsangaris said. “Since 1994, when I took over the lease of the space, there has never been any moisture or a drop of water.” 

Asked if he expects other actions to be taken to deal with the problem, the artist said he was moved by the interest shown by the interior minister, the deputy culture minister, the House president and other state bodies, saying that what moved him the most was the public’s reaction on social media.  

Still, he said that the question remains as to what the Limassol district administration intends to do.  

“I have a clear conscience because I offered everything I could from 2008, when the museum opened, until today,” he said. “If we’re lucky, we can start again.” 

For his part, Alexandrou said that technically, the state is not responsible for maintaining the premises of the museum, as it is considered a business and not a residence, and only the former are a responsibility of the state.  

However, he added that the inspections were done in good faith as this is a museum.  

He added that to completely solve the problem they would have to insulate the outer walls of the building, which would require demolishing part of the adjoining house. He also said that the moisture also has to do with the quality of the soil in the area. 

“Provided that we secure permission from the lessors of the two adjacent houses, we will do some works, regardless of the outcome,” he said, adding that “We will try to build some micro-reservoirs to pump the water and transport it further north.” 

The costs of these works will be borne by the state, even though it is not legally obliged to do so, Alexandrou added.  

“We have approached the owners of the two adjacent houses through the community leader and are awaiting their response. Without their consent nothing can be done,” he said.