MATENADARAN TO TAKE ACTIVE PART IN EVENTS ON OCCASION OF 1600TH
ANNIVERSARY OF INVENTION OF ARMENIAN ALPHABET

YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The 1600th anniversary of invention
of Armenian alphabet and translation of the Holy Writ into Armenian
will be celebrated at state level in 2005 in Armenia. Sen Arevshatian,
Director of Yerevan Matenadaran, RA NAS Academician, said during the
March 31 press conference that Matenadaran will take an active part in
all events to be organized on the occasion of the 1600th anniversary
of invention of Armenian alphabet at state level. An international
conference will be organized in connection with the jubilee. Scientists
from Matenadaran, Universities and RA Academy of Sciences, as well as
foreign scientists will participate in the conference. An exhibition
will open in Matenadaran in connection with this Materials about the
life and activity of Mashtots, works of miniaturists of the Golden Age
will be represented at the exhibition. With Matenadaran’s immediate
participation Koryun’s “Vark Mashtotsi” (“Mashtots’ Life”) book will
be published in 5 languages – Armenian, English, French, German and
Grabar (Old Armenian), as well as Hrachya Acharian’s “Hayots Grer”
(“Armenian Letters”) work will be republished. The events will
start in June in Nagorno Karabakh – in the Amaras temple, and will
finish in October in Oshakan, during the Targmanchats (Translators’)
Holiday. Academician Sen Arevshatian said that lately, owing to the
“Matenadaran’s Friends” fund 17 more manuscripts were added to the
17 thousand manuscripts kept in Matenadaran. The fragments of the
New Testament written in 1282 in Lim desert of Vaspurakan are worth
mentioning among them. The fund’s executive director is sure that the
jubilee of invention of the alphabet will stimulate the development
of publishing activity in the sphere of Armenology, organization of
conferences and propaganda. The fund’s most important plan is search
and obtaining of ancient manuscripts. The expedition on revelation
of manuscripts is carrying out large-scale activity in Armenia and
abroad for this purpose. Besides the above-mentioned 17 manuscripts,
the fund obtained 15 more ancient Armenian original books during this
period. To recap, the idea of foundation of the “Matenadaran’s Friends”
fund has a 40-year history and belongs to Academician Levon Khachikian,
the former director of Matenadaran.