SPEECHLESS WITNESSES OF THE HISTORY

06-10-2009

To the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the re-establishment of
the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church has not remained
apathetic and the Artsakh State Museum of Local History. In the years
of persecutions and pursuits, numerous exhibits were returned to the
storage into the museum. And recently on the organized exhibition
were presented some of the saved relics from spiritual genocide.

On September 27, the opened exhibition in Artsakh Museum of Regional
History visited the Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, accompanied
by the Speaker of the NKR National Assembly Ashot Ghulyan, primate of
the Artsakh diocese the Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan and spiritual
leaders of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The director of the museum Melanya Balayan told the dignitaries about
the advanced exhibits. The most ancient relic – found in Dadivank a
stone knob of a crozier – dated from the fifth century. A bishop’s
throne is also found in Dadivank, dated 12-13 centuries.

The most "young" exhibit is an embroidered portrait of John the Baptist
(1912). Garegin the Second astonished the director of museum with
questions that could only specify the most enlightened visitor: how
was a relic of Russian origin find in Artsakh and whether they knew
what kind of exhibits, which are concerned to the Artsakh diocese,
are kept in museums in Armenia?

Catholicos of All Armenians left a note in the book of the museum. "So
carefully preserved relics of the church are a witness of the noble
and strong faith of Artsakh,"- Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin
II gave such estimation to the work of the museum.

The director of the museum said that much remained to be done. The
considerable part of the history kept in the funds of the displays
is almost unknown.