14:14, 9 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport has offered the owner of the carpet collection from the Shushi Carpet Museum to display the collection at the best available museums in Armenia.

When asked to clarify, the Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Ara Khzmalyan told MP Elinar Vardanyan in parliament that the ministry is now working with the owner of the collection.

Around 170 carpets were saved from the museum when Shushi was under heavy Azeri bombardment during the 2020 war before its fall.

The carpets were temporarily stored at the National Museum-Institute of Architecture in Yerevan, but the administration of the institute notified the ministry officials that the carpets must be moved elsewhere.

Khzmalyan said he’s met several times with the collection’s owner.

“We have the following picture: we have a policy of bringing together values, not allocating a new building for each value, because when the exhibits on display are rich and various there are more visitors. Realizing the necessity for displaying these carpets, its political importance, we offered to organize the display in the best, modern museums. Take into consideration that this is a private collection. I think there isn’t anything better to offer today. Otherwise we’ll have to build a new museum, perhaps this could be discussed, I don’t know,” Khzmalyan said.