The Armenian Museum of America (AMA) and the History Museum of Armenia (HMA) are dedicated to the preservation, study, and promotion of the heritage of the Armenian people. This mission includes the presentation of the historical and cultural wealth of Artsakh.
An online exhibition titled "Treasures of Artsakh", jointly organized by the two museums, aims to showcase the spiritual and material heritage of Artsakh during the ancient, medieval, and modern periods, spanning millennia of Armenian history. The virtual format combines collections to reflect the ethnocultural richness of Artsakh, the Armenian Museum of America reports.
This collaboration brings together artifacts from the collections of 16 Armenian museums around the world. Over the centuries these historical artifacts have been created as eloquent testimonies of the spiritual values preserved in tangible form, and serve an important role in the preservation and study of Armenian culture.
Speaking to Panorama.am on Thursday, one of the exhibition curators, Nzhdeh Yeranyan, Deputy Director for Science of the History Museum of Armenia, sad that during a meeting with a delegation from the Armenian Museum of America they decided to launch a joint virtual exhibition.
"Given the recent developments which led to a massive loss of cultural heritage in Artsakh, it was decided to dedicate the first exhibition to its cultural heritage," he said.
Artsakh and Utik provinces, located in the east of historic Great Armenia, played an important role over millennia, developing a multi-layered culture which adapted and persisted, maintaining its continuity. This particular heritage is presented here through artifacts of the Paleolithic and Bronze Age, ancient unique anthropomorphic stelae, weapons, pottery, jewelry, and objects of worship, as well as early medieval manuscripts, carpets, costumes, early printed books, journals, and photographs.
The museums and institutions contributing to the exhibition include Alex and Marie Manoogian Museum (Detroit), Ararat-Eskijian Museum (Los Angeles), Armenian Museum of America (Boston), Artsakh State Museum of History and Country Study (Stepanakert), Cilicia Museum of the Armenian Catholicosate (Antelias), History Museum of Armenia (Yerevan), Museum of History and Regional Studies (Martakert), Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of Armenia’s National Academy of Sciences (Yerevan), Mekhitarist Congregation (Venice), Mekhitarist Congregation (Vienna), Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Armenian Manuscripts (Yerevan), National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (Boston), National Library of Armenia (Yerevan), Project Save Armenian Photograph Archive (Boston), Tapan Museum (Moscow) and Vache and Tamar Manoukian Matenadaran (Etchmiadzin).
"We have tried to showcase Artsakh's historical and cultural heritage as much as possible through this small exhibition," Yeranyan said.
He stressed the need to constantly keep the rich historical heritage of Artsakh in the spotlight and present the current trends.