EXHIBITION "WESTERN ARMENIA IN PHOTOGRAPHS OF 1860-1914" OPENS IN YEREVAN
Noyan Tapan
April 21, 2008
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, NOYAN TAPAN. An exhibition under the title "Western
Armenia in Photographs of 1860-1914" opened on April 21 at the National
Museum-Institute of Architecture on the initiative of the RA Ministry
of Culture and Shoushi Charity Fund. The 220 photographs displayed at
the exhibition present economic, cultural life of Western Armenia,
its public figures, settlements, cult monuments in the period from
the 1860-s to 1914, national costumes peculiar of different regions.
As Bakur Karapetian, the Director of the Shoushi Charity Fund,
mentioned, the documents of Western Armenia are irrefutable evidence
that Armenians lived in Van, Kars, Erzrum, Sebastia, Kharberd, and
Diarbekir. According to him, their goal is to present that exhibition
also abroad, in particular, in the United States.
B. Karapetian said that for the purpose of founding a national gallery
of photography the Fund has created a collection of 7 thousand
antiquated photographs including different sides of Armenia’s,
Artsakh’s, Western Armenia’s, and Diaspora’s life, the most part of
which is shown at the website.
The Fund’s director also said that they intended to repair one of
the Shoushi’s old schools and to turn it into a picture-gallery,
but the NKR authorities did not assist them and the program remained
unfinished.
According to B. Karapetian, unless the program of founding a
pictury-gallery in Shoushi receives assistance, they will apply to the
town authorities of Gyumri or Vanadzor. "This is a unique collection,
our history is presented in these photographs, and we are obliged to
make it accessible for everyone," B. Karapetian emphasized.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
