ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM-INSTITUTE COLLECTION PERIODICALLY ENRICHED WITH UNIQUE MUSEUM ITEMS
NOYAN TAPAN
APRIL 22, 2009
YEREVAN
Due to numerous donations, exchanges, and purchases the collection of
Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute (AGMI) was enriched in 2008-2009
with hundreds of unique museum items. The most part of them are
important primary sources for the studying and representing the
Armenian Genocide.
As a result of the collecting work of AGMI, in 2008-2009 more than
100 new original documental photos related to the Armenian Genocide
and the deportations of Armenians were revealed. Part of these photos
were included in the collection of the documental photos of the museum.
By the efforts of the museum about 250 original glass plates of unique
photos recently were found and digitalized, which represent the scenes
of distribution of humanitarian aid to Armenians deportees in Syria,
particularly photos representing the humanitarian assistance by the
League of Nations. As an exception the newly found original photos
will be included in the permanent exhibition on April 24-25.
According to the AGMI report, three new exceptional large collections
were donated to AGMI in 2008, which include hundreds of unique pieces
about the life of Armenians, and also documents and unique publications
concerning the Armenian Genocide and its consequences.
Among them the handwriting memoirs and letters of Norwegian missionary
Bodil Bern are of great importance. They represent the mass killings
of Armenians of Mush by Turkish army and her orphan care activities
in Syria.
With the support of the president of RA Serzh Sargsyan the library
of AGMI was enriched with about 100 valuable and unique books, which
are very important and rare sources for the fundamental study of
the Armenian Genocide. Some part of these books was included in the
permanent exhibition of the museum.
Further works on enrichment of the website of AGMI are in process. In
December, 2008 the website at was awarded
with Grand Prix by the Prime Minister of RA in the Third annual
Pan-Armenian website competition. The AGMI website became a winner
also in nomination of Electronic Science.
Due to active electronic policy close ties were established with
foreign scientific centers, researchers, and many educational
institutions abroad, which allowed AGMI to cooperate with pupils of
schools and colleges of different countries.
With the cooperation of Armenian national archives it was possible
to identify 70 unique and unknown photos concerning the massacre of
Armenians in Cilicia in April, 1909. In result of this, the collection
of documental photos concerning the massacres of Armenians in Adana
province doubled.
The collection of AGMI was also enriched with unique documents and
publications concerning the atrocities committed against Armenians
and other Christians of the Ottoman Empire circa 1919-1922.