A BRIEF REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF RESEARCH ON ARMENIAN ARCHITECTURE ORGANIZATION FOR THE YEAR 2006

    The purpose of Research on Armenian Architecture (RAA) NGO is to investigate and document Armenian architectural monuments located outside the borders of the present-day Republic of Armenia, i.e. in Cilicia and Historical Armenia (most of the latter's territory has formed part of its neighbouring countries since World War I), as well as in the adjacent countries of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran and the historical Armenian Diaspora. The organization also has the objective of presenting the Armenian society and international community publications on them. The problem is the same everywhere: it is necessary to take photographs of the monuments and have them fixed onto maps, thus saving them at least on paper before their final annihilation. With this goal in mind, RAA started research about 30 years ago in an area larger than the present-day Republic of Armenia, the entire work being carried out by a few devotees who had to confine themselves to the highly limited financial means they had at their disposal, being sometimes obliged to face rather dangerous conditions. Eye-witness to the planned destruction of the Armenian architectural monuments, each year we are confronted with the difficult choice of prioritizing our targets and deciding where to focus our efforts. The final decision, however, is always dependent on financial resources and different political obstacles.

RESEARCH CONDUCTED IN WESTERN ARMENIA

    During 2006 RAA made two research trips to Western Armenia (to the districts of Shatakh, Moks, Taron, Baghesh, Sasun, Aghbak, Khoshab, Berkri, Kars, Basen, Artahan and Khotorjur), each of them lasting for almost a month. The research team conducted investigation into hundreds of historical monuments, took measurements of 42 architectural buildings (castles, churches, chapels, churches), also taking over 8,200 photographs and deciphering more than 800 lapidary inscriptions that had either remained unnoticed formerly or had not been deciphered thoroughly. These two trips became possible through the financial assistance of Galust Gyulbenkian Fund.

RESEARCH CONDUCTED IN ARTSAKH (KARABAKH)

    In November 2006, RAA made a ten-day scientific expedition to Artsakh, during which research was conducted in the westernmost villages of Hadrut District of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh: Arpagetik, Khetzaberd, Arevshat and Hin Tagher. The team found a small number of monuments most of which were photographed and measured for the first time.

RESTORATION IN DADIVANK

    The monastic complex of Dadivank consists of 10 religious structures, including 4 churches, 6 chapels and numerous other buildings. Its Katoghike (1214), i.e. the main domed church of the complex, the main church dating back to 1211, the zhamatun (1224), the belfry (1283), the gavit (1283 to 1293), the hall and dwellings as well as the refectory and kitchen founded after 1211, the guest-chamber, the wine press, the cellar, the princely quarters and the chapel, all tracing back to the 13th century, the portico, the gates and some other rooms (13th to 14th centuries) bear the remarkable features of Artsakh architectural school. Most of these buildings have survived but until very recently they were in a state of decay and even in emergency condition. The restoration carried out in this monument complex is of great significance from the standpoint of the preservation of the sanctuary which stands as an eloquent proof of the Armenians' existence in that land.

    During the year we completed the paving of the bema of the Katoghike, which had been underway since 2005.

    We also accomplished the restoration of the belfry with its pyramid-shaped spire and pediments. The interior of the belfry was covered with basalt slabs, and its front steps were restored.

    The roof of the small domed church was finally tiled, with its floor smoothed away and covered with cement and sand. A wooden door was set at its entrance.

    The rotunda of the zhamatun was covered with glass roofing, and a wooden door was installed at its southern entrance. The earth accumulated in the north of the zhamatun was removed; the base wall of that part was fortified for the prevention of water permeation, being erected to a height of 80 centimetres.

    The floor of the portico was covered with basalt slabs.

    The earth accumulated for centuries inside the church of St. Dad and covering it up to the bema was moved away.

    The portico and basilica of the monastery as well as the latter's gavit were measured.

PREPARATION OF RESTORATION IN HOVHANAVANK

    In 2006 meeting a request received from the Holy See of Echmiatzin, we worked out a restoration project for the uni-nave basilica of Hovhanavank and its burial chamber. It was discussed and approved by the Scientific and Methodological Council of the Agency of Preservation of Historical and Cultural Mouments of the Republic of Armenia, and by Holy Echmaitzin's Scientific Council on Construction Activity.

    The project was worked out free of charge.

RESTORATION IN THE CHURCH OF METZ PARNI VILLAGE

    During 2006 a restoration project was drawn up for the basilica (18th to 19th cents.) of Metz Parni Village of Spitak District, Republic of Armenia. It was approved by the Scientific and Methodological Council of the Agency of Preservation of Historical and Cultural Mouments of the Republic of Armenia. This project became the basis of the work of restoration which has already begun. The roof of the church has been repaired together with its vault. A main wall was built in the western part of the church.

    The preparation of the project and restoration of the monument were carried out through the financial means of Robert Okhanian, a native of Metz Parni and the head of Spitak-2 Construction Company.

LECTURES AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES

    In different universities RAA members delivered lectures and reports, accompanied by slide display, on the settlements and cultural monuments of Historical Armenia. Every week lectures are also given in Narekatsy Art Centre, and a programme is broadcast on Yerkir Media TV (Cognition for the sake of Preservation), all these activities pursuing an educational-cognitive purpose.

EXHIBITIONS

    In 2006 under the auspices of Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia Vardan Oskanian, we prepared an exhibition devoted to Nakhichevan. It was shown in the city municipality of Strasbourg, and is planned to be shown in many other cities of Europe during 2007.

    Early in December, RAA presented an exhibition devoted to Western Armenia in the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia.

RAA FILM

    During 2006 several benefactors, i.e. Mr. Armen Minassian; Mr. Zhirayr Markossian representing Aznavour For Armenia Foundation, and Mr. Narek Harutiunian representing Narekatsy Art Centre, supplied the Film Department of RAA with some equipment of primary importance. Through the financial assistance of RAA USA, this department prepared a film devoted to Jugha (director: Tiran Karapetian). The first night of this film was held at Narekatsy Art Centre in late April. In May the English version of the film was shown at the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia for some Parliamentarians from the European Council who arranged its show in Strasbourg. On 15 December, a year after the annihilation of Jugha Cemetery, the film was also shown in the Armenian Writers' Union. During the year, it was shown on different Armenian TV channels.

 
DIGITIZATION OF ARCHIVES

  In 2006 18,339 images were photographed, digitized and double-copied on CDs, thus the images digitized totaling 89,873 with 2,617 CDs.

RAA - INTERNET SITE
www.armenianarchitecture.am

    In 2004 the organization worked out and completed an Internet site representing a database of Armenian historical monuments. It enables users to carry out a multilateral search of Armenian historical settlements and monuments reflected in a "tree" of hierarchy. This system was tested in 2005. In 2006 it was enriched with a "tree" representing the Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT) , with 4,225 key words.

    During 2006 the database of Armenian historical monuments was enriched with:

    1 1,152 monuments;
    2 122 toponyms;
    3 1,603 images;
    4 3,282 citations regarding both settlements and monuments;
    5 614 inscriptions;
    6 16,175 monuments described in terms of the AAT keywords.

    The database of Armenian historical monuments contained the following records as of 31 December 2006:

    1 4,833 monuments;
    2 1,628 toponyms;
    3 10,388 images;
    4 10,996 citations regarding both settlements and monuments;
    5 2,321 inscriptions;
    6 16,175 monuments described in terms of the AAT keywords.

    At present an updated version of this database is being worked out.

    The site represents the activity of RAA Organization, its recent publications, exhibitions, articles, etc.

A database of images for Internal Use

    In 2005 Windows Application Programme was worked out for the facilitation of image entry and description. It enables you to fill in many lines simultaneously, searching for and filtering (finding) the necessary images. It also reflects the exact location of the images written on CDs, making it possible to do a search of the monuments according to their names, type, the toponym of the settlement they are situated in, etc.

    During 2006 25,685 images were registered with at least a single describing feature.

    The images of the database total 92,468.

    The images registered with at least a single describing feature total 83,865.

WORKS PUBLISHED WITHIN THE SERIES OF "RAA. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHES"

    Below follows a list of the works published within the unique series of RAA books entitled "Scientific Researches":

    1 The Armenian Lapidary Inscriptions of Boon Aghvank, Yerevan, 1997 (in Armenian);
    2 The State Policy of Georgia and the Monuments of Armenian Culture, Yerevan, 1998 (in Armenian);
    3 Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 1999 (in Armenian); Yerevan, 2000, in Russian, and Yerevan, 2001 (in English).
    4 The Princely Castles of Artsakh and Syunik, Yerevan, 2001 (published in Armenian under the patronage of Shahen and Martha Harutiunian, Los Angeles, USA).
    5 The Mayors of Tiflis, Beirut, 2003 (published in Armenian and Russian by Zaven & Fils publishing-house, Beirut, Lebanon, under the sponsorship of Razmik and Violet Tadevossian, London, UK).

    During that year, RAA also issued an illustrated English booklet on the annihilation of Jugha Cemetery.

    6 The Armenian Collection of the Caucasian Museum (in Armenian, sponsored by Hayk and Sose Vardapetian); Beirut, 2004 (Zaven & Fils publishing-house);
    7 Northern Artsakh, Beirut, 2004 (in Armenian, Zaven & Fils publishing-house);
    8 The Armenians in Cahetia (in Armenian, sponsored by Archbishop Sepuh Sargissian), Beirut, 2004 (Zaven & Fils publishing-house);
    9 Javakhk, Beirut, May 2006 (in Armenian, Zaven & Fils publishing-house; sponsored by Raa USA).

    In 2006 the aforementioned publishing-house printed an illustrated booklet entitled Jugha.

WORKS PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION WITHIN THE SERIES OF "RAA. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHES"

    The Microtoponyms of Artsakh

    The work includes about 6,000 microtoponyms, i.e. the names of hills, fields, rivers, springs, tributaries, waterfalls, mountains, settlement quarters and even lonely trees: in other words, names associated with the Armenian land (most of them are mentioned in different written sources).

    We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Armenian National Science and Education Fund (ANSEF), whose grant enabled us to accomplish the collection of Artsakh's microtoponyms and prepare the aforementioned work.

    The Armenian Churches in Georgia

    The work treats the detailed history of about 650 Armenian churches (both Apostolic and Catholic) situated in the territory of the Republic of Georgia. Written on the basis of more than 4,000 published and unpublished sources, mainly dug out of the Armenian and Georgian archives, it includes over 1,000 photographs as well as hundreds of archive and contemporary measurements.

WORKS BEING PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION WITHIN THE SERIES OF "RAA. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHES"

    The Historical Monuments of Artaz

    Like all the other districts of Historical Armenia, Artaz, at present occupying Iran's north-west, is rich in different Armenian historical monuments. The book presenting them most circumstantially is of great significance both from the standpoint of its scientific merits and the cultural-political ties between the two countries, improving their partnership day by day.

    Nakhichevan

    Nakhichevan is one of those districts of Historical Armenia that abounds in cultural monuments: annexed to Azerbaijan since 1921 and totally stripped of its Armenian population since 1988, it has continually suffered cultural "genocide" marking the annihilation of a great number of Armenian monuments. The eloquent proof of this is the cemetery of Hin (Old) Jugha, where thousands of khachkars (cross-stones) were reduced to ruins between 1998 and 2002.

    The available materials regarding the district, different maps and other sources have enabled us to present a work unique both from cultural and political standpoint.

    The Lapidary Inscriptions of Western Armenia

    The Turkish authorities have been continually demolishing the Armenian monuments throughout Western Armenia since 1915. The Armenian lapidary inscriptions, constituting about 95 % of the lapidary material the area used to have, did not escape obliteration either.

    The work summarizes the materials available thanks to the investigation conducted by different topographers who worked in Western Armenia till 1915. It also includes the copies of the lapidary inscriptions collected during the scientific expeditions RAA organized in the past decades.

    The Lapidary Inscriptions of Artsakh

    For many years, about 3,600 Armenian lapidary inscriptions were copied and deciphered during the investigation RAA Organization implemented in the territory of Artsakh. In 2006 some fieldwork is to be carried out there for the accomplishment of the book which will be enriched with a spate of photos and copies of lapidary inscriptions.

    A Chronological List of Aghvank Catholicoses and Artsakh Diocese Leaders

    The work, treating the history of Aghvank Catholicoses (from the 4th century till 1810) and Artsakh diocese leaders (from 1810 to the present times), is enriched with photos and a map.

MAP

    On the order of the Department of Migration, Refugees and Resettlement attached to the Government of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, RAA Organization prepared a large map of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh which was published through the means of Artsakh Foundation, Beirut, Lebanon.

CALENDARS

    The organization published an illustrated calendar for the year 2007 devoted to the process of the restoration of Dadivank Monastery.

APPEAL

    In the aftermath of the unfortunate political events that occurred during and after World War I, most of the territory of Historical Armenia now forms part of the adjacent countries. Thus, the districts of Artaz and Parspatunik are located within Iran's borders, the most important of the local Armenian monasteries being generally reconstructed under state auspices. The other neighbours of Armenia, however, do not share this respect for culture and religion: the deliberate destruction of Armenian religious monuments is still in process in Turkey (see RAA Report for 1997, St. Bartholomew Monastery), the Armenian churches being consistently appropriated in Georgia.

    Between November and December 2002, Azerbaijan, one of the member-states of the UN, UNESCO, ICOMOS and the European Council that also intends to be admitted to the European Union, realized the premeditated annihilation of about 2,700 nicely-carved cross-stones in the centuries-old cemetery of Hin Jugha, Nakhichevan, Azerbaijan. The unique monument complex fell victim to the barbarity perpetrated after the example of the aggressive followers of Taleban.

    RAA NGO calls upon you to join this appeal of protest and expose the cultural "genocide" with all possible means, denouncing Azerbaijan in the world organizations.