A BRIEF REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF RESEARCH ON ARMENIAN ARCHITECTURE ORGANIZATION FOR THE YEAR 2007

 
http://www.raa.am; http://www.raa-usa.org; http://www.armenianarchitecture.am

   The purpose of Research on Armenian Architecture (RAA) NGO, founded over 38 years ago, is to find and investigate Armenian cultural and historical monuments in the territory of Historical Armenia, Armenia Minor, Cilicia and the Diaspora. The results of this research are presented to the public at large in the form of books, documentary films, as well as in the aforementioned web sites.
   The problem is the same everywhere: we face the task of taking photographs of the monuments, measuring them, having them fixed onto maps and recorded on video to save them at least in these ways before their final annihilation.

RESEARCH CONDUCTED IN WESTERN ARMENIA
   In 2007 our research team made a one-month journey to the Districts of Artahan, Cheldr, Kars, Russian Basen, Kaghzvan, Surmalu, Bagrevand, Andab, Manazkert, Khlat, Artzke, Arjesh, Moosh and Bulanegh. We registered 457 monuments, made measurements of 45 architectural buildings (castles, monasteries, churches, chapels) and took over 5,800 photos. We also discovered and deciphered more than 250 lapidary inscriptions, including some that had not been deciphered properly and thoroughly so far.
   This scientific trip was made under the patronage of Galust Gyulbenkian Fund.
   The representatives of the organisation made two more journeys to Western Armenia, one together with the Primates of Lori and Shirak Dioceses of the Armenian Church, Bishops Sepuh and Michael, and the other through the financial assistance of Hayk Film Studio. Thanks to these trips, we enriched our database with 4,300 photos.

RESEARCH CONDUCTED IN GEORGIA
   In June and July 2007, the organisation made two trips to Georgia which lasted three weeks on the whole. During this period, research was implemented into the Armenian historical monuments of the Districts of Akhaltskha, Tzalka, Tetri-Tzegharo, Bolnis, Dmanis, Marneul, Khashur, Kareli, Gori, Kaspi and Mtskhet, as well as Tbilisi City. Our work yielded over 4,400 photos and 41measurements.
   The scientific trips were made under the patronage of Galust Gyulbenkian Fund.

RESEARCH CONDUCTED IN THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
   During the year, we continued the documentation (we started it in 2006) of the historical monuments preserved in the Regions (Marz) of Gegharkunik (Ddmashen, Jil); Kotayk (Buzhakan, Solak, Bjni); Vayots Dzor (Gndevank, Arates, Yeghegis, Noravank), and Syunik (Aghitu, Vorotnavank, Tatev).

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 (13th cent.), 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.
   Dadivank Complex, which is one of the most important monuments of Armenian architecture, has all the possibilities for future functioning.
   During the year, the collaborators of the organisation worked out the restoration projects of St. Dad Church and the basilica of the monastic complex as well as those of its smaller gavit and portico. These projects won the approval of the Monuments Preservation Department of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh.
   During the excavations carried out in the bema of St. Dad Church, the workers unearthed a skeleton (most probably, that of St. Dad), some wooden fragments of a throne, the surviving part of a wall as well as fragments of varying dimensions preserved out of a structure.
   On 21 July, the consecration of St. Dad's remains was held, with Primate of Artsakh Diocese Archbishop Pargev officiating at the ceremony attended by the newly-elected president of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh as well as many church dignitaries and high-ranking statesmen.
   From these days until December, the pilasters of the church and the upper parts of its walls were restored, and part of the prayer hall was paved.
   Parallel with this work, the basilica of the monastic complex was renovated: the loosened mortar of its roof and the soil accumulated there were removed, and it was laid with newly-hewn slabs of tufa. Besides, its eastern and western pediments were restored, with its floor being paved with basalt.
   The workers also removed the loosened mortar and soil from the roof of the smaller gavit, which has been restored with a gable roof covered with newly-hewn slabs of tufa. The floor of the gavit was paved with basalt and its northern portal was restored.
   The accumulated earth and loosened mortar were also removed from the roof of the portico. Its vault was laid with reinforced concrete. A drainage ditch was dug at the juncture of the portico and the basilica.

LECTURES AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES
   In different universities the members of RAA delivered lectures and reports, accompanied by slide display, on the settlements and cultural monuments of Historical Armenia. Once a week, similar lectures were delivered in Narekatsy Art Centre and in the hall of the History Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia.
   The documentary entitled Jugha was shown in the educational institutions of Yerevan and different regions of the republic. CONFERENCES
   On 3 September 2007, Samvel Karapetian participated in an international conference on Albanian Studies during which he made a report on the Armenian Lapidary Inscriptions of Boon Aghvank.
   On 27 November, he took part in another international conference (From Remembrance to Commemoration) presenting a report on The Past and Present State of the Historical Monuments of Western Armenia.

RAA FILM
   During the year 2007, the Film Department of RAA worked on the film entitled Culture Beyond Law: it represents the conditions of the Armeniakn historical monuments in Georgia.
   The department was equipped with a new computer and other necessary devices donated by Head of Narekatsy Art Centre Narek Harutiunian.

DIGITIZATION OF ARCHIVES
   During the year, on the initiative of the late Prime Minister A. Margarian, the Organisation received funds from the budget of the Government of the Republic of Armenia. A certain amount of money was also transferred by the authorities of Vorotan Hydroelectric Station and Kajaran's Factory of Copper and Molybdenum, thanks to which, RAA acquired the following equipment:
   Computers.
   Computer P IV, CPU Core(TM) 2 6300 2X1.86 GHZ, MotherBoard P5B, Graphics Card ASUS V513 X1600 Series, 1GB RAM, HDD 2 x 320GB S-ATA RAID, Monitor Asus MM17 LCD
   Computer P IV 3.4 GHZ, 1 GB RAM, HDD 320GB S-ATA
   Computer P IV, Intel D CPU 3.4 GHZ, MotherBoard Intel Desktop Board D975Xbx, Graphics Card ATI Radeon X1050, 1GB RAM, HDD 5 x750GB S-ATA RAID, Monitor SyncMaster 740N LCD 17”
   Computer P IV 3.00 GHZ, MotherBoard Intel Desktop Board D975Xbx, Graphics Card ATI Radeon X1050, 448 MB RAM, HDD 80GB
   Monitor Samsung 793
   Other Devices.
   Switch D-link 8 port
   UPS E-Pro 800VA
   DVD-RW Pioneer
   During 2007 over 18,000 images were digitised, the aggregate of the images digitised reaching 108,000.
   Attached to this report, we are presenting a list of the equipment the Organisation has at its disposal (see Appendix 2).

RAA - INTERNET SITE
www.armenianarchitecture.am
   In 2004 the organisation 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. After the system had been tested successfully in 2005, in 2006 it was enriched with another "tree" representing the Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT) that includes 4,225 keywords.
   During 2007 our collaborators were mainly engaged in testing the database, making some corrections into it and translating the already existing Armenian data.
   The data entered into the database during the year are as follows:
   1 178 monuments;
   2 40 toponyms;
   3 172 images;
   4 592 citations regarding both settlements and monuments;
   5 53 inscriptions.
   The Database of Armenian historical monuments comprised the following data as of 31 December 2007:
   1 5,011 monuments;
   2 1,668 toponyms;
   3 10,560 images;
   4 11,588 citations regarding both settlements and monuments;
   5 2,374 inscriptions;
   6 16,175 monuments in accordance with the AAT keywords.
   We plan to issue the second, updated version of this database. Its programming and design have already been completed and it will be available on Internet in January 2008.
   www.raa.am
   The site represents the activity of the organization, its recent publications, exhibitions, articles, etc.
   In 2007 we started working out the second version of this site which is to reflect the structure of the organisation and its ties with other organisations. It should be dynamically updated with periodically issued news (for the time being, the news will be available only through electronic publishing(. The new site needs to be database driven, to be a dynamic and an easy updating one, so that its content can be updated constantly (PHP-MySQL).

A DATABASE OF IMAGES FOR RAA's INTERNAL USE
   During 2007 81,559 images were registered with at least a single describing feature.
   The total number of the images in the database 110,144
   The total number of the images registered with at least a single describing feature 107,244

A DATABASE OF MAPS FOR RAA's INTERNAL USE
   At present we are working out a new database for the registration of the base maps we have at our disposal as well as the geographical coordinates of the monuments that are fixed during our research trips.

WORKS PUBLISHED WITHIN THE SERIES OF "RAA. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHES"
   In 2007 the Organisation published two scientific works: 1 the English translation of the book Northern Artsakh (vol. 6) printed in Armenian in 2004 (translated by Gayane Movsissian; published under the patronage of Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Tigran Torossian and his spouse Arax Torossian); 2 the 10th volume of our scientific series, My Memoirs (in Armenian: "Kyankis Husherits") by Sirak Sarhadian (published through the financial contribution of Arthur Sarhadian).
   During the year, the Organisation also published a Turkish-Armenian Self-Tuition Manual (Ermenice Ö$renim Kitabi) by Raffi Kortoshian. Its primary goal is to help the Armenian Muslims of Western Armenia learn their mother tongue.
   Attached to this report, we are also presenting a list of scientific works that are either being prepared for publication or are already ready for print (see Appendix 1).

CALENDAR
   RAA Organisation published an illustrated calendar for the year 2008 dedicated to Akhaltskha.

PRIZES
   In 2007 three of Samvel Karapetian's works, The Armenian Collection of the Caucasian Museum, The Armenians in Cahetia and Javakhk. were awarded a prize by the President of the Republic of Armenia. A presidential prize was also granted to Tiran Karapetian for the documentary film Jugha. This film also won the First Prize in the nomination of Documentary Films at the Film Festival Yes Em (It is Me).

VAN
   For the purpose of facilitating the research trips to Western Armenia, Georgia and Artsakh as well as those made in the territory of the present-day Republic of Armenia, in 2007 RAA Organisation purchased a van (FordTransit) that can transport 16 people thanks to the financial contribution of the late Prime Minister A. Margarian.

Dr. Armen Hakhnazarian
RAA Founding Director