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ARMENIA EXPANDS FAMOUS MANUSCRIPT REPOSITORY
Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenialiberty.org
Sept 20 2011
Amenia - A new building of Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient
Manuscripts inaugurated on September 20, 20Sep2011.
President Serzh Sarkisian and the top leaders of the Armenian Apostolic
Church inaugurated on Tuesday a new, more sprawling building of
Armenia's world-famous Matenadaran repository of ancient manuscripts.
The Matenadaran, officially called the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of
Ancient Manuscripts, was founded in 1959 to house and maintain one
of the world's richest collections of handwritten books spanning a
broad range of subjects, including history, philosophy, medicine
and literature. It currently has 17,000 mainly Armenian-language
manuscripts and 30,000 other documents of interest to scholars.
A fraction of those manuscripts dating back to medieval times is put
on display at a museum operating within the old Matenadaran building
which is perched on a hillside overlooking downtown Yerevan.
The Armenian government initiated in early 2008 the $14 million
construction of a new building adjacent to the existing one. It will
now house the manuscript repository itself as well as other facilities
of the institute employing hundreds of people.
Armenia - Manuscripts and other old books kept at a new building
of Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts inaugurated on
September 20, 19Sep2011.
The project was financed by Russian-Armenian businessman Sergei
Hambardzumian and Maxim Hakobian, a major shareholder in Armenia's
largest mining company. They donated $10 million and $4 million
respectively.
Sarkisian paid tribute to both businessmen as well as Artur Meschian,
a prominent Armenian musician and architect who designed the building,
in a speech at the inauguration ceremony.
Catholicos Garegin II, the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic
Church, and Catholicos Aram I, the number two figure in the church
hierarchy, then consecrated the building in a joint prayer service.
The new structure is equipped with a high-tech laboratory to preserve,
restore and digitize manuscripts.
"This is one of the most important events taking place within the
framework of the celebrations of the republic's 20th anniversary,"
Hrachya Tamrazian, the Matenadaran director, told RFE/RL's Armenian
service (Azatutyun.am). He said it is "opening up huge possibilities
for internationalizing Matenadaran's scientific activities."
Tamrazian also emphasized the fact that the reconstruction will lead
to a major expansion of the manuscript museum. The Matenadaran's
entire old building, constructed in 1957, will be used for permanent
exhibitions, he said.
"It will become one of the world's unique museums," added Tamrazian.
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24334651.html
From: Baghdasarian
Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenialiberty.org
Sept 20 2011
Amenia - A new building of Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient
Manuscripts inaugurated on September 20, 20Sep2011.
President Serzh Sarkisian and the top leaders of the Armenian Apostolic
Church inaugurated on Tuesday a new, more sprawling building of
Armenia's world-famous Matenadaran repository of ancient manuscripts.
The Matenadaran, officially called the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of
Ancient Manuscripts, was founded in 1959 to house and maintain one
of the world's richest collections of handwritten books spanning a
broad range of subjects, including history, philosophy, medicine
and literature. It currently has 17,000 mainly Armenian-language
manuscripts and 30,000 other documents of interest to scholars.
A fraction of those manuscripts dating back to medieval times is put
on display at a museum operating within the old Matenadaran building
which is perched on a hillside overlooking downtown Yerevan.
The Armenian government initiated in early 2008 the $14 million
construction of a new building adjacent to the existing one. It will
now house the manuscript repository itself as well as other facilities
of the institute employing hundreds of people.
Armenia - Manuscripts and other old books kept at a new building
of Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts inaugurated on
September 20, 19Sep2011.
The project was financed by Russian-Armenian businessman Sergei
Hambardzumian and Maxim Hakobian, a major shareholder in Armenia's
largest mining company. They donated $10 million and $4 million
respectively.
Sarkisian paid tribute to both businessmen as well as Artur Meschian,
a prominent Armenian musician and architect who designed the building,
in a speech at the inauguration ceremony.
Catholicos Garegin II, the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic
Church, and Catholicos Aram I, the number two figure in the church
hierarchy, then consecrated the building in a joint prayer service.
The new structure is equipped with a high-tech laboratory to preserve,
restore and digitize manuscripts.
"This is one of the most important events taking place within the
framework of the celebrations of the republic's 20th anniversary,"
Hrachya Tamrazian, the Matenadaran director, told RFE/RL's Armenian
service (Azatutyun.am). He said it is "opening up huge possibilities
for internationalizing Matenadaran's scientific activities."
Tamrazian also emphasized the fact that the reconstruction will lead
to a major expansion of the manuscript museum. The Matenadaran's
entire old building, constructed in 1957, will be used for permanent
exhibitions, he said.
"It will become one of the world's unique museums," added Tamrazian.
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24334651.html
From: Baghdasarian