Ara Khzmalyan, director of the Matenadaran museum in Armenia: “We are witnessing a catastrophe with the destruction of international cultural heritage” | Culture | EUROtoday

“It is a great honor for us to be here and have the opportunity to showcase our written heritage.” Ara Khzmalyan sits in an imposing workplace on the National Library, proud of what’s taking place a number of flooring beneath. No surprise: the exhibition has simply opened Along the paths of the map of spirituality: Armenian manuscript artworkwhich will be visited till June 21. The exhibition brings nearer, for the primary time, Armenian jewellery stored by the Matenadaran Museum of Ancient Manuscripts, an establishment that Khzmalyan has directed since 2023. Located in Yerevan, the Armenian capital, this middle is taken into account probably the most necessary on the planet in its discipline and homes the most important current assortment of Armenian manuscripts: practically 23,000 copies—in Armenian and different languages. The Matenadaran is concurrently an archive, museum, library, analysis institute and restoration middle, and lots of works from Late Antiquity have survived to this present day solely because of their Armenian translations preserved on this institute. Authors comparable to Eusebius of Caesarea or Philo of Alexandria are a part of this legacy, which makes the museum a key actor in world mental historical past. Not in useless, when it comes to quantity and worth of its funds, it’s thought of one of many nice world facilities of manuscripts.

Ask. How do you charge this exhibition on the National Library of Spain? And what does it imply for the Matenadaran to exhibit these manuscripts outdoors of Armenia?

Answer. The fact is that we take into account that the legacy we now have in Matenadaran will not be adequately represented on the planet. Although the scientific neighborhood is aware of very effectively the heritage we protect, most of the people doesn’t realize it. And we predict that these kind of exhibitions are superb alternatives to indicate our legacy. Two years in the past we had the chance to arrange an exhibition in Venice, on the Palazzo Ducale, and right this moment we now have this exhibition on the National Library of Spain. And we’re already enthusiastic about what our subsequent exhibition can be. Our objective is to carry exhibitions in crucial and outstanding establishments on the planet. Furthermore, there are at present processes of European integration between Armenia and Europe, and on this framework this exhibition can also be crucial. We present that for a whole bunch of years Armenia, with its legacy, was a part of the European Christian civilization.

P. What makes Armenian manuscripts distinctive in comparison with different manuscript traditions, and why are they nonetheless related on this century?

R. Our manuscripts are distinctive as a result of they don’t solely present nationwide points: from the primary second of the creation of the Armenian alphabet, we began a translation motion and started to grasp world heritage by means of our written custom. Suffice it to say that within the fifth and sixth centuries we translated Aristotle and Plato. There are major sources of worldwide relevance which have survived because of Armenian translations, and this exhibition exhibits how the Armenian individuals had been open to data of the world. Another distinctive facet is miniature portray, with its completely different colleges. In a way, we will say that the Matenadaran assortment is the presence of our id on the planet, and the presence of the world in Armenian tradition.

P. In the Matenadaran they’ve 1000’s of manuscripts. What standards had been used to pick out these on show right here, and what story do they collectively inform?

R. We consider that our message can also be within the title of the exhibition: “Along the path of the spiritual map. Painting of Armenian manuscripts.” These chosen manuscripts are a pattern of that path. Our historical past has been very advanced. Our bodily geography has modified over time. But wherever we now have been, we now have created writing facilities, manuscripts and a novel miniature custom. Armenia is commonly related to genocide, and as a consequence, the tradition of the Middle Ages generally takes a backseat. Therefore, we hope that this exhibition will increase the understanding of Armenian tradition amongst guests. Also, as our colleagues from the National Library of Spain identified, they had been stunned by how wealthy our manuscript custom is: it’s a part of the Christian custom, however on the identical time it has many particularities and singularities.

P. Given that these manuscripts have sacred worth, how do you perceive right this moment the intersection between spiritual, cultural and id points?

R. It is essential to us that these manuscripts aren’t simply museum objects, however a dwelling presence in on a regular basis life. Sometimes when we now have nice respect for one thing, that additionally creates distance. And an establishment can grow to be a “pantheon.” Therefore, on the museum we’re selling modernization in all instructions. We have round a dozen academic applications for youngsters, to deliver them nearer to this heritage. We wish to convey to you that the Matenadaran is not only a museum, however a spot of data and entry to that data.

P. Managing a group of this stage entails many challenges. What are the primary threats to the conservation of those manuscripts right this moment?

R. I consider that on this space we now have made necessary progress. In the final two and a half years we now have opened three laboratories in Matenadaran devoted to conservation. The first is a biochemical manuscript analysis laboratory. The second produces Armenian restoration paper, which makes us impartial from the worldwide market. And we created a laboratory for the research and restoration of manuscripts in Arabic writing. As we now have many manuscripts in overseas languages, we really feel the accountability to additionally shield the heritage of different cultures. Our restoration division is among the fundamental ones within the area and has six many years of historical past. We additionally prepare specialists overseas; For instance, with help from UNESCO, our restorers prepare consultants in Iraq.

P. Armenia is situated in a area with tensions: the conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno Karabakh, what is occurring in Iran, whose neighbors they’re… How does this context have an effect on the work of defending the museum’s heritage?

R. Armenia has adopted a coverage of peace and we take into account the internationally acknowledged territory of the Republic of Armenia to be protected. As lengthy as there are not any invasions, we consider we’re not at risk. We intently observe the state of affairs in Iran and the Middle East, after all, which can also be necessary as a result of in Iran there’s a giant assortment of Armenian manuscripts [la segunda mayor está en Jerusalén]. We consider that the museum can play a key position in coordinating the worldwide safety of this heritage.

P. In this unstable worldwide context, do you suppose that cultural heritage is sufficiently protected?

R. Not solely is it not sufficiently protected on the worldwide stage, however we will say that we face a real disaster. We see the destruction of religious facilities, church buildings of various cultures and libraries with their heritage. But allow us to keep in mind that literature, artwork and tradition have that means when life has that means. Therefore, the safety of cultural heritage can be really related when the safety of human life can also be related. I hope that, within the midst of all these catastrophes, humanity reaches a consensus, as a result of it isn’t nearly our previous, however in regards to the assure of our future.