The employees of the regional Service of Vayots Dzor and the “Gladzor University” for the Protection of Historical Environment and Cultural Museum Reservations and “Arpi” Natural Reserve jointly held a number of events in Areni community within the framework of the “European Heritage Days” program, under the title “Heritage and the community”.
The eighth grade students of the secondary school of Areni had the opportunity to visit the “Bird’s cave” grotto (“Arena 1” state index, 9.8.12) and were acquainted with the cultural peculiarities of the V- IV millennia BC.
Then the participants visited the village’s oldest man, 91-years-old Samvel Tsaturyan, who gladly entertained and told them about the history of the House-Museum. S. Tsaturyan presented the visitors ancient things, a carpet of 1911 which had been inherited by his mother, as well as many household items that have been left out of everyday life.
The event continued in Areni house of culture, which hosted an exhibition called “Heritage”. It included winches, hackles, torks, bobbins, rugs, jugs, copper trays, as well as photos of many other things. The administrator of “Gladzor University” cultural museum reserve Boris Kocharyan told the visitors how all those items were used.
The series of events ended with a matinee “Heritage and Areni Community” where was presented the cultural wealth of the community, historical and natural monuments, sites and shrines, crosses and tombstones and many valuable records. During the event students of Areni secondary school made a presentation on the sights, monuments and crossstones. At the end the mayor of Areni community Sergey Sukiasyan and Vayots Dzor’s Regional Protection of Historical Environment and Cultural Museum Reservations head Dovlatyan Melania made a speech urging the villagers to keep and preserve the rich cultural heritage of the region, which they inherited from their ancestors and to pass it future generations.
The event was attended by the governor of Vayots Dzor, chief specialist of the Department of Culture Aghasi Hovhannisyan, the director of Areni school, as well as teachers, veterans and cultural sector workers.
