On October 2, with the blessing of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, a solemn ceremony marked the opening of a workshop to restore and conserve museum objects at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
Established at the initiative of the Catholicos of All Armenians in the “Alex and Marie Manoogian” Treasury, the workshop has been equipped with the necessary equipment through the Government of Japan’s Cultural “Grassroots” Grant Program, with the support of the Embassy of Japan in Armenia and the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU).
The opening ceremony was attended by Ms. Yoko Anazawa, Deputy Head of Mission of Japan in Armenia; Mr. Vasken Yacoubian, President of AGBU Armenia and a member of the AGBU Central Board; as well as representatives of museums in Armenia, restoration specialists, officials of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Armenia, and Japanologists.
His Eminence Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisian conveyed the blessing and words of appreciation of His Holiness the Catholicos of All Armenians to those present.
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In his opening remarks, the Very Rev. Fr. Asoghik Karapetyan, Director of the Museums and Archives of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, spoke about the workshop’s activities and thanked the Government of Japan and the Armenian General Benevolent Union for their support.
For her part, Ms. Yoko Anazawa, Deputy Head of Mission, expressed satisfaction with the fruitful cooperation and hope that the equipment would help restore and preserve museum objects.
Mr. Vasken Yacoubian spoke about the longstanding cooperation between the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and AGBU, emphasizing that treasures preserved in museums bear witness to the national identity and people’s historical memory. He highlighted the importance of equipping the workshop with innovative equipment contributing to the restoration and preservation of these treasures.
The workshop’s activities will make it possible to expand the exhibition of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin’s museum collections, enabling the public to properly view and appreciate the spiritual and cultural treasures preserved in the museum repositories.
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
