Cultural Celebration Continues After Covid Restrictions, Says Minister of Education

The Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, Araik Harutyunyan, posted on his Facebook page: "Cultural celebration continues after Covid restrictions: Ejmiatsin is currently a unique center showcasing the exceptional works of Tadevosyan. Visit Ejmiatsin." Officially, the festivities have commenced in honor of the 150th anniversary of the renowned Armenian painter Yeghishe Tadevosyan.

Today, Minister Harutyunyan, Armavir Province Governor Hambartsum Matevosyan, Deputy Minister of Education Narine Khachatryan, Ejmiatsin Mayor Diana Gasparyan, Director of the Archives and Museums of the Mother See of Holy Ejmiatsin, Father Asoghik Karapetyan, and Director of the National Gallery of Armenia Marina Hakobyan, among others, participated in the ceremony unveiling the memorial plaque situated near Tadevosyan's family home on R. Melikyan Street in Ejmiatsin.

By the initiative of the National Gallery of Armenia, with the support of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports, as well as the State Service for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments, the outer wall of the artist's family home has now been recognized as a newly identified local significant monument.

The event dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the renowned painter continued at the branch of the National Gallery of Armenia, the Mher Abeghyan Museum, where Tadevosyan's named exhibition hall was opened. Addressing the attendees and congratulating them on the occasion of the hall's opening, Harutyunyan expressed confidence that it would become one of the cultural centers of the region. "The events dedicated to the anniversary of the great artist are a celebration for all of us. I am glad we have the opportunity to hold such a festival after the restrictions imposed due to the pandemic. With the opening of this exhibition hall, Ejmiatsin is becoming a significant center for the celebration of Yeghishe Tadevosyan, in line with our logic of balanced territorial development. I am confident that not only residents of Ejmiatsin but also those from other communities in the Republic will visit the hall. It is also important for us to carry out educational programs during the festival, as Yeghishe Tadevosyan is an example we aspire to have in the field of education and culture; he combined his talent with efforts to receive education and present his art in the best light," the minister stated, urging art enthusiasts to actively participate in the events dedicated to the painter's 150th anniversary.

Ejmiatsin Mayor Diana Gasparyan remarked that the events dedicated to Yeghishe Tadevosyan's anniversary will be continuous. "I am pleased that, thanks to the collaboration with the Ministry of Education, we were able to organize the opening ceremonies of the exhibition hall and the memorial plaque. I believe we will not feel a lack of educational and cultural programs dedicated to the renowned artist's anniversary," said the mayor.

Alongside the opening of the exhibition, a plein air event was held in the garden adjacent to the museum, involving students from the Yeghishe Tadevosyan Art School in Ejmiatsin and the Panos Terlemezyan State College of Fine Arts in Yerevan.

Marina Hakobyan, director of the National Gallery of Armenia, noted that these events are of great importance for the reevaluation and understanding of Armenian fine arts from the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. She presented that the exhibition, rich in genre diversity and stylistic and formal variety, includes around fifty paintings and graphic works created by Tadevosyan during his various travels and years, including masterpieces such as "Christ and the Pharisees," "Ararat," and "Our Street in Vagharshapat," some of which are exhibited for the first time. Essential elements of the exhibition also include studies and sketches, rich biographical material preserved in the museum's manuscript department, valuable samples from the artist's correspondence, and unique photographs of historical significance.

The event concluded at the Komitas Palace of Culture in Ejmiatsin with an evening dedicated to Yeghishe Tadevosyan’s 150th and the 100th anniversary of the prominent Armenian composer Alexander Harutyunyan. Under the live performance of Harutyunyan's works, guests were introduced to Tadevosyan's previously unexhibited works, provided by Vahagn Grigoryan and Mkrtich Papoyan from their personal collections.

It should be noted that during the festival dedicated to Yeghishe Tadevosyan's 150th anniversary, the National Gallery of Armenia will implement educational interactive programs and lectures.