Levon Vartan Der Bedrossian receives the Movses Khorenatsi Medal for the future Garni carpet museum
- Published
- Place
- Yerevan, Armenia
- Event date
- Past event —
Summary
Benefactor Levon Vartan Der Bedrossian received the Movses Khorenatsi Medal, one of Armenia’s high state honours, in Yerevan on Wednesday, 11 November. Education, Science, Culture and Sport Minister Zhanna Andreasyan presented the award. She praised his contribution to preserving and promoting cultural heritage. The collector is giving Armenia a building in Garni, on the road to the famous temple, along with his personal collection, to create a museum of carpet art. The honour had been conferred on him by presidential decree on Independence Day. The two sides also discussed the future of the museum, which is meant to become a cultural and educational centre. No opening date has been announced.
The ceremony took place at the ministry, in the presence of Deputy Minister Alfred Kocharyan. “In recognition of your contribution, you were awarded a high state honour by decree of the President of the Republic on Independence Day for your significant service and dedication to the homeland,” the minister said. “Your work is important to strengthening our country’s independence and statehood.”
Levon Vartan Der Bedrossian replied with a proverb: “One flower does not make a spring.” For him, this is only the beginning. “By working together, we can establish cultural institutions of a high standard,” he said, calling for “thousands of new steps”.
A building and a collection given to the state
The project dates back to 22 May. On that day, the benefactor and the minister signed a memorandum of understanding. Under it, Levon Vartan Der Bedrossian undertakes to donate property in Garni, in Kotayk Province, to the state, along with his personal collection. He had himself started building the premises along the road leading to the temple. “Armenia and the diaspora have always cooperated, but the time has come to bring those bridges closer and make them practical,” he said at the time.
At the end of July, the government accepted the donation. The decision covers buildings totalling 817.64 m² and two plots of 0.26 and 0.1 hectares on the Geghard road. The donor keeps the right to live in the house.
More than a museum
The future venue is meant to be both a museum and an educational platform: thematic exhibitions, masterclasses, educational programmes. In June, visiting the site, Zhanna Andreasyan described a wider complex, with a contemporary art centre open to artists and a space dedicated to folk crafts. Work was then in its final phase.
The minister is counting on the location. Garni welcomes hundreds of thousands of tourists every year who come to see its ancient temple. In May, she hoped to announce an opening in October. On Wednesday, she said she was confident the museum would be passed on to future generations and give foreign visitors a fine place to discover Armenia.
Analysis
The state’s cultural strategy already provided for a carpet museum. It is finally being born from a private donation. The arrangement is simple: a benefactor builds and gives his collection, the state finishes the work and runs the venue. The ministry presents it as a model of public-private partnership. The medal rewards the gesture. Now the hard part begins: finding an exhibition design worthy of the collection and drawing in Garni’s tourists. The timetable has already slipped, as the hoped-for October opening did not happen.
Possible consequences
The ministry must complete the remaining work and organise the museum. No opening date has been announced.
