Ամփոփվել են «Հայաստանի ոչ նյութական մշակութային ժառանգությունը» մրցույթի արդյունքները

Results of the “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Armenia” Competition Summed Up

Articles
Ամփոփվել են «Հայաստանի ոչ նյութական մշակութային ժառանգությունը» մրցույթի արդյունքները

October 17 marks the International Day of Intangible Cultural Heritage. On this occasion, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia announced a competition entitled “The Intangible Cultural Heritage of Armenia” for students in grades 8–12, which took place from October 3 to 9. Within seven days, nearly 1,700 students participated.

Today, Minister Zhanna Andreasyan presented certificates of appreciation and incentive gifts to the winning students. The award ceremony was held at the Hovhannes Sharambeyan Museum of Folk Arts and was also attended by Deputy Minister Alfred Kocharyan.

Congratulating the schoolchildren on both the occasion and their success in the competition, Minister Andreasyan expressed hope that, regardless of contests, the celebration of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Day will become a tradition in Armenian society:

“It is very important that we are able to clearly recognize, distinguish, and understand the intangible cultural heritage that forms part of our daily lives — and know how to preserve and develop it. I believe our rich intangible cultural heritage can become a true source of inspiration and a motivation for creative work.”

The Minister emphasized that the high level of participation demonstrates a genuine public interest in the field, which serves as a strong foundation for future initiatives.

“The preservation, development, and promotion of intangible cultural heritage are national priorities, enshrined in the 2023–2027 Strategy for the Preservation, Development, and Promotion of Culture. The inclusion of new elements in both the national and UNESCO lists is an ongoing process,” noted Andreasyan.

She also stressed the importance of involving schoolchildren in collecting and incorporating relevant information into educational databases, encouraging them to inspire their peers to join similar initiatives, and expressing gratitude to teachers for their continued dedication.

As an incentive, the winners received Astghik Israelyan’s book “Salt and Bread” (2023) and the opportunity to participate in the Folk Art Museum’s educational programs on carpet weaving or traditional Armenian song and dance.

Եփած օճառի պատրաստման ու կիրառման ավանդույթը Լեռնային Ղարաբաղից բռնի տեղահանվածների մշակույթում

The Tradition of Making and Using Boiled Soap in the Culture of Forcibly Displaced People from Nagorno-Karabakh

Articles
Եփած օճառի պատրաստման ու կիրառման ավանդույթը Լեռնային Ղարաբաղից բռնի տեղահանվածների մշակույթում

Soap-making, or “soap boiling,” was one of the widespread household practices in Artsakh. The earliest references to it are found in Russian statistical and ethnographic sources. According to these materials, both women and men were engaged in soap-making: at home it was usually women’s work, while in towns professional male soap-makers carried on the craft.
The process of boiling soap was the same in both rural and urban settings. Traditionally, sheep and cattle fat were used, and later also pig fat, together with lime and caustic soda. During slaughter, fat was separated from the meat, cut into small cubes, and stored for soap-making. Since slaughter took place a few times a year, the fat was saved each time so that once or twice a year large quantities of soap could be boiled at once. This soap was considered an irreplaceable stain remover and bleaching agent.
The cubed fat was placed in a large copper vessel called «tuj» in the Artsakh dialect and set over the fire. Once melted, the other ingredients were added. In Hadrut there were a few women known for their ability to add precisely the right proportion of caustic soda (commonly known by its Russian name «potash»). If too much or too little was added, the soap would fail, so experienced women were always invited to ensure the proper mixture.
When the contents of the «tuj» turned into a homogeneous, viscous mass, it was ladled into buckets and other containers that served as molds. These were placed on rooftops to dry, and the finished soap resembled a cheese. For use, it was cut into pieces, or the laundry was rubbed directly on the soap block. The soap could be stored and used for years.
It was mainly employed for washing heavily soiled clothes and bleaching linens. As locals recall, for the best results laundry was first rubbed with the soap, left for a while, and then washed. The soap had strong foaming properties.
It was especially widely used during the First Artsakh War in the 1990s, although it was also prepared before that period.

Ժողովրդական արվեստների թանգարանի հավաքածուն շարունակում է համալրվել

The Collection of the Folk Arts Museum Continues to Grow

Articles
Ժողովրդական արվեստների թանգարանի հավաքածուն շարունակում է համալրվել

The Hovhannes Sharambeyan Museum of Folk Arts has recently received valuable donations. Syrian-Armenians Seda and Nazareth Tevekelian have gifted the Museum a number of family heirlooms, including delicately handwoven bobbin lace doilies made by their mother, Mari Tevekelian, along with other items belonging to their family: an embroidered coverlet from Aintab, a set of baptismal garments used across several generations, an example of Arapkir “manusa” (traditional handwoven striped textile), and embroidered “tutkap-bakhchas” (a type of embroidered wrapping cloth or bundle) featuring raised flat stitch embroidery.
We are pleased to announce that these pieces will be featured in the exhibition of the Museum’s Dilijan branch.
The Museum extends its deep gratitude to the Tevekelian family for their precious donation, as well as to Andranik and Alina Dakesian, who in recent years have donated not only these items but also other valuable artifacts from their family collection. Andranik Dakessian, Director of the Armenian Diaspora Research Center at Haigazian University, is one of the Museum’s most trusted friends. He has played a vital role in building bridges between diaspora artisans and the Museum, supporting the process of identifying and collecting folk art treasures within the diaspora for donation to the Museum.

3-Ժողովրդական արվեստների թանգարանի հուշանվերային խանութի բացումը

Opening of the Folk Arts Museum Gift Shop

Articles
1-Ժողովրդական արվեստների թանգարանի հուշանվերային խանութի բացումը

On July 3, the official opening ceremony of the souvenir shop and lounge café took place at the Hovhannes Sharambeyan Museum of Folk Arts. Among the distinguished guests were Mr. Alfred Kocharyan, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia; H.E. Mr. Vassilis Maragos, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary; Mr. Vasken Yacoubian, President of AGBU Armenia; the AGBU “KATAPULT Creative Acceleration” program team, as well as other high-ranking guests.
This initiative is a vivid example of effective multi-sector cooperation, aimed not only at enriching museum life, but also at fostering positive cultural, social, and economic changes.
At the Museum’s gift shop, visitors can purchase a variety of remarkable items from the field of folk art, including handmade pieces by folk artisans.
The project was implemented with the support of the European Union, within the framework of the “KATAPULT Creative Acceleration” program, which is implemented jointly with the AGBU Foundation (Armenia) and the “Creative Armenia” Cultural Foundation. The Museum extends its sincere gratitude to FlexiTree Furniture Studio for sponsoring the furnishing of the space.

Շաթալ գուլպա գործելու ավանդույթը Լեռնային Ղարաբաղից բռնի տեղահանված հադրութցիների մշակույթում

The Tradition of Knitting Shatal Socks Among Displaced Armenians from Hadrut, Nagorno-Karabakh

Articles

Socks are an essential element of the Armenian traditional costume. Ornamental knitted socks were made in various regions of both Western and Eastern Armenia. The socks in question belong to the category of short women’s socks adorned with intricate patterns. In the 20th century and the early 21st century, Armenian women from the Hadrut region of Nagorno-Karabakh continued to knit a variant known as shatal socks. The name shatal is likely derived from the specific knitting technique used.
These socks required a unique knitting technique and featured complex ornamentation, making them highly valued. They were considered precious gifts and were included in bridal dowries. Before marriage, girls would learn and knit such socks to offer as gifts to members of the groom’s family. Worn primarily during festive and ceremonial occasions, they were richly embellished with detailed designs. In Hadrut, they were knitted from the toe up using two needles. The toe was decorated with “Tree of Life” motifs. The knitting was uniform and delicate. Unlike ordinary socks that could be unraveled and re-knit when worn out, these were more durable due to their toe-up construction.
Traditionally, the yarn was handspun from wool and dyed using natural materials in copper pots: onion skins, madder roots, walnut husks, celandine, and other plants. During the Soviet era, chemical dyes became common, and today, ready-colored woolen yarn is typically used. Mentions of sock-knitting traditions among the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh appear in various ethnographic studies. Descriptions of the Syunik-Artsakh costume group often include ornamental socks. It is noted that women knitted while sitting, walking, or conversing, a testament to their skill and dexterity.Numerous ethnographers (A. Stepanyan, N. Avagyan, among others) have explored the symbolism of motifs and colors, knitting techniques, and geographical distribution. Ethnographer S. Poghosyan, in her article “Artistic Features of Traditional Women’s Attire in Artsakh” (Artsakh State University Scientific Bulletin, No. 1, 2022), also discusses shatal socks, noting that in Zangezur and Nagorno-Karabakh they were decorated with hook-shaped and T-shaped motifs. Women’s socks were short, with wide bands and narrow linear patterns, while men wore longer socks.
The sole and upper part of the sock often featured white square motifs. The front surface frequently depicted two birds facing each other and floral designs. The central motif was bordered with an ornamental frame, sometimes including the eternity symbol. The upper part was decorated with diagonal and spiral patterns. In some variants, woven borders replaced knitted ones, and bird patterns were embroidered with floral motifs. These shatal socks were made using needles and crochet hooks from wool, cotton, goat hair, or silk thread.

ՀՈԴՎԱԾՆԵՐ

Educational Programs of the Museum of Folk Arts in Beirut and the First Folk Master from the Diaspora

Articles
ՀՈԴՎԱԾՆԵՐ

From April 3 to 13, 2025, the Hovhannes Sharambeyan Museum of Folk Arts was on a working visit to Beirut, where it carried out educational programs and awarded the title of “Folk Master” to the first recipient from the Armenian Diaspora.

At the invitation of Haigazian University, the Museum implemented educational programs in Beirut for the fourth time. Gayane Aslanyan, Deputy Director for Development, and woodcarving master Vahe Mnatsakanyan visited Beirut to lead the activities. As part of the Museum’s educational platform, artistic woodcarving workshops were held for students of Armenian schools in Beirut. It is worth mentioning that in previous years, the programs focused on Armenian carpet weaving and blacksmithing.

The first master from the Diaspora to be awarded the “Folk Master” certificate is 94-year-old Zaven Gazandjian. The awarding process was recently updated, allowing masters not only from Armenia but also from the Diaspora to apply. Remarkably, Mr. Gazandjian is a third-generation representative of a coppersmithing family. He also donated to the Museum a copper tray crafted by his grandfather Hovhannes Gazandjian in Urfa, dated 1905.
The Museum extends its gratitude to Mr. Gazandjian and to Dr. Andranik Dakessian, Director of the Armenian Diaspora Research Center at Haigazian University.

ՀՈԴՎԱԾՆԵՐԻ ՖՈՏՈ

Barekendan

Articles
ՀՈԴՎԱԾՆԵՐԻ ՖՈՏՈ

Barekendan is an Armenian folk festival that is movable, as it is associated with the celebration of Holy Resurrection. Its duration is two weeks, with the second week being called Bun Barekendan. The festival is characterized by communal singing and dancing, feasts, games, and amusements, mask-wearing performances, the overturning of traditional societal norms, diverse and hearty food, and more. Being movable, the celebration took place in February or early March and was linked to the arrival of spring. The amusements had the purpose of joyfully greeting the awakening nature, and people wished each other a good life. The performances had a carnival-like nature, with masks, and the roles were imitations of real-life people and events. The presentations were grouped around themes of daily life, history, ethnoculture, love, and value systems.
Until the early 20th century, Barekendan was one of the most beloved holidays among Armenians, accompanied by masquerades, games, and dances. In the early 20th century, Barekendan was interrupted, but it shared many similarities with the masquerade traditions of European and Slavic peoples.
As an intangible cultural heritage, this celebration can have a positive influence on relationships within communities, different groups in society, and individuals, fostering friendship, closeness, and respect. At the same time, it promotes the development of festivals, bringing Armenian culture closer to its historically and civilizationally native culture and contributing to the formation of public leisure.

ՀՈԴՎԱԾՆԵՐ

Armenia’s Participation in the 38th Surajkund International Crafts Festival

Articles
ՀՈԴՎԱԾՆԵՐ

Armenia participated in the 38th Surajkund International Crafts Festival and Fair, held from February 7 to 23 in Faridabad, India.
Every year, the Folk Arts Museum takes part in this event with the support of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of the Republic of Armenia.
The museum’s artisans – Armenuhi Khachatryan, Marine Gharibyan, and Taguhi Asatryan – showcased a variety of Armenian handicrafts and conducted masterclasses for visitors of different ages interested in Armenian craftsmanship.
The Armenian pavilion won second prize in the “Best Foreign Pavilion” category. The award was presented to the museum’s master embroiderer, Armenuhi Khachatryan, by India’s Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar.
Armenian artisans also held doll-making and carpet-weaving masterclasses at the Armenian Embassy in India for the wives of ambassadors and diplomats from various countries, as well as for expatriates and locals living in India. Additionally, they presented materials about Armenia’s culture and history.

ՀՈԴՎԱԾՆԵՐի ֆոտո

On the Etymology of the Nicknames of the Ritual Doll Narin/Nurin

Articles
ՀՈԴՎԱԾՆԵՐի ֆոտո

EMMA PETROSYAN
One of the rituals to call for rain in drought consider to make a doll of the Bride of the Rain, lead it around the village (from house to house) with sing, dance and ask for food to feed” it. The nickname Bride of the Rain is possible to interpret as the Bride of the Thunderer.
The ceremony ends with a meal for the participants and the drowning of the doll as a connection with the Bridegroom – the Rain.
This plot is called “Heavenly Wedding in the Indo-European mythology”. The main name of the doll usual is considered Narin/Nurin.
The semantic of the name Narin/Nurin is Indo-European or Nostr. – * ner/* nor and associates with the female mythological creature. The etymology of the name goes back to Nostr. * nara – ‘fire’ or Hitt. Nara (from ancient Greek Nereus) – * narin> nurin – ‘sea nymph’, ‘bride’. Probably, the secret her name is the Goddess of fertility, Mother Earth. Different districts have their own way of making dolls: they dress up a broom for a bride, wrap a ladle, a spoon, tiе sticks or a bundle of straw crosswise, or dress up a girl or an adult․ The objects from which the dolls made, give them the name as a nickname – an obvious name, as is the case in the mythology of many peoples. The nickname of the Chamcha Khatun doll, as the double of ‘ladle, large spoon’ and Khatun ‘Mistress’.
The nickname Soup Doll refers to the object from which the doll is made. The nickname Khurdzkululu is derived from khurdz – ‘sheaf’ and kululu (el) ‘bunch’, that is, ‘bundle’ of straw. Such is the broom. Variants of the names of the doll Kashuk, Gudza, Koti / Godi, Chomcha, Chomcha kelen indicate the identity of the objects from which the doll is made and the names of the ritual porridge, as well as the portion size. This way builts the semantic series of nicknames (codes) of the goddess Narin / Nurin.
According to the chronology of the plots of Indo-European mythology, the forming of the ritual of the Great Goddess relation to water and fire belongs to the third chronological level of the 8th-6thMillenniumB.C.
The geography of the myth indicates that it originates in the Middle East among the early Indo-Europeans, and the Great Goddess took over the functions of the Virgin of Creation, providing fertility and abundance.
http://www.old.ysu.am/files/05E_Petrosyan.pdf

ՀՈԴՎԱԾՆԵՐ

Handmade Works of Armenian Craftsmen at the Spittelberg Christmas Market

Articles
ՀՈԴՎԱԾՆԵՐ

Armenia is participating in the Spittelberg Christmas Market in Vienna with a separate pavilion.
Until December 23, the Armenian pavilion will display the handmade works of about 40 masters: samples of woodwork, embroidery, felting, pottery, doll making, and souvenirs.
The Museum of Folk Arts, which has been engaged in the preservation and popularization of intangible cultural heritage for many years, participated in the organization of the pavilion. The Museum has extensive experience in ensuring the representation of the country on various international platforms. Back in 2023, Armenia participated for the first time in the Strasbourg Christmas Market, widely known in Europe, presenting the handmade works of Armenian masters.
The program is implemented by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia, jointly with the Yerevan Municipality, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, in cooperation with the Cultural Development Foundation, the Museum of Folk Arts and the Fastex Company.
The aim is to promote Armenia’s cultural heritage and to increase the country’s visibility.
The Spittelberg Christmas Market in the Austrian capital of Vienna has been held since the 1970s in one of the historic districts of Vienna. It is one of the most famous Christmas markets in Vienna, attracting thousands of visitors every year. The market takes place on the pedestrian streets of Spittelberggasse, Gutenberggasse and Schrankgasse in the Spittelberg district of Vienna, which are distinguished by their beautiful architecture and festive atmosphere.