1997_10 The Daily Collegian October 1997

              October 1997
Hye Sharzhoom
REFLECTIONS, cont. from
Page 1
once stood before ihe fall of Com¬
munism allowed it to become one
of the first signs of the old regime to
be removed. Now near the former
site of the statue is an area contain¬
ing 2.750 fountains in dedication of
the 2.750 years of Armenian his¬
tory.
Many audience members at the
presentation may have been sur¬
prised 10 see so many changes in
Armenia. Downtown Yerevan is
now home to numerous modem
stores thai SO many of us here in the
United Slates take for granted. A
few of these include an Electrolux
store where Armenians can pur¬
chase modern electronic appliances,
a 24-hour flower shop, as well as
many new restaurants sporting
Western European and even Ameri¬
can themes, S«>roe of these restau¬
rants include a pi/./a parlor, which
is one of the newest crazes in Arme¬
nia, and, even a Chinese restaurant
not far from the Chinese Embassy.
Complete with modern. Western
architecture these restaurants pro¬
vide Armenians with new meal al¬
ternatives dial were previously un¬
available.
Moving on through Yerevan.
Professor Der Mugrdechian took
us to some other sitesin and around
die city. These included the statue
ol' Vardan Mamikonian as well as
some of the large shopping centers
and bazaars where one can fine
anything from carpets to automo¬
tive goods to pets being sold out of
the trunks of cars.
One oi the largest construc¬
tion projects currently underway
in Armenia is the building of the St.
Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral
in Yerevan. This church which
will become the largest in Armenia
will cost no less than several mil¬
lion dollars to complete and is set
tobecompleted by June. 2(K)1 when
Armenians from around the world
will converge upon the country to
join in the celebration of the 1700th
anniversary ol Armenian
Christian izaiion.
Few villages are now left in
Armenia: in Soviet limes, approxi- 1988. 500,000 people were left
mately 80?r of the population was homeless creating what is the larg¬
est social prob¬
lem in Armenia
today. *Wt.ile
mostofthedam-
age was sus¬
tained in the
northeastern re¬
gion of Armenia,
destruction re¬
mains in many of
these areas to¬
day. Many of the
survivors were
forced to live in
train cars and
shacks while ihey
waited for the ful¬
fillment of
Mikhail
Gorbachev's
promise to rebuild
.ill lost housing in
two years But with the fall of
Communism so fell the hopes of the
Armenians. A few new housing
developments have been con¬
structed, however, a blockade, hy
Azerbaijan and Turkey has pre¬
vented necessary raw materials from
entering Armenia.
With the fall Of Communism
many lactones in the enure country
closed. Today no factory in Arme¬
nia has more than lfH oi its work
force in action. A visit to the Mar¬
tyrs Monument is discouraging in
the sense lhat because oi the bliKk-
ade. not enough natural gas is avail-
Barlow Der Mugrdechian left, with Bill Rice right, at the Areni Vineyard
urban. There is now a movement
for Armenians in return to their •
agrarian ways. Aspart oi this move¬
ment, the MA.P. project allows
Fresno State representatives to work
closely with the Armenian people
to hn ng them up to speed in the area
of agriculture. There is also a big
movement in Armenia for women
to work in the home economy to
preserve food'in order to get it to
the marketplace.
A visit to the earthquake /one
was a quick reminder of the cata¬
strophic damage lhat resulted from
tlie earthquake oi December 7.
able to keep the eternal flame lit.
Included in the presentation
was a visit to the newest cemetery
in Armenia, a sad reminder of the
lives lost over the struggle for
Karabagh. Not far from Karmir
Blur. Armenia's most ancient ex¬
cavation sue daung from the 8th
century B.C.. women tend the
graves of their loved ones washing
them down and burning incense.
12.000 ub 15.000 Armenians died
in the battles over Karabagh repre¬
senting roughly 10% of the popu¬
lation of ihe enure region. As a
result. Karabagh has suffered iso¬
lation from the world. Despite a
cease-fire in 1994. the men buried
hereVmany of whom were in their
early twenties serve as a living
reminder to the Armenians of the
situation in Karabagh.
.While many. of. us. here in
Fresno celebrated the Blessing ol
the Grapes at church picnics and
the like. Professor* .Der
Mugrdechian was fortunateenough
to be at the headquarters of the
Armenian church at Eichmiadzin
for the ceremony. By presenting
the audience with a glimpse into
the beauty oi .Armenia we see that
with the proper resources Armenia
could easily be one oi the world's
most beautiful destinations. Pro-
lessor Der MutrdechianV'Re flec¬
tion^" on his summer spent in Ar¬
menia quickly turned into a won¬
derful experience that those in at¬
tendance will not si>on forget.
UNESCO Chair of Armenian Art History at
Yerevan State University Completes First Year
Paintings of Ani at Exhibit in
Armenian National Gallery
Ky Barlow Der Mugrdechian
The UNESCO Chair of Arme¬
nian Art History completed its first
year at Yerevan Slate University in
the Spring 1997 semester. Bishop
Garegin Hovsepian had established
a Chair of Armenian Art and Ar¬
chaeology at Yerevan State Uni¬
versity in 1919 dunng the period oi
the First Republic of Armenia. Af-
the Program in the 1996-1997 aca¬
demic year. Twenty-eight students
enrolled in the first year courses-
23 women and 5 men. Ten faculty
join Professor Chookaszian in the
Program. AS one enters the newly
renovated UNESCO Armenian Art
office, one sees the beauty of Ar¬
menian art decorating the walls.
Yerevan State University is mov¬
ing towards the four-year bacca-
The first class of the Yerevan
Department Professor Levon
ter the establishment of Soviet rule,
thefjhair wasclosed. mostprobably
because the religious content of the
art ran counter to Soviet ideology.
So, for nearlyvseventy years, there
was no program in Armenian Art at
Yerevan State University.
Starting from scratch. Profes¬
sor Levon Chookaszian reopened
State University Armenian Art History
Chookaszian, left is the Director.
laureate degree and away from the
previous five-year system.
During the first year courses
such as Art of tte Ancient World,
Early Armenian Art, Pagan and
Early Christian Art. and Introduc¬
tion to Armenian Art History were
taught. In addition basics of archi¬
tecture and Byzantine art, archae¬
ology, language, painting and draw¬
ing, and an in general, as well as the
history of Armenian coins were
offered. Two foreign languages are •
required as well as two years of
Classical Greek and Classical Ar¬
menian.
Students have adifficult sched¬
ule of classes. Monday through Sat-
, urday. for a total of 36 hours of
class a week.
The
UNESCO
Chair of Arme¬
nian Art is be¬
ing partially
funded- by a
grant from
UNESCO
which wjll run
through 2001.
The University
pays the salaries
of the faculty
and the
UNESCO grant
pdysforasmall
amount of
books and
equipment.
"The study
of Armenian art
is important for
the University."
says
Chookaszian,
"It brings a much needed knowl¬
edge of culture to the University." '
As more and more specialists
become involved with the
UNESCO Chair, experts will be
prepared for study abroad. Ex¬
change programs with foreign uni¬
versities are also in the works.
National Art Gallery Director Shanen Khachatunan, center,
at the opening of the Ani Exhibit
By Barlow Der Mugrdechian
The exhibit "Ani in Armenian
Painting." which was dedicated to
the 1700th anniversary of the proc¬
lamation of Christianity as the Na¬
tional Religion of Armenia, opened
on August 20.1997 in the National
Gallery oi Armenia, co-sponsored
by the State Museum oi History oi
Armenia
His Holiness Karekin I.
Catholicos oi All Armenians, was
present to bless the opening.
National Gallery Director
Shahen Khachatunan explained the
significance of the occasion and the
special reasons why Am was cho¬
sen as the subject for the display.
"A thousand years ago. when
Ani was the beautiful and produc¬
tive capital of Armenia, the resi¬
dents of Armenia would say with
pride, "Ani-the City of a Thousand
and One Churches."
Many people painted the ruins
oi Am. but only one. the anist
Martiros Saryan. who had seen Am
many times, said perhaps the most
characteristic staiement about Am.
"It is impossible tp tell about Am.
one must see it."
One must see Am with their
own eyes, but today one can see
Am through the works of artists
who have depicted her haunting
beauty.''
Artist Arshag Fetvajian. faith¬
fully depicted Am through his wa¬
ter-colors and drawings. Vankes
Sureniantspainted Am through his
view of Armenia, woven in green
and orange colors. Gevorg
Bashinchaghian used his poeuc
brush to capture die lync nature of
the city. Maruros Sanan saw Am
for the first time in 1901. and it
seemed a dream or a fable to him.
The display of paintings and
current photos'made for an expan¬
sive look at the once glonous city
of Ani.