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A fresco by Minas Avetisyan

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Only 5 of Minas' large frescoes have survived earthquake and time

Minas (1928-1975), one of the brightest artists in Armenia was known as a talented painter, graphic artist and stage painter, creating the stages for “Almast” opera, “Gayane” ballet and others. His largest frescoes were done in Gyumri.

Between 1970-74, Minas created interior art in Gyumri’s factories and cultural centers. These frescoes were Minas’s legacy, surviving till today. Other works by the master were lost to fire in his studio and others were victim of the 1988 earthquake that destroyed a museum devoted to his work in his native village of Jajour (Shirak marz).

Now only five of his large frescoes out of 14 have survived. The rest are damaged from earthquake or erosion.

The fate of his frescoes was predetermined after the factories were privatized, since the issue of preventing or restoring of the frescoes was never negotiated between the private investors and the government. After the privatization generally all factories were either sold in parts or used as for other purposes such as restaurants or offices. Three of his frescoes were destroyed in Gyumri’s milling factory soon after it was privatized.

“Ten years ago two frescoes from the other factory were rescued,” says Sergey Nazaretyan, the chairman of the “Stability and progress” non governmental organization (NGO). “The frescoes were restored by the Bulgarian specialists who also covered the restoration cost of about $100,000. Today we have to solve the problem of other 9 wall-paintings,” he adds.

Last year the government has allocated 5.8 million drams ($20,000) for the restoration and displacement of the huge fresco “The Nativity of Toros Roslin” from one of the plants.

“The money was provided but no work was done,” says Nazaretyan. “The officials prefer not to talk about it; that amount of money is not enough for saving the unique masterpieces.”

It is for two years Nazaretyan’s NGO is making works on preventing loss of the frescoes. They make photos of the remained frescoes and restore the damaged parts through computer imaging to have the complete image of the works.

“There is another serious issue concerning the fate of Minas’s frescos. We heard that there are plans to take the frescoes from Gyumri to Yerevan, but we will not let that happen. Minas’s origins are from Shirak region and he had his reasons to create his frescoes in Gyumri.”

Nazaretyan says that the fresco “Armenia” which was created in 1973 in the Cultural Center in Vahramaberd village is one in the worst condition. The center was ruined during the earthquake and only the wall decorated with the painting has survived. Ordinary people have built some metal covering to protect the painting from rain and sun but the construction is not effective.

In one of the press conferences last year the Armenian minister of culture Hasmik Poghosyan said that she is deeply concerned with the issue of Minas’s heritage and said one of the main problems of the government’s inactivity is the absence of qualified specialists-restorers. The minister added that in 2008 funds will be allocated for restoring Minas’s frescoes and added that several young specialists were sent to Italy to get correspondent skills.

While the specialists are not back yet Nazaretyan’s NGO is planning to move one of the frescos to the newly constructing city Mayor’s Office, another one is scheduled to be moved to one of the churches in Gyumri, and the other one to the house-museum of Minas Avetisyan in Jajour village (the museum was restored and reopened in 2004 due to the donations from Lincy foundation).