Viva donated an exclusive parchment Gospel to the Matenadaran (Photos)

One of the manuscripts considered lost during the Armenian Genocide, the parchment Gospel written by Elder Barsam, found its place in the Matenadaran after 355 years. The manuscript was seen at the beginning of the 20th century and described in his Vaspurakan manuscript list by ethnographer, folklorist, writer and philologist Yervand Lalayan. The list he compiled includes 480 manuscripts. More than half of them, 281 manuscripts, are kept in the Matenadaran, while the remaining 199 are still considered lost. The number of those included in the list has decreased by one.

Created in the Basen province, dating back to 1670 and considered lost during the Armenian Genocide, the unique parchment Gospel is already in the Matenadaran. Viva donated 15,200,000 (fifteen million two hundred thousand) AMD to partially cover the costs of acquiring the manuscript and to present it to the Matenadaran. The solemn ceremony of presenting the manuscript took place during the opening of the exhibition titled “1 Year of Eternity - B. Manuscript Additions to the Matenadaran” organized within the framework of the International Congress of Armenian Studies. The ceremony of presenting the manuscript was attended by about four dozen leading scientific and educational institutions, representatives of spiritual and manuscript centers, museum directors, scientists, cultural figures, and representatives of partner organizations.

"The Matenadaran's partners have been joined by another leading organization. With the support of the Viva Armenia company, a Gospel written before the Armenian Genocide and then considered lost is returning home, called "The Savior." From now on, we can also endow the Viva Armenia company with this same title, since with its support this exclusive complete parchment manuscript was saved from oblivion and found its eternal home in the manuscript treasury of the Matenadaran," said Ara Khzmalyan, director of the Matenadaran.

“When I came to the Matenadaran, the director told me about the efforts they have made to return the relics to their historical homeland. I also had the opportunity to get acquainted with how and what the museum employees are working on. The story about the lost Gospel, which was created more than 355 years ago, was especially impressive. We are used to talking about strategies, technologies, numbers. However, there are things that go beyond the boundaries of everyday life. Everything that the Matenadaran employees are engaged in is not just scientific work, but a manifestation of love for the culture and historical heritage of Armenia. Seeing them working in their laboratories and how they restore the pages of our memory is extremely impressive.

"That is why we at Viva supported this initiative with great responsibility. We are happy and grateful to have been able to contribute to the return of the Gospel, a part of our spiritual and historical DNA," noted Tigran Gasparyan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Viva.

“It is a great honor for me to participate in this memorable event. At the same time, it is a pride to do so on behalf of Viva, an organization that has been shaping a responsible culture in Armenia for 20 years. A Chinese proverb perfectly describes what I feel today: “Forgetting your ancestors means being a stream without a source, a tree without roots.” I think it will not be considered sentimental if I say that although, due to circumstances, I do not speak Armenian perfectly, this does not prevent us from remaining true to our identity in its entirety. That feeling was doubled here, during the presentation of the exclusive Gospel on parchment. The exceptionally valuable manuscript written more than three centuries ago, which was considered lost during the years of the Armenian Genocide, today finds its place in an environment important to all Armenians. I congratulate all of us,” said Armen Avetisyan, General Director of Viva.

The Gospel is bound in dark brown embossed leather, the flaps are decorated with carvings, medallions, and a metal cross. The manuscript is written in circular script, is complete, and contains the Gospels of the four evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The manuscript is also valuable from the perspective of miniature decoration. There are miniature elements specific to the Gospels: images of the evangelists and nameplates, illuminated manuscripts and illuminated miniatures, which are notable for their unmixed, pure color solutions and solid integrity of the composition.