The capital of Armenia, Yerevan, is sometimes called «the city of museums and galleries». In this article, we offer all lovers of cultural tourism the to make an interesting trip and find out what are the most popular museums and galleries of Yerevan should be visited during the trip:
Matenadaran
Located on Mashtots Avenue, Matenadaran is one of the most popular attractions of the city. It is a research institute and the largest repository which contains more than 16,000 ancient Armenian manuscripts of V – XVIII centuries telling about the long history of the Armenian people. Here you will also find a collection of early printed Armenian books of the XVI – XVIII centuries. Besides Armenian exhibits, Matenadaran also hosts lots of world valuable artifacts in foreign languages. The visitors will also have an opportunity to see the largest and the smallest books in the world which are presented in the museum. Nowhere else in the world, you will find such an interesting educational museum and no wonder that it has become so popular among tourists.
The History Museum of Armenia
The History Museum of Armenia, located on Republic Square, keeps about 400 thousand exhibits. Among them, about 5 thousand are displayed in the permanent exhibition. Undoubtedly, being a country with such a rich history, Armenia has a lot to show. By visiting this museum, you’ll plunge into ancient times, walk along the dusty and old streets of the city, and get acquainted with the everyday life of the 19th–century inhabitants.
The National Picture Gallery
The National Picture Gallery is located in the same building as the History Museum and occupies the upper floors from the third to the eighth. It is one of the largest museums in the CIS! Here are presented the numerous masterpieces of Armenian, Russian, and foreign paintings. Just imagine, in the section of Western Europe, there are paintings of the world’s great masters like Tintoretto, Rubens, Jordaens, Guardi, Bassano, Van Dyck, Fragonard, Goya, Hubert Robert, Gustave Courbet, Jean-Baptiste Greuze and others. Amazing! The sections of Armenian and Russian paintings are no less magnificent. Few best galleries in the world can boast such wealth. And what else we’d like to note is that all the inscriptions under the paintings are made in three languages: Armenian, Russian, and English.
Museum of Sergei Parajanov
Almost all who come to Yerevan, try not to miss an opportunity and visit the house museum of the world-famous director Sergey Parajanov. Sergei Paradjanov is an avant-garde film director and screenwriter, who gave worldwide fame to Armenia and brought a lot of new to the film technology of the country. This museum has repeatedly hosted traveling exhibitions in major world capitals, including Moscow and they have always had great success. And in the museum itself, you can enjoy all the exposition at once, which contains photos depicting the life of the great director, sketches for his films, drawings, collages, and installations made by his hands, and lots of other interesting things.
House-museum of Martiros Saryan
Martiros Saryan is one of the most talented, loved, and valued Armenian artists. His house museum founded in 1967 is a must-visit place for all judges of art. The master’s landscapes, still live and portraits are full of vivid, bright, and meaningful colors. The museum itself is a 3-storeyed building where chronologically are presented all works of Martiros Saryan. Visit the museum during your trip to Armenia and discover the unique style, light, and colors of such a great master and get а deep understanding of the national coloring of Armenia.
