Ten guides visited Germany during November 2016 to improve their professional skills with the grant provided by the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative to the Yerevan Mesrop Mashtots Research Institute of Ancient Manuscripts (Matenadaran). The guides visited museums and cultural centers in Karlsruhe, Berlin and Dresden.

“This opportunity is quite exclusive in the history of our museums. Never have nine of our guides simultaneously travelled to Europe to enhance the level of their academic knowledge. We have given solution to a number of important issues through one visit”, said Ara Khzmalyan the manager of the project and the advisor to the director of Matenadaran.

“We visited the best museums of Germany and got acquainted with work style of museums, we advanced our knowledge in the field of tour guidance, interaction with visitors and, what is more important, we learned about the means of communicating information in accordance with respective target groups”, noted Shahane Grigoryan, a tour guide at the Matenadaran.   

“It was essential to get acquainted with the work style of our European colleagues, to get to know how they present the exposition and it is very important for me to be able to use it in my work.” Anahit Hakobyan, a tour guide, stated. 

The tour guides who have travelled to Germany were especially impressed by educational programs implemented in European museums for schoolchildren. After returning to Armenia they decided to make the material exhibited at Matenadaran more open for the schoolchildren. 

The program envisages that the manuscripts and material exhibited at Matenadaran are introduced to children through practical classes and innovative approach. 

“As Matenadaran is very rich in exposition the educational program will include a number of courses, such as invention of writing systems, creation of manuscripts, parchments, fable writing, history of medieval medicine. We try to deliver this kind of information in a more comprehensive and interesting way,” Jemma Papoyan said, “We would like to use innovative technologies, animation, in particular.”

“The program is designed not only for students from Yerevan but our guides will visit regions and organize information events. This is going to be an exceptional program with its capacity and diversity as almost all spheres of the middle ages are included”, Ara Khzmalyan noted. 

The grant was provided to the Matenadaran as a part of Armenian Memory Act, a subproject of Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, committed to enhancing the preservation and use of archives and documentation of the Armenian experience.