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The Central Bank of Armenia has put into circulation the Sevanavank silver commemorative coin from the “Historical Doors” series.
The coin was presented on November 13 at the National Gallery of Armenia.
Marina Hakobyan, Director of the National Gallery of Armenia, emphasized that the event brought together the Central Bank of Armenia, which initiated the project; the History Museum of Armenia, whose permanent exhibition includes the historic door of the Holy Apostles Church of Sevanavank; and the National Gallery of Armenia.
Hakobyan noted that one of the gallery’s exhibition halls is currently hosting a temporary exhibition presenting side by side the door of the Holy Apostles Church of Sevanavank and “The Abandoned,” a masterpiece by renowned artist Vardges Surenyants, which depicts the aforementioned church door in precise detail.
“It is a very moving moment because, 130 years after its creation, the painting ‘The Abandoned’ has appeared in Armenia for the first time. It was brought here from the National Gallery of Kazakhstan with considerable difficulty. In this unique setting for a dialogue, these two objects—the original door and the door depicted in the painting—have met,” Hakobyan emphasized, thanking the Central Bank of Armenia for the important initiative.
According to the director, the project is based on the preservation, appreciation and new presentation of Armenian and global cultural heritage.
Alfred Kocharyan, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia, said that discussions around the idea began in 2024.
“Together with our partners at the Central Bank, we were thinking about how to place greater value on our cultural heritage and how to use this method more effectively to promote it. It seems we have succeeded, and I am confident that this initiative will continue,” the deputy minister said.
He added that the History Museum of Armenia has a significant collection of valuable doors, and that in 2026 the museum acquired another item: a wooden door panel from an Armenian church dating back to 1188, one of the unique examples of Armenian woodcarving, purchased from the Sam Fogg gallery in London by a decision of the Government of Armenia.
The deputy minister expressed hope that other items preserved at the museum would also find their place on commemorative coins over time.
Armen Ktoyan, a member of the Board of the Central Bank of Armenia, said that Armenian cultural heritage contains formulas for the future that need to be properly recoded and viewed as guiding scenarios for the road ahead.
“It is also highly symbolic in that the door of the Holy Apostles Church of Sevanavank, which served as a boundary in space 500 years ago, today stands as a boundary between eras, separating the past, present and future. Thanks to this cultural treasure, we can travel back in time and draw from the past the missing components of our value system that will enable us to move toward the future,” he said.
Ktoyan described the issuance of the commemorative coin as another opportunity to promote, appreciate and reinterpret Armenia’s rich historical and cultural heritage. According to him, the carved wooden door, crafted as far back as 1486, is an interesting and important example of Armenian medieval applied art.
“Each such issue provides an opportunity not only to preserve historical memory but also to present our cultural heritage to a wider audience, including the international numismatic community,” Armen Ktoyan stressed.
The event was held as part of an exhibition bringing together Vardges Surenyants’ painting “The Abandoned” and the historical door depicted in it, symbolizing the importance of preserving and promoting Armenian cultural heritage.
The “Sevanavank” silver collector coin features ultra-high-relief engraving technology applied to both its obverse and reverse, further accentuating the beauty of the exquisitely crafted door created by skilled medieval Armenian artisans. The historic door is preserved as a treasured example of Armenian cultural heritage at the History Museum of Armenia, where it remains under special state protection.
The obverse features the coat of arms of the Republic of Armenia, while the reverse depicts the 1486 door of the Holy Apostles Church in Sevanavank.
The coin is minted at the B.H. Mayer Mint, Germany.