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YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS:American-Armenian philanthropist Julian Hovsepian in memory of his wife Maria and daughter Dana Hovsepian today donated to the Armenian National gallery 8 canvases of world famous painters – Fransua Lemuan’s “Girl with a flower”, Jakopo Bassano’s (da Ponte) “Weavers”, Sassoferato’s (Giovanni Batiste Salvi) “Praying Madonna”, Francua Bushe’s “A Sleeping Baby and Angels”, Luis de Morales’s “Lowering of the Cross”, Jan Mark Nattier’s “The portrait of a woman”, Nicola Larzhilier’s “Ludwig’s 15 in Childhood”, “Self Portrait” and 12 Urartu samples. According to former actress of national academic theatre after G. Sundukian, director of New York Armenian “Echo” radio station Karine Kocharian said it was the aim of J. Hovsepian’s life to come to Armenia and to make denotation. According to the American-Armenian philanthropist many Armenians who live abroad and have great wealth must buy cultural values and enrich our gallery and museums. Though J. Hovsepian has never been to Armenia he has an idea from books and journals. “Even destroyed Armenia is my homeland. You mustn’t betray your homeland the way you cannot betray your mother. Being in Armenia I can say that it is surprisingly prosperous,” J.Hovsepian noted. The head of the state committee of relations with Diaspora Hranush Hakobian greeted the donation and noted that “the true Diaspora Armenian coming to Armenia must kiss this soil, look at Masis and be delighted with it, light a candle in Etchmiadzin, wash his hands in Sevan lake and the most important bow and put flowers on the Genocide memorial”. According to her this is a sign of love and loyalty towards the homeland. Repeating the words of Armenian president she added: “The world is the house of an Armenian and Armenia – his home”. A number of paintings were not brought to Armenia because of their size. Some Urartu samples together with these paintings will find their place in the Armenian gallery in the nearest future. K. Kocharian also noted that even the frames of the paintings are antiquity and works of art. J. Hovsepian has already donated a number of works to Matenadaran and other museums. Armenian prime minister Tigran Sargsian today awarded the 94-year-old philanthropist with a prime minister’s medal.