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YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s Ministry of Culture and Russia’s State Hermitage on December 13 signed a cooperation agreement on examining the archeological materials of the Red Hill, reports “Armenpress”.
The agreement was signed by Culture Minister Armen Amiryan and General Director of the State Hermitage Mikhail Piotrovsky.
“The agreement contains a serious content. The points included in it were approved by President Serzh Sargsyan. I am proud that I continue my father’s work”, Mikhail Piotrovsky said.
Culture Minister Armen Amiryan stated that days before Mikhail Piotrovsky’s birthday was celebrated, he congratulated him and awarded him a memorial medal on that occasion.
Speaking about the Red Hill, Piotrovsky said nothing is possible to examine until the end, and as the example of the Red Hill showed, it is still possible to observe it and achieve interesting results. “Today we have discussed with the President the issue of making the territory as a tourism zone”, Piotrovsky said.
As for the agreement, Culture Minister Armen Amiryan stated that the cooperation layers are various. “It was necessary to sign that agreement in order to carry out works in specific timeframes. At the moment I can only say that we have signed a scientific, cultural cooperation agreement which I think will serve for the recognition of the Armenian culture”, the Minister said, adding that the agreement was signed for one year, but it can be extended. “At this moment, the territory is not in good condition. Of course, the material received from excavations will be shown at various museums. Perhaps, there will be an opportunity to build a museum in that place, everything depends on what types findings will be discovered”, the Minister said.
Director of “Erebuni” Historical and Archeological Museum-Reserve Gagik Gyurjyan said the Red Hill covers 40 hectares, from which only 4 hectares are excavated.
“There is an opportunity to excavate its 80%. The anthropological data discovered there, the materials related to the wealthy people, the tombs are important”, Gyurjyan said.