RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan, EU Ambassador to Armenia Vassilis Maragos, Matenadaran Director Ara Khzmalyan, and representatives of partner organizations attended the opening ceremony of the Armenian restoration paper unit.

ESCS Minister Zhanna Andreasyan welcomed the attendees and emphasized that Matenadaran has become one of the most productive hubs for innovative ideas and initiatives.

“Pleasant innovations constantly happen in the Matenadaran, which makes us relate to a new layer of the Matenadaran, once again confirming that the expansion of activities here has no boundaries. The Matenadaran is more than a repository and a scientific workplace: it is also an environment for experience and opportunity, where the production of Armenian restoration paper marks a promising development path,” stated Zhanna Andreasyan, expressing gratitude for the initiative.

According to Matenadaran Director Ara Khzmalyan, this is a significant day in the history of the Matenadaran: the almost ten-year dream of the personnel of the Matenadaran restoration department is being realized.

“Matenadaran is a place where not only the treasures ​​stored in the Matenadaran's depository are restored, but also the documentary heritage and monuments of all libraries and museums of Armenia,” Ara Khzmalyan noted, expressing gratitude to the organizations that contributed to the realization of the initiative.

According to the Director, the ESCS Ministry has increased the number of restoration specialist positions, which is important for the professional activities of the Matenadaran, since the volume of restored items steadily increases.

During the event, Matenadaran Director Ara Khzmalyan presented certificates of appreciation to the representatives of the organizations supporting the project.

Thanks to extensive research and experiments by the Restoration Department, a paper has been developed that matches the quality of widely used Japanese restoration paper from local raw materials. The program is co-funded by the “Armenia Tree Project” charitable foundation, the EU-funded #EU4Culture program (main partner: Goethe-Institut), the “Impact Hub Armenia Social Innovation Development” Foundation, and Matenadaran.

To mark the launch of the program, a memorandum was signed between the Matenadaran and the “Armenia Tree Project” charitable foundation, as part of which up to 100 trees were planted.