My Armenia Program

My Armenia Program My Armenia is a collaborative cultural sustainability and tourism program between USAID, Smithsonian

My Armenia, a joint partnership of USAID, the Smithsonian Institution, and the people of Armenia, harnesses the power of research, documentation, and storytelling to strengthen cultural sustainability through community-based tourism development. My Armenia program engages with local partners in community-based research to document Armenian cultural heritage. Building on this collaborative research

and working with sustainable tourism experts (Solimar International), My Armenia will increase and share knowledge about Armenian cultural heritage while identifying opportunities to enhance and increase community-based tourism to rural Armenia. To learn more:
www.folklife.si.edu/cultural-sustainability/my-armenia/smithsonian

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15/12/2021

Mikael Shelemetev and Paloma Rubio, a young couple, moved from Spain to the village of Tandzaver in 2019 to develop geotourism in Armenia. Once Mikael visited this hidden corner of Armenia, tucked away in the mountains near the iconic Tatev Monastery and tram, it felt like home to him. He was fascinated by everything: the people, mountains, gorges, tranquility, clean air, and the prospect of engaging in tourism activities. Mikael and Paloma’s settling in the village is not only about two young people finding their new home in this wonderful corner of nature, but also about how local villagers redefined their opinions about their surrounding environment.
Tandzaver - Mountain' Spirit / Տանձավեր

15/12/2021

The hosts of this experience are Karen and Vardan, two brothers whose dream was to develop ecotourism in their hometown of Artabuynk. In 2017, they established a guesthouse on a hill above Artabuynk, at the base of the mountain leading to the historically significant Smbataberd Fortress. Vardan is a tour guide who developed a trail from the village of Yeghegis (on the opposite side of Smbataberd Mountain) up to the Smbataberd Fortress and back down to his village of Artabuynk. He knows every tree and stone on the trail, as well as many legends and stories about local folklore and history.
Ayrarat Guest House

14/12/2021

Harutyun is a third-generation winemaker who has transformed his love into a profession and business. When Harutyun’s grandfather Jivan Hovhannisyan moved to the Ararat Valley from Vayots Dzor in 1964, he brought with him a vine originally planted by his father to ensure the continuity of his family’s winemaking traditions. Harutyun keeps his family’s winemaking traditions alive while also developing new innovations.

14/12/2021

Avetik Grigoryan ran a successful restaurant in the main town of Martuni and used those proceeds to establish a restaurant in the ancient settlement of nearby Mtnadzor, the nearly abandoned village where he grew up. As a child, Avetik spent many summer days with his father and grandfather in Mtnadzor and the surrounding mountains.
Մթնաձոր Ռեստորան

13/12/2021

Vahagn Hambardzumyan and Zara Gasparyan are spouses and artists who run Sisian Ceramics, which is first and foremost a pottery studio that uses local clay from the mountains of Sisian. Inspired by local nature and history, the studio seeks to preserve and restore traditional pottery-making practices. Recently, they came up with the idea for Hatsatun, a restaurant to cook and serve traditional dishes in their own ceramic creations. Zara uses organic fruits and vegetables from their garden, all naturally grown in the region.
Sisian Ceramics

13/12/2021

Anzhelika Dajunts and her daughter Ashkhen Mashuryan established this small homestyle business not only to serve traditional, rural dishes, but also to showcase their local hospitality. The restaurant called “Loby” (“beans” in Armenian) is next to Anzhelika's house and is sharing the garden. Ashken’s great-great-grandfather, Samson, a famous master-builder, constructed the house nearly 100 years ago.
LOBY Goris/ ԼՈԲԻ Գորիս

11/12/2021

With more than fifty years of experience as a beekeeper, Grisha Harutyunyan and his daughter-in-law Anush Malintsyan are the perfect hosts for this experience. Anush learned from her grandmother about the healing properties of beeswax, as well as the folk traditions of using it to treat wounds and skin cracks. With this wisdom, Anush has created a cream that helps heal the skin.
Hotel Yeghevnut

11/12/2021

The host of this experience is Arpine, a young and enthusiastic woman from Areni village. She was a crafts teacher at a private center for kids in Yerevan, but she moved home to Areni village in order to share her knowledge and skills with the residents from her birthplace.
Արհեստանոց Arhestanots

10/12/2021

The hosts of this experience are Svetlana and Gevorg, who started winemaking during the 1990s. They share a similar story with the majority of families living in late-Soviet Areni and are helping to keep Areni’s local winemaking heritage alive. As the wine factories refused to take their grapes, they decided to make their own wine to not lose their entire harvest. At the time, they couldn’t imagine that they’d become one of the village’s first homemade winemakers who would host tourists and introduce local wine and the story of Areni village as the homeland of wine production. This married couple is full of warm hospitality and stands apart with their ability to learn and innovate, combined with their inquisitive minds and an incessant desire to build better lives together.
Ar Areni restaurant

10/12/2021

After serving in the army, Alex Nersisyan returned to his hometown village of Aghavnavank with a big dream: to develop the local community and to preserve and illuminate its cultural heritage. Hoping to represent some of the village’s rich culinary customs, which are found nowhere else in Armenia, Alex established a small restaurant. He also plays guitar, especially in the evenings, when guests gather around the bonfire and enjoy the music and singing. Alex will help you discover Aghavnavank, one of the idyllic rural communities in Tavush, a countryside with expansive, splendid views.
Աղավնատուն / Aghavnatun

09/12/2021

Hasmik Khachatryan was inspired by her great-grandmother to restore the craft traditions of tailoring taraz (or Armenian national dress) in Gyumri. Taking into consideration her professional and family traditions, Hasmik decided to return to her favorite occupation with her husband Michael by creating the Tnak sewing workshop and clothing shop in 2014. The revival of traditional costumes for dance ensembles inspired Hasmik and her colleagues in 2019 to establish the Zanan Cultural House as a place for the study of costume sewing and traditional national dress. The name comes from Michael’s sister, Hermine, who was called Zanan by her father as an expression of paternal love and tenderness.
Zanan

Address

1 Northern Avenue
Yerevan
0010

Opening Hours

Monday 09:30 - 18:30
Tuesday 09:30 - 18:30
Wednesday 09:30 - 18:30
Thursday 09:30 - 18:30
Friday 09:30 - 18:30

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