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UNESCO adds Khachaturian’s manuscripts to world documentary heritage

hese are 15 music manuscripts and cinema music stored in Khachaturian’s museum house in Yerevan

Aram Khachaturian, 1959 News in pictures TASS

Aram Khachaturian, 1959

© News in pictures TASS

YEREVAN, February 8 (Itar-Tass) - Manuscripts of one of the outstanding composers of the 20th century, Soviet Armenia's Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978), have been included in the register of the world documentary heritage, Memory of the World, of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Armenian Minister of Culture Asmik Pogosyan handed a certificate to the director of the composer’s museum house Armine Grigorian in Yerevan on Friday.

“Armenia lodged an application to include manuscripts in the register at the suggestion of Armenian foreign and culture ministries in 2012. These are 15 music manuscripts and cinema music stored in Khachaturian’s museum house in Yerevan, and several documents presented by his son Karen,” said Grigorian.

The minister of culture said that “the composer’s works nourished by the rich national tradition had a great impact on Armenian, Soviet and world culture” mentioning his ballets Gayane, Spartacus, Sabre Dance, concertos and symphonies, cinema music and songs that “are deservedly listed in the treasury of national and world music”.

The international music contest held annually in Yerevan on the composer’s birthday acquired membership of the World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC) last May.

UNESCO’s Memory of the World programme launched in 1992 aims to protect documentary heritage, to provide users’ equal access and disseminate information about its existence and significance. Armenian part of the register includes a collection of Matenadaran’s manuscripts (since 1997) and the First Byurakan Survey - a study of the sky carried out in 1965-80s by a group of scientists from the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory led by Beniamin Markarian (on the register since 2011).

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