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Crafts and art industries sector has been mainstays of Armenian national culture since Soviet times. Armenian artisans, jewelers, and souvenir-makers have been traditionally well-known in the region and beyond. Stone-carving, jewelry, carpet-weaving, lace-making, embroidery, ceramics, and other crafts are among those crafts and arts the Armenian artisans are specialized in. In the Soviet times the activities of artisans, training, and the centralized trade of art industries products were regulated by the Professional or Creative Unions. In the post-Soviet time, crafts and art industries fell out of the state regulations and control and developed according to the market, especially tourism market... read more →

The cultural policy of RA is aimed at preserving and popularizing the historical and cultural heritage, ensuring broad public participation in cultural life, implementing broad cultural propaganda and encouraging the flow of citizens to cultural institutions[1]. The programme objectives of the Government in the field of cultural heritage are to: introduce modern management systems in museums, libraries and other cultural heritage institutions; implement cultural programmes (festivals, master classes, etc.) in order to transfer knowledge, technical and technological skills, abilities from the bearers of intangible cultural heritage; improve the legal framework in the field of immovable monuments of history and culture,... read more →

During three post-revolutionary years (2018-2021), aggravated by the war and the pandemic, the government and the policy makers were busy with the following immediate tasks: Reorganization and optimization of the government structure, reconsideration of main the approaches to the management of education and culture, and development of draft laws in education and museums, which are currently in the process of discussion. The anti-corruption struggle and development of anti-corruption strategies. Reconsideration of funding concepts of infrastructures and activities.  The corrupt and monopolized economic and political system of the first three decades of independence used education and culture not only as an... read more →

In 2007 the Armenian government ratified the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. According to the Convention, each participant country “ensures artists, cultural professionals, practitioners and citizens worldwide can create, produce, disseminate and enjoy a broad range of cultural goods, services and activities, including their own.” The Convention attracts special attention to cultural expressions of minorities and various social groups. According to the last census (2011), the national minorities in Armenia make up 1.9% of the country's population; Yezidis prevail (62%). In line with the Constitution, citizens of Armenia who belong to... read more →

NGOs are playing a significant role in implementation of cultural policies and projects as well as professional cooperation. Different aspects of cultural activities of NGOs are addressed in chapters 1.2.5, 1.2.6, 1.3.1, 1.3.3, and 2.5.5. Within the framework of different projects and activities, described in the listed chapters, Armenian NGOs usually develop active professional cooperation with local and foreign art professionals. The development of collaboration between art professionals from abroad and local NGOs have become important since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Thus, in 2022-23 the Cultural and Social Narratives laboratory NGO funded by the New Democracy Fund is... read more →

Collaboration with European and international agencies, programmes and initiatives have recently become more intensive. Armenia actively participates, or at least is represented, in many pan-European initiatives and programmes, meetings and congresses, exhibitions and competitions. Provision of active representation of Armenian culture, cultural achievements or agents of cultural spheres is becoming a necessary part of Armenian cultural policy trends.  European Union EU cooperation is conducted on the basis of partnership and cooperation agreements between the EU and the Republic of Armenia that were signed in 1996 and entered into force in 1999. Since June 2004, Armenia, along with Azerbaijan and Georgia,... read more →

During thirty years of independence, Armenia has established cooperation with almost all important European, Eurasian and International players like EU, UNESCO, ICOM, WMF, BSI, INCP, CIS, etc., and accepted and ratified tens of international conventions in the sphere of culture. The international collaboration and cooperation has traditionally pursued the following goals: 1. Political and normative integration through legislative compliance with international norms and agreements in the sphere of culture; 2. Professional and institutional integration through different professional and institutional networks; 3. Keeping up with the international trends and processes through professional improvement, individual development projects, professional consulting, etc.; 4. Getting... read more →

The Republic of Armenia supports the development of international and intra-national cultural cooperation, encourages independent and direct participation of citizens and organizations in international and intra-national cultural exchanges. The policy of international cultural exchanges of the Republic of Armenia, its primary directions are defined by the interstate agreements of the Republic of Armenia and the state programmes of preservation, dissemination and development of culture. Intra-regional cultural cooperation is supported by different local and state programmes such as support to festivals, community tourism, cultural and educational visits and exchanges between communities. Such projects are funded with local budget or donor organizations... read more →

The role and function of state government bodies, local self-government bodies, and non-state organizations in cultural policy are defined according to corresponding laws and legal regulations. The Law on Local Self-Government, adopted in 2002 and amended in 2021[1], the Law on Basics of Cultural Legislation adopted in 2002 and amended in 2011[2], and the Law on Public Organizations adopted in 2016[3] are particularly important in this regard. Most of laws and legal decisions regulating the relationships of cultural policy main actors were adopted in the 2000s, thus forming the basis of the modern cultural policy system. However, it is worth... read more →