On 17 November, under the auspices of the “Hayartun” Center at the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia and on the initiative of the Union of Armenian Artists of Georgia, a marvelous exhibition of miniature paintings by Tbilisi Armenian painters Meruzhan Shahumyan and Gohar Hakobyan was opened. The Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia, the clergy, leaders of Armenian public organizations in Georgia, creative people, intellectuals, admirers and connoisseurs of miniature paintings attended the solemn ceremony of the opening.

Coordinator of the “Hayartun” Center at the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia Levon Chidilyan congratulated the authors of the exhibition on the creation of unique works of art and their presentation to the public. Chairman of the Union of Armenian Painters of Georgia Meruzhan Shahumyan welcomed the audience and described a miniature painting as the word of God addressed to a man, and as a man’s prayer addressed to God. He mentioned that Armenian art gave the world such wonderful creations as architecture, khachkars (cross-stones) and miniature paintings are.

Chairman of the Union of Armenian Intellectuals of Georgia Yenok Tadevosyan demonstrated the interesting path of miniature development depicted in bibliography.

The leader of the Georgian Labour Party Shalva Natelashvili also came to congratulate the Armenian miniaturists in connection with the exhibition. The speaker called miniature reflection of the high level of the Christian civilization, while rapprochement between the arts of two nations estimated as the true path leading to the strengthening of the Armenian-Georgian friendship.

For poetess Marina Mosesova- Kirakosyan and Doctor Luara Abrahamyan scrupulously and meticulously crafted miniatures are the result of a wide imagination and creative thinking.

The author of the exhibition Gohar Hakobyan expressed her gratitude to the audience for high appreciation of her works and creative approach, and named the miniature a passport and pass, sending people to the civilized world, as it is the art of a mature civilization, born after the creation of the alphabet and preserved for thousands of years.

Upon completion of the event the Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan sent His blessings to the audience. The Head of the Diocese in his speech recalled the schools of Armenian miniature, Sarkis Pitsak and Toros Roslin, and named the works of Meruzhan Shahumyan and Gohar Hakobyan true works of art. The Head of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia marked that the Armenian and Georgian arts have divine origin, inasmuch as historically the commonness of miniatures and murals is well-known, and where beauty is created, there is the presence of God, and where God is, there is the Church. The Church is the people, her children that create such miracles, – His Grace concluded.

At the suggestion of His Grace, on November 30 the exhibition of these miniature paintings will mark the opening of Gharslyan’s Cultural Center in Ninotsminda. The exhibition of miniature paintings by Meruzhan Shahumyan and Gohar Hakobyan at the “Hayartun” Center of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia continues until November 28.