On February 11, 2024, the presentation of the exhibition "Art of Christian Armenia" took place at the Moscow cultural and educational center "Book Chamber in Chernihiv".
The exhibition, which is held in the context of the activities of the Ancient Oriental Churches training course, a joint project of the Department for External Church Relations and the Department of Church—Practical Disciplines of the General Church Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies, presents a collection of relics, unique artifacts and works of art by Armenian artists of the turn of the XX-XXI centuries from the main exposition of the Tapan Museum. In the halls of the Book Chamber, in particular, a shrine of general Christian significance kept by the Armenian Apostolic Church — a particle of the relics of the Holy Martyr Vlasius, Bishop of Sebaste, and significant monuments of Armenian church art — printed editions of the Gospel and Breviary in a leather frame (XVII century), a handwritten Book of canons of the Armenian Church (XVII century), a jubilee silver medal named after Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Vazgen I.
The exhibition was opened by the Chairman of the Educational Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church, rector of the General Church Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies, rector of churches of the Chernihiv Patriarchal Compound, Archpriest Maxim Kozlov. Addressing the audience, Father Maxim, in particular, noted: "The exhibition is an example of how in our difficult and in many ways crafty times it is necessary to take steps of Christian love towards each other. One should not think that such steps mean nothing. The manifestation of love, goodwill, and mutual interest is what we need so much today."
Archpriest Gevorg Vardanyan, Senior cleric of the Armenian Temple Complex of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Moscow, announced the greeting of Archbishop Ezras Nersisyan, governor of the New Nakhichevan Diocese. The greeting message of the head of the diocese noted that "the Russian Orthodox Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church do not just carry out activities within the framework of interfaith dialogue, but make efforts to educate society and strengthen fraternal relations between millions of their believers."
On the part of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the director of the Tapan Museum, D.R. Baghdasaryan, also made a welcoming speech, presenting the general concept underlying the presented exhibition. "From time immemorial, the Armenian Apostolic Church has been the guardian of the culture of the Armenian people and carries this mission to the present day. The friendship of the peoples of Armenia and Russia, our sense of brotherhood, our common history, our common root of the Christian faith is a treasure that has no material value, but has the greatest spiritual value. And we are happy to share this wealth with each other," D.R. noted. Baghdasaryan.
Then a solemn reception was given to the participants and guests of the presentation, during which they had the opportunity to taste the best dishes of Armenian cuisine, including cabbage rolls made from grape leaves (dolma), matsoni, lori and chanakh cheeses, as well as traditional desserts — gatu and churchkhela.