The reinforcement and cleaning of the frescoes of the St. Nshan Church in the Shativank Monastic Complex is ongoing.
17-07-2026 13:28 Armenia Social
The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports has allocated funds for the restoration and cleaning of the wall paintings of the St. Nshan Church in the Shativank Monastic Complex in Vayots Dzor Province, which will be carried out in 2026.
In 2024, it was recorded during ongoing monitoring that the monastic complex is in an emergency state, and the wall paintings of the St. Nshan Church are also in a deplorable condition, barely visible due to mold, dirt, vandalism, and rainwater.
In 2025, a competition was announced for the development of scientific project documentation for the restoration of the wall paintings, funded by the state. The scientific project documents prepared by the winning company "Restart-1" (restoration specialist: Avetis Stepanyan) were submitted to the Ministry for approval by the working group on monumental art monuments in accordance with established procedures.
In 2026, the restoration and cleaning work of the wall paintings of the St. Nshan Church began; the restoration is being carried out by the company "Nikolay Mikhailov," which was recognized as the winner of the competition.
As a result of the restoration and cleaning of the wall paintings of the St. Nshan Church, vibrant colors and scenes of Christian medieval wall painting have emerged after the removal of thick mold and melted wax. Particularly interesting is the depiction of Christ in the "Last Supper" scene, with a red halo, a blue cloak, his right hand raised in blessing, and his face directed towards the viewer. The depiction of Christ's face stands out for its color subtleties, especially the image of the right hand.
Unfortunately, not all the wall paintings of the St. Nshan Church have been preserved; however, from the partially uncovered sections of the wall paintings that are currently being restored, it can be inferred that the artist depicted the scenes within a decorated frame, explaining each scene with accompanying inscriptions, which is characteristic of Christian medieval art. According to the project, the restoration work of the wall paintings will be completed by the end of this year.
With state allocated funds, the excavation, stabilization, renovation, and restoration works of the Shativank Monastic Complex have been ongoing for the second year and will continue in the coming years.
* This text was automatically translated by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
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