Armenian Heritage Management System
A Call to Action
Armenian Cultural Heritage Under Existential Threats
The Challenges
❖ Armenian cultural heritage is being actively targeted and appropriated by hostile entities
❖ Immovable heritage is at risk also in Armenia due to lack of proper norms, gaps in the legal system and poor technical capacities
❖ The importance of Armenian cultural heritage and its economic and political potential are underestimated both in Armenia and abroad
❖ Armenian Cultural Heritage is central to defining national identity and securing sovereignty
The Answer: ArCH Initiative
On December 8, 2023, the ASOF Executive Board voted to establish an Executive Committee called the Armenian Cultural Heritage Council (ArCH) charged with coordinating the initiatives aimed at the protection and promotion of Armenian Cultural Heritage locally and internationally and acting as a focal point of collaborations for all stakeholders.
The Charge
❖ Project soft power internationally in a strategic and coordinated manner; Leverage International law to protect Armenian cultural heritage whenever and wherever possible
❖ Elevate the global recognition of Armenian Cultural Heritage and expand its economic and political potential, position heritage preservation as a catalyst for tourism, job creation, and investment in Armenia
❖ Empower institutions, existing organizations, and civil society, and coordinate their efforts for maximum impact internationally; engage in training, education, and awareness raising
ArCH is unique
❖ It is first and foremost a pool of highly qualified experts — selected among a network of more than 350 scholars from ASOF plus their connections with centers of excellence globally
❖ It is focused on coalition building amongst existing entities, by virtue of its solid relations with and representation from the Armenian government and other stakeholders
❖ It adopts a participatory approach, bringing together groups to avoid duplication and coordinating efforts across government, private institutions, and civil society
❖ It is a more efficient use of existing resources in Armenia and the Diaspora, bringing in a unified approach to cultural heritage preservation and promotion in Armenia and in centers of Armenian culture around the world.
❖ Support the introduction of international standards in Armenia to promote proper preservation of cultural heritage
Project Outline: The Armenian Heritage Management System
From scope to partners
Scope
The project is to create a standardized, comprehensive, GIS-based, and legally binding inventory system for Armenian cultural heritage, aligned with international standards and accessible via an online platform — serving as a foundational resource for preservation, advocacy, and future research. The first year will start by setting up the needed technical, scientific, and legal infrastructure, and populating the database with data from immovable heritage (monuments and archaeological sites) in Artsakh and Syunik. The goal is then to expand over the next years to other forms of cultural heritage (language, music, textile, non-tangible, etc…) across Armenia, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and beyond..
Context
The existing databases and management systems for Armenian cultural heritage have significant gaps, are often difficult or impossible to access, and do not conform to international norms and legal standards. Irrespective of the wealth of the heritage, without proper organization, access, and promotion, it is in danger of being lost and/or falsified. At a time when Armenian heritage is targeted, this project is an urgent effort to address these shortcomings with the use of information technology as a critical ingredient in heritage preservation and management, policy making, international geopolitics, and security.
Core Team
Gaianè Casnati (Europa Nostra),
Patrick Donabedian (Université Aix-Marseille), Jasmine Dum-Tragut (University of Salzburg), Haroutioun Khatchadourian (IT and Project Management, Supelec Paris),
Christina Maranci (Harvard University),
Armenian Bar Association.
Project phases
The project is designed to start with immovable heritage (architectural and archaeological elements), and would be expanded to include other cultural domains (sculptures, archaeological findings, paintings, ethno-anthropological material heritage such as textile art and ceramics, literature and manuscripts, films and and photography, immaterial heritage such as cuisine, dialects, and oral traditions, music,…). For each typology, the project would include the CIDOC identification, the creation of the IT framework, and the data population.
CIDOC identification
Framework & data import
SCRUM-based delivery system
Training of data providers
Broad Goals
❖ Supporting Armenian institutions in updating their processes in data collection and management and in improving institutional collaborations and management
❖ Promoting digitization of data to make Armenian culture accessible to a larger community of scholars and to the public worldwide, through its publication in international platforms (i.e., Europeana)
❖ Promoting Armenian culture and heritage internationally and keeping track of centuries of Armenian heritage around the world to protect it from destruction, falsification, and neglect
❖ Contributing to the fostering of the Armenian identity and to projecting soft power strategically
Organizational Stakeholders
The database is to be an open-source project involving a broad collaboration of stakeholders, led by a team of scholars appointed by ASOF’s ArCH Council.
The First Year
Focusing on immovable heritage in Artsakh and Syunik
Key components
Source Consolidation and data formatting
Organize and verify data from existing records and field surveys. Standardize formats, ensure transliteration accuracy, and create consistency across the dataset.
Structure the inventory
Sub-inventory A: Buildings (e.g., chapels, monasteries, churches, castles) –
Develop a controlled vocabulary for the classification of objects and their descriptions. Incorporate or adapt the Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus for consistency with international standards.
Descriptive Information and Categorization:
Identify and formalize essential descriptive categories for each sub-inventory: Buildings: Place, Type, Subtype, Name, Dating, Condition, Inscription presence.
Monoliths: Place, Century, Number.
Sites: Place, Type, Number.
Database Preparation:
Organize all data into a structured format, ready for database input or standalone use.
Data Input and Validation
Ensure all entries are accurate, complete, and aligned with predefined categories.
Visualization
Generate a set of 21 maps (one per region and type of sub-inventory). Create 21 graphs and tables to analyze and present the data effectively.
Integration with Broader Efforts
Partner with local and international experts for the implementation and validation of the database. Align the project with the objectives of the broader Heritage Management System for wider accessibility and impact.
Ensure compatibility with GIS-based systems like QGIS for further analysis and mapping.
Training and Capacity Building: Conduct workshops for local staff on documentation and GIS mapping.
Data input
Facilitate data input from different archives to promote the integration of all data collection in a unique database hosted by the Scientific Research Centre for Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of Armenia.
Project Details
Timeline for the first year
Project timeline
Phase 1: Preparation and Planning (Months 1-4)
❖ Assemble the project team and finalize the scientific committee.
❖ Finalize existing data standardization with the experts of the Scientific Research Center for Historical and Cultural Heritage.
❖ Develop controlled vocabulary, thesaurus, and inventory structure.
❖ Set the legal environment to allow the possibility to use the database as a tool for the protection of the monuments of Artsakh.
Phase 2: Data Input and training (Months 5-9)
❖ Conduct workshops for local staff on documentation and GIS mapping.
❖ Formalize and input descriptive data into structured form for database input or standalone use.
❖ Ensure all entries are accurate, complete, and aligned with predefined categories.
❖ Validate and cross-check consistency across entries.
❖ Set tools and a methodology for the creation of maps, tables, and graphs using QGIS and other tools. Generate a set of 21 maps (one per region and type of sub-inventory). Create 21 graphs and tables to analyze and present the data effectively.
Phase 3: Digital Platform Development (Months 6-12)
❖ Design and develop a user-friendly GIS-based database and website to access the inventory.
❖ Set tools and a methodology for data import from different databases to facilitate integration of data in a unique platform.
❖ Start the population of the platform with validated data and visualization outputs partnering with local and international experts for the implementation and validation of the database.
❖ Facilitate data input from different archives to promote the integration of all data collections in a unique database hosted by the Scientific Research Centre for Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of Armenia.
❖ Conduct testing and quality assurance to ensure seamless user experience.
❖ Beta release.
Phase 4: Publication and Assessment (Months 9-15)
❖ Training material and program for data input.
❖ Generate and distribute a summary report for stakeholders, including a detailed assessment by the ArCH Council.
❖ Launch the platform publicly and organize a public presentation to highlight findings and achievements.
Project Details
Evaluation metrics
Operational Metrics: Number of entries digitized, database usage statistics.
Impact Metrics: Awareness raised through platform promotion and increased collaboration with international experts.
Quality Metrics: Feedback from local and international stakeholders on data comprehensiveness and system usability.
Reporting: A year-end assessment report will be produced by the ArCH task force, reviewing progress, challenges, and recommendations.
cost and launch
2026 Total Budget - $500,000
Already Secured
Synergy partnership for free use of their platform
Pro-Bono legal services through the Armenian Bar Association and McDermott Will & Emery LLP
$100,000 CIDOC, setting up tools, processes, and legal parameters Ministry of ESCS ArCH Task Force
NUACA, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography
SIREH
$250,000 Software development and testing
$50,000 Data input and testing
$15,000 Travel
$55,000 Training
Synergy platform donated (value $100,000) + 2 IT engineers. Cybersecurity provided by RA’s ISAA.
Supervised by SIREH: Collection, Scanning.
Experts from France and Italy, coordination with Europa Nostra.
Training personnel
Hosting if workshops and updates
$30,000 Program management, promotion, assessment, and auditing SIREH team
$500,000
Endorsed by ASOF’s ArCH Council
A Committee Appointed by the ASOF Executive Board Ar CH
Levon Abrahamian
Head of the Department of Contemporary Anthropological Studies, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia
Armenia
Eva Aroutunian
Head of the Geneva Music Conservatory, President of Association
Ensemble Paul Klee (Bern), Vice-president of Foundation SIGG (Geneva), Board Member of Geneva Music High School, Board Member of FODAC Foundation (Geneva)
Switzerland
Antonia Arslan
Writer Italy
Peter Balakian
Pulitzer prize winning poet
USA
Gaianè Casnati
Europa Nostra Council member, Centro Studi e Documentazione della Cultura Armena Board member, member of ICOMOS Armenia, Toramanyan gold medal recipient and Europa Nostra award winner
Italy
Levon Chookaszian
Director of the Chair of Art History and Theory at Yerevan State University
Armenia
Marina Djabbarzade
Heritage Management Consultant
USA
Jasmine Dum-Tragut
University of Salzburg, Armenian Studies Division (head); Center for the Study of the Christian East (director); Senior scientist in Biblical Studies and Church History; Docent in General and Applied Linguistics; Blue Shield Armenia & Austria; Adjunct Professor in Interdisciplinary Armenian Cultural Heritage Studies, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography
Austria
Atom Egoyan
Oscar-nominated writer and director (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
Canada
Talinn Grigor
Professor of Art History, University of California, Davis
USA
Nina Hovnanian (chair)
Hovnanian International, CEO Vahakni Residence; Founding Board Member, Yerevan Biennial Arts Foundation; A1 Gallery Board Member; Orran Children’s Center Board Member; Treasures of Armenia / Nina Hovnanian Couture: Founder/owner
Armenia
Christina Maranci
Mashtots Professor of Armenian Studies, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University
USA
The ArCH Council, 2024-25 (continued)
Appointed by the ASOF Executive Board
Charles Personnaz Representatives from the Armenian Government
The Armenian Society of Fellows P.
Société Savante Arménienne Bibliothèque Nubar, 11 Sq. Alboni, 75016 Paris, France
asof.am