On July 17 2023, a session of the Board of Trustees of Matenadaran, Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts Foundation took place. The session was held for the election of the director of Matenadaran, and three candidates participated in it: Arayik Khzmalyan, Karen Matevosyan and Artsruni Sahakyan. Artsruni Sahakyan withdrew, and the candidacies of Arayik Khzmalyan and Karen Matevosyan were put to the vote. As the result of the voting, Arayik Khzmalyan was unanimously elected the director of Matenadaran.
BIOGRAPHY OF ARAYIK KHZMALYAN
EDUCATION
2001-2004, PhD student at the Institute of Arts of the NAS RA (received the degree of PhD in Arts)
1997-2001, Student of the Yerevan State Institute of Theater and Cinematography
WORK EXPERIENCE
2022, Commissioner of the Armenian National Pavilion at the Venice Biennale
2022-present, Coordinator of the “Creative Europe” project
2019-present, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the RA
2019-present, Member of the Management Board of the Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation of the CIS member states
2019-present, Authorized representative of the RA in the Humanitarian Cooperation Council of the states participating in the Cooperation of Independent States
2017-2019, Executive Director of Armenian Tourism Development Foundation
2016, Author and leader of the guide training project in the Federal Republic of Germany (Berlin, Dresden, Karlsruhe) with the support of the “Aurora” humanitarian initiative
2015, Development and implementation of the project to equip the Department of Digitization of Matenadaran with the latest equipment with the support of the humanitarian initiative “Aurora”
2014-2018, Advisor to the Director of Matenadaran on Museum Management and the CIS Member States Relations
2013-2015, Author of the project to grant Matenadaran the status of a Base Organization in the field of preservation and restoration of printed heritage in the CIS territory and the chief coordinator of the implementation of base functions (cooperation has been established with about 120 international structures)
2013-2017, Theatre course leader at Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography
2012-2013, Author and head of the “Matenadaran Old Printed Books։ Particularly Valuable and Rare Documents Conservation Program”
2012, “Preventive Conservation as a Key Factor in Preservation of Museum Collections: Manuscript Funds” UNICEF/ICOM Regional Chief Coordinator
2011-2017, Member of the Council of the Armenian National Committee of ICOM
2011-2017, Founder and head of the international seminar “The Images of Memory: The Newest Technologies of Preservation and Restoration of Manuscript and Printed Heritage”
2010-2011, Head of the “Academic Research of the Archival Funds of Matenadaran: Assimilation and Implementation of the Latest Methods and Technologies Project”
2010-2017, President of the Republican Festival “Theatre X”
2010, President of the First International Dramaturgy Festival “Restoration of the Present” (with the participation of 16 countries, with the support of the RA Ministry of Culture and the Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation)
2009-2017, Head of the “National-Theatrical Creative Union” NGO
2009-2017, Head of the Matenadaran Archive Department
2007-2008, Founder of the first theatrical newspaper “Scene”
2004-2015, Senior Researcher at the RA National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Arts
2003-2004, Lecturer at the YSU, Department of Art
2003-2017, Head of the Literary Department at the H. Tumanyan Puppet Theatre of Yerevan
2002-2009, Senior Researcher at the Charents Museum of Literature and Art
AWARDS
2017, Honorary Figure of Culture of Yerevan
2015, “Drastamat Kanayan” Medal of the Armed Forces of RA (Resolution 1058 of 2014 of the RA Minister of Defense)
2013, Certificate of honor (for contribution to the establishment and development of the NGO “Association of Museum Workers and Friends” and the Armenian National Committee of ICOM)
2013, “Movses Khorenatsi” medal (on the Occasion of the 22nd Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Armenia, for Long-Term Dedicated and Productive Work
2012 Gratitude for professional assistance in organizing and conducting the UNESCO/ICOM Regional Thematic Training “Preventive Conservation as the Main Factor in the Preservation of Museum Collections: Manuscript Funds” (Director of the UNESCO Moscow Office Dendev Badarch)
2012, Laureate of the First Online Theatrical Award in the “Best Online Theatrical Expert” nomination
LANGUAGES
Armenian, Russian, English
He is married and has two children.