798,000 drams allocated for restoration of King Gagik I statue

Armenia’s History Museum has allocated 798,000 drams from its extrabudgetary funds to restore the gypsum statue of King Gagik I, located near the National Gallery in Yerevan.

According to opposition councilor Mesrop Manukyan, the statue was allegedly damaged after being washed at the order of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. However, the museum has declined to disclose when or how the damage occurred.

In a written response to Panorama.am on Wednesday, museum officials stated that “the need for restoration work on the gypsum statue of King Gagik I arose due to structural and external changes caused by environmental factors over time.” They added that the statue last underwent cosmetic restoration in the 2010s.

The museum’s Restoration Council has decided that the restoration will be carried out by its in-house restoration laboratory, under the supervision of sculptor-restorer Tigran Muradyan. The project is expected to be completed by November 2025.

Notably, the museum declined Panorama’s request to photograph the restoration process, citing the need to “ensure the uninterrupted progress of the work”.