Yerevan to host national costume festival (photos)

Teryan Cultural Center is launching a pan-Armenian festival of national costumes on May 10.

The organizers are planning a concert programme throughout the day. Young people wearing costumes will be walking around Yerevan's Swan Lake, selling clothes decorated with elements of national culture, and different souvenirs.

Forty costumes will be showcased as part of the Center’s project, Taraz Art.

“When studying our culture, I realized we do not like, spread or popularize our costumes, because we do not know them. I decided to create a collection of costumes to enable everybody to see and communicate with them,” Lilit Melikyan, the organization’s director, told Tert.am.

We have started, so we will continue …

Astghik Petrosyan, who is the center’s manager, introduced the project in more detail. She said they have been collaborating with ethnographers and specialists of national costumes for six years to re-create the ancient clothing's design.

“Yes, it is difficult today to find corresponding clothes and threads but we are trying all our best to re-establish the tradition. We are working in two directions, sewing both museum samples and styled costumes. Museum samples are very close to the genuine ones; we even have several samples showcased in the Museum of Perm [Russia]. We, as a non-governmental organization, cover the costs on our own,” she told our correspondent.


New century brings improvisations

Apart from awareness-raising, the center has also sought to create wearable samples that would have a practical value. “Styled clothes have been modeled based on national motives. We fit the cloth with the colors and add painted ornaments. but later we obtain a modern cloth. You can wear these costumes in your everyday life,” Petrosyan added.


Every cloth conveys its special message

“When selecting a cloth today, we attach importance to comfort; we wear anything we like,. But it isn’t as if any cloth, accessory and ornament belonging to us, the Armenians, used to bear a message of its own,” said the manager, adding that each of the ornaments used to symbolize a family status.

Culture is preserved

Petrosyan said they organize special embroidery trainings to educate the younger generation on their art. The center also conducts different exhibitions to showcase the clothes men and women wore centuries ago.

“The event to be held on May 10 will also attract national minorities; they will showcase their clothes too, in small pavilions. We will also organize an event in 2015,” she said, adding that next year’s exhibition, which will coincide with the Genocide centennial, is aimed to prove that there are still Armenians interested in preserving the national culture and history.