The historical fresco “The People of Sasun”, which is of high cultural value, has been damaged over time and is in need of restoration today.

We're starting a fundraiser to preserve a part of our community and our cultural heritage.

With your support, we can bring the fresco to life, as well as restore its bright colors and message to future generations.

It is necessary to perform the following works

1. Cleaning of bird droppings in a dry way with medium-hard sponges.
2. Dry cleaning of the entire surface of the fresco with special brushes.
3. Fixing the entire cleaned area of painting with a special solution.
4. Cleaning the edges of cracks on the fresco and repairing with new plaster.
5. Removal of once poor-quality pink plaster, cleaning of walls and applying new plaster.
6. Filling the painting of newly plastered areas with natural pigments.
7. Applying a special protective liquid to the entire surface to store the mural.
8. If necessary, an infusion of old plaster from the wall with a special solution.
9. Detailed photographic documentation and a report on the work done during the work.

All the works described above will be carried out by Ara Zaryan, an architect and Christine Lamure, a fresco restorer invited from Italy.

All work will be carried out at a high professional level and with materials and tools brought from Italy.

In 1974, People's Artist of Armenia Sargis Muradyan, with the support of H. Hakobyan and G. Smbatyan, painted the monumental fresco “The People of Sasun” on the wall of the vestibule of the House of Culture in Apaga (now the building houses the village administration). According to art historian Ararat Aghasyan, a correspondent member of the Armenian Academy of Sciences, it is “one of the most exceptional works of monumental painting ever created in Soviet Armenia, thanks to its artistic expression, ideological depth and relevant content.” 

The fresco does not depict specific events, but rather portrays allegorical, symbolic images. Mother with child, the central figure of the three-part composition, is in the traditional pose of Virgin and Child, but she is full of determination to defend her home.

Symbolic images include the parchment book “The Daredevils of Sasun” in the foreground, which faces the viewer, the rifle leaning on the cradle, the khachkar and the outlines of a traditional architectural monument.

On the left, there is a battle scene; one of its figures is General Andranik. On the right, the soldiers carry on their shoulders their fallen friend, Gevorg Chaush, after the battle.  

From the very first day, the people of Apaga loved the fresco. For them it symbolizes their history. They managed to protect it from destruction by the Soviet authorities for its “nationalistic” content.  

The team implementing the project

• Araks Municipality of the Armavir Marz of the Republic of Armenia
• Ara Zaryan, architect-restorer
• Christine Lamure, restoration specialist

Join us to preserve our history and cultural heritage!

Here you can see the project budget.

This project supports:

Sustainable Development Goals

The Future Armenian goals