Cook traditional Gyumri dishes (chanakh and pokhind) in Chalet Gyumri

Vazgen will share with you some of the main techniques for making Armenian pottery, and the current efforts to revive those traditions. By touching, feeling, and smelling the clay up close—and at different phases of production, from raw to baked to glazed—you will fully understand and appreciate the traditional techniques and processes. You will hear about Vazgen’s careful research to discover the best raw materials to make the best clay and how he creates various colors with different glazes, including the use of milk. Vazgen will also demonstrate the different tools and equipment he uses (such as molds and kilns) to fashion a variety of plates, bowls, and ritual pots for everyday life.

Professor Susanna Mkrtchyan founded the Gyumri Aesthetics Center in order to preserve traditional Armenian values. Located on one of the oldest streets around Gyumri’s historical central square, the Center initially occupied the kolkhoz shop that sold the fruits and vegetables of collective farmers. Further expansions and renovations followed—particularly after the devastating earthquake of 1988. Gyumri Aesthetics Center is a place that fosters creativity, artistic self-expression, and art therapy to thousands of children, ages three to eighteen. The arts and crafts taught there include painting, dancing, singing, embroidery, rug and carpet weaving, crocheting, lacemaking, national costumes, doll-making, and traditional Armenian cuisine.

Visit the workshop and studio in Gyumri and learn from Hasmik about her experiences reviving the traditional national costumes with her own signature style.Because Armenia possesses such a rich writing culture, you’ll learn about “bird letters,” a calligraphic tradition that entwines images of birds with the elegant letters of Armenian script. On either chiffon or silk, Hasmik will show you how to paint a scarf with your own bird letters, creating a special souvenir to take home. While the painting dries, get in the spirit and dress up in traditional Armenian costumes for your very own photoshoot. In the late 19th century, family photography became a common ritual in Armenia to mark special occasions and to demonstrate close kinship between generations and in-laws.

Meet with the guide and take a tour of the gallery to learn about the art and lives of the Aslamazyan sisters. After the tour, a local artisan will tell you more about their artistic styles and techniques. The sisters used motifs from their home in Armenia, their extensive travels, and their own creativity to create expressive works of art on everyday ceramics. You may choose to paint a miniature ceramic plate or to learn a decoupage technique on ceramic ornaments. While painting or while trying decoupage, try some tea or coffee and sweets in the garden courtyard. The gallery’s inner courtyard and wooden balcony are typical of 19th-century urban architecture in Gyumri. You may take your art piece home with you. Other souvenirs made by local Armenian artisans may be purchased in the gallery shop

This gallery houses over 620 original paintings, ceramics, and graphics by Mariam and Yeranuhi Aslamazyan—Armenia’s pioneering female artists. Being well-integrated into Soviet political establishment, the sisters were able to travel a lot, which is reflected in both artists’ colorful works, in a fusion of Armenian heritage with global influences.

Huge square in the middle of town, with a church, a cathedral, a massive government building, fountains, restaurants, and all adjacent to the old town with great architecture and some small museums.