Staying true to commander’s wish
The museum of Commander Andranik was founded on September 16, 2006 with the initiative and means of Ilyich Beglaryan. The museum is not state funded. From his early childhood, Ilyich Beglaryan had collected everything related to Andranik. The museum is located in the area near the Komitas Park.
"Andranik had asked to bury his coffin near the coast of Zang. Thank God we were able to get this building and the Zangu flows through the middle of the park," says wife of founder and director of the museum Zhorzheta Beglaryan.
The museum features materials that the founder brought from Andranik's home in Varna where he lived for 12 years. The founder of the museum met Andranik's uncle's grandchild Perch Ozanyan who donated the personal items of Andranik, his sword and medals. A corner of the museum looks like the Varna house of Andranik. The candle that Andranik used to light candles in the Shapingarahisar church is also featured at the museum.
"Our goal is to immortalize Andranik and the others so that our young generation will recognize our heroes and participants of the Fidayin movement," said Beglaryan in closing.
Entrance to the museum is free-of-charge and there have been nearly 30,000 visitors in three years of which 60% are schoolchildren from Javakhk and Tbilisi.
