Some people believe that today’s youth are less interested in its history and culture, and for Armenians, more than half of whom live outside Armenia, a similar trend can be fatal. In most cases, modern technologies plays a negative role, because they are mostly turned to the future, distancing us from the past, including the history.
However, fortunately, there are some projects in Armenia that serve the national identity and culture. One of them – an innovative project “Armenian Treasures”.
We are talking to Emil Stepanyan, representative of “Locator” CJSC and project manager of “Armenian Treasures”.
– Hello, Mr. Stepanian, please tell us about the project.
– Hello and thank you for your interest in the project. The project is a series of interactive three-dimensional virtual tour of historical monuments in Armenia and Artsakh. Anyone with IpadorIphone can virtually visit Armenian monasteries and churches, walk on the territory of the monuments, go inside, light a candle, listen to the story in Armenian, Russian and English languages, look at the monuments with a bird’s-eye view… The project has many innovative features.
– I have no doubt that is interesting. How many monuments have probably “visit”?
– At this stage, 9 interactive 3D journeys are available – monasteries of Tatev, Geghard, Gandzasar, KhorVirap, Noravank, Kecharis, Sevan, Garni temple and SurbAmenaprkich church in Shushi. We have already begun work on the monasteries Sanahin, Haghpat, Odzun and the church of St. Hripsime and St.Gayane.We will continue the project, it’s a long process.
– What is required in order to make virtual tours?
– Enough with the AppStore download mobile app “Armenian Treasures”. Also, with the application itself, we offer free tour to Tatev monastery – the most beloved and popular society, as shown by our observations. As for the remaining eight rounds, each round can be downloaded for $ 1 …
– Quite a bit, given the volume of work done by …
– Fee of $ 1 a symbolic, but it is very important to fund further work on the development of the project. And while we do not have a strong sponsor for the development of the project, this resource is a must for us.
– A lot to offer owners of devices based on the system “Android”?
– We are working in this direction and very soon they will also be able to download the application “Armenian Treasures”. At the end of the work we will notify our website, in the media and on our Facebook page in the same name.
– Mr. Stepanian, tell when and how did the idea of creating a project?
– The idea was born three years ago. How did? I can not say for sure, maybe our team was encouraged by a number of major strategic projects, which we then learned. That there are, for example, the projects of the international school in Dilijan, cableway “Wings of Tatev” and other large-scale projects, the importance of which our country can hardly be overestimated! Perhaps it is such strategic projects inspired us and spodvigli us to create the project “Armenian treasures”, which unlike the more modest in scale, but not for our great desire to do something useful for their country.
– What, in your opinion, the main benefit of the project, what are its goals?
– The main purpose of our project – is to promote, increase awareness of Armenia as a country with a rich culture and ancient history in trending, high-growth markets and AppStoreGooglePlay. Now it goes to the global virtualization and smartfonizatsii. And it is very useful if our country will be adequately represented in these virtual sites. In addition, hardly anyone would argue that, having familiarized with our project, many foreign tourists will want to visit and see for Armenia – our “open air museum”. So the project is also interesting in terms of attracting foreign tourists.
– So you do not fear that, virtually by visiting our churches, tourists will no longer be spent on the real tour to Armenia?
– No of course. We are deeply convinced that despite the fact that our three-dimensional model and the location is very realistic, and nothing can ever replace reality itself. All of us many times watched television broadcasts of Paris, Venice, African savannas we got sick … Did not go there? Of course not!
– What other goals pursued with the project?
– We expect that the project will also be of interest to hundreds of thousands of young Armenians who were born and raised abroad and had never been to Armenia. We want to bring together the young generation of Armenians with their culture, modern and interesting format for young people to talk about Armenian history, to give new impetus to the Armenian self-consciousness, although, of course, we expect the interest of young people in Armenia. Incidentally, because the project describes the history of our churches and monasteries, it could be interesting from the educational point of view. We are already working with various government agencies and the project may soon appear in the libraries of foreign Armenian Sunday school.
Our project brings the elements of propaganda and historical affiliation of our lands. We do not accidentally one of the first made in the project and the St. AmenaprkichGandzasar – treasures of Artsakh. In the future, we will develop a piece of propaganda, especially at this stage, when we start to make the project dozens of destroyed Armenian monuments in Western Armenia. In this regard, the revival of the ruined city of Ani – our crystal dream!
– And God forbid it true! Say your team is probably a lot invested in the project. What are your financial expectations?
– You are certainly right. Our company has invested in the project solid money. Latest technology – expensive. Company Formation “Locator” – the market leader for GPS-monitoring of vehicles, we have serious commercial projects telemetry and three-dimensional modeling. These lines just to finance the project “Armenian treasures”. And what about the financial expectations of the project, we have them, but we do not have priority. “Armenian treasures” – it is rather our calling card, the project presentation of our capabilities, which we carry with pride and pleasure. We would be happy to reach the level of self-financing. This would help us to develop the project, as are many historic monuments must be made in the treasury!
– Besides selling tours in a mobile application “Armenian Treasures” in the AppStore, expense of what resources to develop the project plan?
– In addition to the mobile application, we also pregladaem souvenir DVD version of “Armenian treasures” in a beautiful package of manual assembly. It’s not only beautiful, but also in a sense a unique intelligent souvenir, which collected the three-year work our team. It is most accurately describes the modern Armenia – a country with an ancient history and a booming IT sector.
Souvenirs “Armenian treasures” can be purchased at the souvenir and bookshops, some of thehotels of Armenia and Artsakh, as well as directly from us. By the way, it turns out that the person who acquires the “Armenian treasures” in one form or another, in fact, contributes to the development of the project and making it new historical monuments.
– I think that would be willing to support the project a lot. How do you see the project in 10 years or 15?
– I do not know if we can reach our ultimate goal of 10-15 years, but we want the project to embrace the Armenian historical treasures around the globe! Can you imagine? It will be great! But, of course, everything depends on the success of the project today. We very much hope that the Armenians will fall in love with the project and that they are interested in the business and, of course, the relevant government agencies. We are confident that the project will soon be friends both in Armenia and in the Diaspora. We have already demonstrated the project in several exhibitions, and beautiful, very positive reaction of society gives us great optimism.
