There are many museums in Yerevan, but nothing quite tops the Lusik Aguletsi House Museum. This is Lusik's private collection of clothing, jewelry, furniture, and artifacts from Armenia. I had heard about it from a friend who told me that I would absolutely love it. As soon as I stepped foot on the property I knew I wanted to take my time exploring the museum.
When I first walked into the courtyard I dreamed that it was my own house and thought about all of wonderful summer parties I would host there. After lingering in the courtyard, my friend and I scurried up the stairs to see the rest of the house. We were greeted by a very kind docent who showed us to the café. My friend and I sipped on a freshly brewed green tea and talked about our lives: living between the States and Armenia. As we talked our eyes wandered around the room to look at all the ornate details. The collection of jewelry, clocks, and paintings spilled out all over the walls. I was feeling completely in my element and so excited to see what the rest of the tour had in store.
Once we finished our tea, we met up once again with our docent so that she could show us the rest of the house. She made sure to show us every detail and explain the back story on each collected item. This was not just a collection of someone's beautiful belongings this was a museum of Armenian heritage.
Lusik Aguletsi (Harutyunyan) was born in Verin Agulis in Nakhichevan in 1946. Her and her family were one of the last families living in Agulis before the Azerbaijanis killed off or drove out all of the Armenians living in the region. Her family was forced to relocate to Yerevan where she spent the rest of her life. Through this experience she realized how important it is to preserve your culture through tangible goods. She spent her life as an ethnographer, collecting pieces from Agulis and the rest of Armenia. She was also one of the last people in Armenia to be wearing traditional Armenian clothing called, Taraz.
She was very proud of her Armenian heritage and it shows through the time, resources, and dedication she spent preserving Armenian artifacts. Her meticulous curation stems from her artist background as she was also a painter and writer. Since her passing, in 2018, her family turned her house and collection into a museum to honor her work and to allow her legacy to live on. This is a truly special place that is an absolute must to check out when you are in Yerevan.
