My cookie preferencesStudying the transformation of policies and practices of cultural heritage valorisation and protection allows to understand the crucial relationship between local communities and the places, symbols and traditions that concur to constitute their collective identities. Cultural heritage is at the same time the legacy of peoples’ history – and of the (peaceful or conflicting) encounters with other peoples – and a precious resource for their future development. It is important to acknowledge the relevance of cultural heritage not only for the economy, especially for the touristic and cultural sectors, but also for the development of relationships of mutual knowledge and pacific cooperation between different peoples.
The project Cultural Heritage Protection in Armenia aims at expanding the scope of the current research on policies and practices of cultural heritage valorisation and protection beyond the context of South Tyrol, in order to open up avenues for future research. The case of Armenia is especially promising to investigate the role of cultural heritage within dynamics of political conflict and securitisation, that have been at the center of recent academic debates in the fields of security studies and international relations. Moreover, it is a promising case to deepen the academic community understanding of the role of the Italian actors in promoting cultural heritage protection and providing assistance to countries before, during and after conflict.
Up to now, Armenia has three properties inscribed on the World Heritage List and seven Elements inscribed on the Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage. In general, the artistic and cultural heritage of the country is extremely valuable and a part of it is located in the conflict area between Armenia and Azerbaijan or close to it.
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is still far from being solved. The negotiations between the two states after the latest military events and the population movements are complicated because of the high level of uncertainty and of the heated reactions of the citizens to the policymakers’ attempts to find a viable solution to the territorial dispute.
The Cooperation Agreement among Eurac Research, the European University of Armenia and the International Business School (renewed in 2023) offers the opportunity to deepen research collaborations, knowledge exchanges, fieldworks in order to produce up-to-date and innovative research.
The case of Armenia is especially promising:
- in view of the unique artistic and cultural value of Armenian cultural heritage, which reflects the history of the Armenian people and of their encounters with other peoples;
- in view of the peculiar geopolitical situation of the Armenian state and of its tense relationships with neighbouring states and with regional and global powers such as Turkey and Russia;
- in view of the close diplomatic relationships between Armenia and Italy. Between these two countries there have been several projects of collaboration in the fields of education and culture, cultural diplomacy and cultural heritage protection.
Main goals:
- Acquiring knowledge on the Armenian context within the post-Soviet space
- Deepening the understanding of policies and practices of cultural heritage valorisation and protection with respect to the different dimensions of conflict
Activities:
- Seminars/workshops with experts
- Literature review
- Fieldwork/data collection
- Working paper preparation and discussion
- Development of an academic journal article
