Yerevan/Mediamax/. Two restored wall paintings of Minas Avetisyan "Spinning a thread" and "Millstones" will be placed in the new terminal of "Zvartnots" airport by the end of the year, Head of the Modern Art Department of Armenian Ministry of Culture, Sona Harutyunian, said in the interview to Mediamax.

Argentinean businessman of Armenian decent Eduardo Ernekyan, whose company manages the airport, rendered financial assistance to the project. The businessman allocated AMD 35 million for the restoration of “Spinning a thread” and AMD 22 million for “Millstones”.

“Spinning a thread” fresco (13,50x40m) will be placed on the territory of new passenger terminal and “Millstones” (5,7x3m) –in the presidential terminal.

“By this project we not only resolve the problem of restoration of frescos and their availability, but also present our cultural heritage to the tourists visiting Armenia and to the guests,” Sona Harutyunian said.

She noted that the frescos have always been the “weakest link” of Armenian paintings. “We have never had many wall paintings, it was luxury for us. And now there is a chance to show the world what we have. It will perhaps become our visiting card, some kind of special thrill,” she said.

The restoration works will start on May 1. “Spinning a thread” will be exhibited in the new terminal by August 1. It will be dedicated to the opening of the new passenger terminal. The restoration works of two frescos will be held simultaneously. Both Armenian and Italian specialists are going to take part in the works.

The restoration of two other wall paintings of Minas - “Weaving a carpet” and “Armenia” - is scheduled o start this year. Mayor of Yerevan Karen Karapetian and Chief Architect of Yerevan Mikael Hasratian expressed readiness to help restore “Armenia” fresco. The issue will be discussed and realized in the nearest future with the attraction of private investments.

“Armenia” fresco is located in Vahramaberd village of Shirak region. Minas painted it in 1973 on the wall of the local Culture Palace. After the earthquake of 1988 the building was almost fully destroyed and only the wall with Minas’s fresco survived. It was later placed in a sarcophagus.

Most of Minas Avetisyan’s wall paintings are located in the buildings of factories of Shirak region. The buildings suffered after the earthquake and remaining frescos were in a sorry plight.

The works for the restoration of Minas Avetisyan’s frescos began in 2008. By the efforts of Italian specialists the “Birth of Toros Roslin” wall painting was restored in 2009 and placed in the Museum of Minas in Jajur. In 2010, “Meeting” and “By the khachkar” frescos were restored and placed in the building of the Armenian government.