"Museo e Istituto del Genocidio Armeno: Edita Gzoyan è il nuovo Direttore" di Carlo Coppola
Articolo di Carlo Coppola apparso sul giornale "Bariconnessa" diretto da Marina Basile:
https://www.bariconnessa.it/news/cultura/edita-gzoyan-nuovo-direttore-del-museo-e-istituto-del-genocidio-armeno/2365
Հայոց ցեղասպանության թանգարան և ինստիտուտ: Էդիտա Գզոյանը նոր տնօրեն է. Կառլո Կոպպոլայի հոդված.
In Yerevan, Armenia's capital, stands a prestigious institution entirely dedicated to genocide studies and prevention: the Armenian Genocide Museum & Institute. Until last September, this venerable institution was led by archaeologist and ethnologist Dr. Harutyun Marutyan. Now, following a competitive selection process, it has appointed a new director who brings both scholarly expertise and international experience to this critically important role.
The Genocide Memorial is located on Tsitsernakaberd (literally "Swallow's Fortress"), one of three hills along the Hrazdan River—a site that once housed an Iron Age fortress. Today, this prominent location serves as Armenia's most sacred memorial space, bearing witness to one of the twentieth century's earliest genocides.
The institution encompasses a comprehensive museum with permanent and rotating exhibitions, an extensive multilingual library, documentary archives, a memorial park, and, most significantly, the mausoleum itself. The design echoes Jerusalem's Yad Vashem in its powerful evocation of collective memory. After crossing a long esplanade, visitors reach the memorial's most intimate space: an eternal flame dedicated to the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide.
Beyond its profound significance for Armenians worldwide, the memorial plays a crucial diplomatic role. Every state visit to Armenia begins here, with heads of state and government, along with representatives of international institutions, laying wreaths and paying their respects at this consecrated ground—a ritual that underscores the universal importance of genocide remembrance and prevention.
Following Dr. Marutyan's resignation, Dr. Edita Gzoyan assumed interim leadership. On February 12, the Foundation's Board of Trustees convened to select a permanent director. Given the sensitivity and significance of the position, the vote was conducted by secret ballot—and Dr. Gzoyan emerged as the chosen successor.
Dr. Gzoyan brings impressive credentials to the role. She holds a doctorate in legal studies and has served as a senior researcher and principal investigator since 2018, simultaneously holding the position of Deputy Director for Scientific Affairs at the Armenian Genocide Museum & Institute.
The selection meeting was chaired by Raymond Kevorkian (Gevorgyan), the distinguished French-Armenian historian and Foundation Board member. Ten of the fifteen board members attended the session, where they had the opportunity to meet with the candidate and hear her strategic vision for the institution's future.
Dr. Gzoyan fielded questions while expanding the discussion to address pressing contemporary issues related to the Foundation's upcoming initiatives. Her extensive curriculum vitae spans diplomatic, legal, and historical domains, with professional experience across Armenia, Canada, and the Netherlands—credentials that position her to lead the institution in an increasingly interconnected global landscape.
Upon her election, the newly appointed director expressed gratitude for the trust placed in her and pledged to assume the responsibilities of her office with profound awareness of both the role's importance and its service to the state and the cause of genocide prevention worldwide.
As the Armenian Genocide Museum & Institute enters this new chapter, Dr. Gzoyan's international perspective and scholarly rigor promise to strengthen its mission: ensuring that the memory of the past informs a more just and humane future.
Carlo Coppola
