The Foundation of Culture and Heritage of Polish Armenians was established by the decree of the Ordinary of the Catholic Church of the Armenian Rite in Poland, Jozef Cardinal Glemp on April 7, 2006. Currently, the functions of the Ordinary and the Founder are performed by His Eminence Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz.
The guiding principle of the Foundation is that the Armenians were and are an important part of the history and culture of Poland.
The subject of the Foundation’s interest are armenicas, which are related to the Polish Armenians. These are printed matter, old prints, manuscripts, photographs, liturgical vestments, liturgical vessels, paintings, equipment and souvenirs. We preserve and record these armenica items, as well as digitize photos and documents. We identify old photos and collect them, i.e. accept them as a deposit or accept them as gifts. The Foundation has developed extensive educational, research, conservation and popularizing activities. The reason for establishing the Foundation was the urgent need to take care of neglected collections from the area of the former nine Armenian Catholic parishes in the Borderlands (Kresy) and scattered family archives.
In order to make the collections available, the Virtual Archive of Polish Armenians Wirtualne Archiwum Polskich Ormian (WAPO)was created.Thanks to the courtesy of the Supreme Directorate of State Archives, the Foundation uses the Integrated Archive Information System (ZoSIA) and internet website www.szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl, where we publish inventories and digital copies of archival materials.
The most important effects of the Foundation’s activities;
1. Publications: Armenian Warsaw, Armenian Poland, Armenian Archbishop Jozef Teodorowicz, outstanding Polish priest, preacher and statesman (along with a CD with original recordings), “From the past of Armenia” by Stepan Lisicjan, “Wartanidzi” volumes I and II by Derenik Demirczjan, “Polish Armenians. Culture and Heritage” (together with the “Lelehayer” library),
“Polish Armenians in Descriptions and Pictures” by Marcin Ł. Majewski, “Hungarians, Scots and Armenians”. ”At the foot of Ovid: Flourishing and Destruction of the Kucka Community on the Cheremosh River” by Zbigniew Manugiewicz and Jerzy Tustanowski, Volumes from the series “Historical Monuments of Polish Armenians”; Records of the Armenian clerical court of the city of Lviv for the years 1564-1608 in the Armenian-Kipchat language – monograph by professor Edward Tryjarski, Jasachy, the commune of the Lviv Armenians for the years 1598-1638 in the Armenian-Kipchat language, monograph by Krzysztof Stopka. Map – Armenians in the lands of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from the 16th to the 18th century, 14 editions of calendars.
2. “Awedis” magazine which has been published since 2007
3. Exhibitions; “The Great Forgotten, Armenian Archbishop Józef Teodorowicz (1864-1938) – an outstanding Polish priest and statesman”, “With a View of Ararat. The Fate of Armenians in Poland” (together the House of meetings with History ), “Night of Museums 2019”, “Women with Pastorals” (together with the Museum of the Archdiocese of Warsaw)
4. Conservation and Maintenance ; liturgical vestments (The Foundation has a unique collection of liturgical vestments.), pictures (Benedictine nuns),manuscripts and old prints, old photographs, and even monuments of the Armenian cathedral in Lviv, such as the “Golgotha Chapel” and “Saint Christopher’s Column”.
5. Preserving cultural heritage: places of remembrance (Teodorowicz plaque); Powazki virtual cemetery with the location of the graves of Armenians and their descendants (Armenian Old Powazki); indexation of the burials of Polish Armenians and related families at the Lyczakowski Cemetery in Lviv; genealogical trees of Polish Armenians and their descendants; indexation of Armenian record books from the resources of the archives of the Foundation and other archives; amateur choir; Armenian Wikipedia www.Wiki.Ormianie.pl
6. Scientific activity in the project “Historical Monuments of Polish Armenians” under the National Program for the Development of Humanities.
7. Environmental meetings and participation in various cultural and historical initiatives (e.g. Borderland /Kresy/ Culture Festival, Armenians return to Piotrkow, Annual Celebration of the Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide).
We cooperate with many organizations and institutions in Poland and around the world.
In the new seat of the Foundation, at 12 Swietojerska Street, the first museum exhibition devoted to Polish Armenians, “Thesaurus Armenorum. Treasure of Armenians”, is being created. Its opening is scheduled for the end of 2021.
Special-purpose grants have been given to us from the beginning of our existence, as part of competitions: the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration, the Minister of Education and Science, the Minister of Culture, National Heritage and Sport, the Self-government of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, the Voivodship Conservator of Historic Monuments,
General Directorate of State Archives, Teresa Sahakian Foundation, Capital City of Warsaw, Polish History Museum, Caluste’á Gulbenkian Foundation, Polish Senate, Jagiellonian University, Piotrkow City, Zamosc City.
We also receive donations from private individuals.
Thank you very much for all your support.
The Foundation’s activity is based on the work of volunteers. We have no employees.
Donations for statutory purposes can be made to the account number;
35 1600 1462 1890 8960 3000 0001 (BNP PARIBAS).
The website www.dziedzictwo.ormianie.pl is financed by the grant from the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration.
