Implementation of digitisation activities and application of information technologies in the culture sector

Preservation and awareness-raising of moveable culture heritage of our country is one of the most important domains of the state cultural policy. establishing electronic information database of cultural values (armenian treasury) which has launched upon decision of the government of the republic of armenia no 1058-n of 11 september 2014 "on approving the procedure for establishing electronic information database of cultural values and the list of organisations providing information to the database" is aimed at the solution of this issue. it is aimed at integrating in a unified format in a single domain moveable cultural heritage of the republic of armenia and making it accessible both for the general public and the scientists-researchers studying that wealth. integrated digitised data on museum, archive and handwritten and printed cultural values of both state storages (museums, libraries, archive) and non-state collections (upon the consent of the owners) are included in the database. the database is aimed at further including armenian moveable cultural values available in different structures of the world, numerous institutions of the armenian communities. all this will provide an opportunity to widely raise awareness of the cultural heritage of our country both in armenia and abroad. the database also contributes to carrying out the process of preserving the values more effectively, monitoring the movement thereof, preventing illegal export and trade of the values, preventing illegal transfer of the right of ownership thereto. 41 organisations under state and community subordination have currently joined the database. data on around 156 586 cultural values are entered into the database and approved. activities on uploading information to the database have launched in january 2016. the first stage of the process is envisaged to finish in 2020. "electronic union catalogue of armenian libraries" since 2001, the national library of armenia has been carrying out activities on establishing an electronic union catalogue of largest armenian libraries. activities on establishing a union catalogue of libraries are being carried out through "alef" software of "ex libris group" israeli company. the unified electronic bibliographic union catalogue of libraries is available at the following link: http://armunicat.am:8991/f. starting from 2017, "koha" software accepted by the international library community has launched. armenian largest public, marz [regional] and academic libraries have joined the software. it also allows to provide electronic services to readers. the system allows to conduct multilingual card-indexing. the system also allows to create a number of guiding databases of "reputable commentaries", "geographical names", "organisation names", "subject headings", which facilitate searches and make their results more perfect. in 2018-2019, 20 live actions, 10 animations and 22 documentaries were produced. digitisation and preservation of 18 films was ensured through the project "cinema-photo-phono collections preservation service". in 2018, in close cooperation with polish "fixafilm" company, "hamo bek-nazarov: classics of armenian films" programme was launched, within the framework of which armenian film heritage was digitised and restored. in 2019, "hakob hovnatanyan" film revived by sergei parajanov and digitised was screened within the framework of the rotterdam's "the temple of cinema" project. armenian state philharmonic concert-courses with the application of new technologies were broadcast online which had 3000 followers from regions and the diaspora. the national academic theatre of opera and ballet named after alexander spendiaryan performed 3-d projections of g. verdi's "requiem", mozart's "the magic flute", bizet's "carmen", puccini's "tosca" operas. "masquerade", "spartacus" and "gayane" ballets were live broadcast during the ballet festival dedicated to the 115th anniversary of aram khachaturian and had 15974, 19471 and 18083 views, respectively. 18 concerts of armenian national philharmonic orchestra were also broadcast. with a view to being a part of the contemporary processes through introduction of newest technologies, in 2019, within the 150th birth anniversary of komitas vardapet, which was included in the unesco calendar of anniversaries of eminent personalities, "andzrev yekav" and "shorora", as well as giovanni croce's "ecce panis" works performed by "hover" state chamber choir and italian choir were broadcast online. in 2018-2019, armenian state symphony orchestra made more than 26 live performances, which were broadcast by "medici" leading classical music tv channel. the armenian state symphony orchestra digitised 16 scores and 25 parts of works of armenian composers (avet terterian, haro stepanian, edvard mirzoyan, edgar hovhannisyan, john ter-tadevosyan and others). in 2019, during the opening ceremony of the world congress on information technologies taken place in yerevan, more than 100 musicians having arrived from 15 countries performed live two works of artificial intelligence. the founder of the world orchestra of the world congress on information technologies is sergey smbatyan, the principal conductor and the artistic director of the armenian state symphony orchestra. with a view to preserving armenian and international music, as well as performing arts, 5 cds were issued. "electronic library" programme was also carried out (libmindiaspora.am), through which armenian literature, teaching and popular science materials in armenian language, books published by the initiative, order and assistance of the ministry of diaspora of the republic of armenia were uploaded on the website. the continuity of activities of the electronic periodical "hayern aysor" ["armenians today"] (www.hayernaysor.am) was ensured through publishing materials regarding the works directed at cultural events of armenia and the diaspora, activities of cultural figures, activities aimed at preservation of cultural values in eastern armenian, western armenian, russian and english languages. the "virtual museum of the history of armenian diaspora" was created (www.armdiasporamuseum.com), within the framework of which materials and photos concerning the armenian communities, pan-armenian organisations and spiritual structures of the diaspora, concerning armenia, armenian genocide, dictionaries of armenian names and surnames, armenian cultural heritage and contributions of eminent armenians in the world civilisation were posted. with a view to preserving and disseminating armenian and world contemporary cultural heritage, digitisation of musical works, films, "golden fund" of the public radio was carried out: replenishment of different cultural funds /film, television, music, theatre/; awareness-raising of the armenian culture through online platform; creation of contemporary cultural products through introduction of newest technologies. in particular, a. khzmalyan's collection "under the question mark" and souvenir collection of armenian films "the cinema of our independence" were printed, activities on digitising and preserving 31 films are being carried out within the framework of the project "cinema-photo-phono collections preservation service", radio performance of v. papazian's "the rock" and the recordings of tatevik sazandaryan's 18 performances kept in "golden fund" of the public radio were restored and digitised. with a view to ensuring appropriate level of tv airtime, with the support of the ministry of education, science, culture and sport of the republic of armenia, tv programme series of "cultural armenia" tv programme (64 programmes) and programmes within the framework of tv programme "on the roads of armenia" covering armenian historical and cultural monuments, cultural centres and cultural events, national traditions, rituals and celebrations (56 programmes), "arvestakirner" [carriers of art] (12 programmes), "antsanot yerevan" [unknown yerevan] (8 programmes), "hayic hay" [from armenian to armenian] 18 (programmes) and "octava" (8 programmes) marz [regional] and cultural programme were prepared and broadcast by public television. with a view to identifying and promoting creative potential in the republic, information databases of educational items for talented teens with and without disabilities, child and youth choirs of armenia were replenished, as well as in 2019 information databases of educational items necessary for the operating fine arts schools and the department of "visual arts" of art schools of the republic of armenia were established.