Abstract
<jats:p>The rescue of the Armenian manuscripts of Vaspurakan during the Genocide and their transfer to Holy Etchmiadzin was not accidental, but the result of systematic efforts initiated by Catholicos Gevorg V and carried out through the dedication of faithful individuals. In 1915, Archimandrite Hovhannes Husyan, abbot of Lim Monastery, together with Archimandrite Stepan, a monk of Ktuts Monastery, transported the first batch of manuscripts from the islands of Lake Van to Holy Etchmiadzin. After presenting 17 selected manuscripts to the Catholicos of All Armenians, Gevorg V, Archimandrite Hovhannes requested His Holiness’s blessing to organize the further transfer of manuscripts to Etchmiadzin. The original text of this letter is reproduced in this article. With His Holiness’s blessing, in 1916, Archimandrite Hovhannes, Archimandrite Daniel Zadoyan (a monk of Akhtamar Monastery), Archimandrite Stepan Ter-Hovhannesyan (a monk of Ktuts Monastery), and Smbat Ter-Avetisyan, senior curator of the Caucasian Museum in Tbilisi, undertook the difficult mission of rescuing the manuscripts. Having collected manuscripts preserved on the islands of Akhtamar, Lim, and Ktuts, as well as in the churches of Van and Varagavank, they packed them into chests and delivered them safely to Holy Etchmiadzin. In addition to the manuscripts, valuable church vessels and relics of saints were also brought. In the following months, Archimandrites Hovhannes and Daniel continued to gather manuscripts from various locations in Vaspurakan and send them to Etchmiadzin. The collection gradually expanded with manuscripts brought by refugees. In total, 1,473 manuscripts were saved and later transferred to the Mesrop Mashtots Matenadaran.</jats:p>