Lusik Aguletsi (; born Lusik Zhorzhiki Harutyunyan May 31, 1946 - July 13, 2018) was a Nakhichevan-born Armenian painter, ethnographer, and Honored Cultural Worker of Armenia. Lusik Aguletsi was a prominent Armenian artist and cultural figure who dedicated her life to preserving and promoting Armenian heritage, particularly folk art.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY1hGdGtuF4.
Aguletsi was famous for being the last Armenian to regularly wear her traditional Armenian dress in Yerevan.
Lusik Aguletsi was born on May 31, 1946, in the village of Verin Agulis in Nakhichevan, to the Harutyunyan family; the last Armenians living in Agulis after the 1919 Agulis massacre committed by the Azerbaijanis. Her experience in Agulis was the inspiration for the character âÂÂLusikâ in the novel Stone Dreams by Azerbaijani author Akram Aylisli.
An excerpt from a novel by Akram Aylisli Stone Dreams: <blockquote>"The yellowish-pinky light on the tall dome seemed to tell the similarly tall mountains of the once present purity, elevation, spaciousness and beauty of the world. And Lusik was there again, in the yard of the beauty of all churches â the Vangh Church: the artist Lusik, the granddaughter of Haykanush, a girl of thirteen â fourteen. That summer Lusik came from Yerevan for the first time, to spend her summer holidays in Aylis and from the very first day on she would not leave the churchyard until late in the evening. How many times was it possible to draw the same church? ⦠Or could the church only be an excuse? Maybe Lusik saw the GodâÂÂs smile reflected in the yellowish-pinky light on the dome in the mornings and evenings and believed that she could draw it, and that is why, being firmly settled in the churchyard, she would keep drawing the same thing day by dayâ¦?"</blockquote>Akram Aylisli's novel Stone Dreams is now available in English. The book explores about anti-Armenian violence in Azerbaijan's past and caused a big reaction when first published in Russian. Because of this, Aylisli faced harsh criticism in Azerbaijan and was isolated. He decided to publish it after the Azerbaijani government freed a soldier who had killed an Armenian with an axe in 2006 in Hungary. Many Armenians supported Aylisli and saw him as brave, though some reactions were political. It has been translated into Armenian, Italian, and English, but not yet published in Azerbaijani. The novel is important for peace and dialogue between Armenians and Azerbaijanis.https://www.ipd-az.org/dialog/en/video/ðúÃÂðü-ðùûøÃÂ-ûø-ø-ûÃÂÃÂøú-ðóÃÂûõÃÂ-ø/.
The pseudonym of the Azerbaijani writer Akram Aylisli means âÂÂfrom Aylissi.â Agulis, the name of the medieval town, is now called Aylis.
In 1953, Aguletsi's family moved to Yerevan. In 1963âÂÂ1967, she studied at the Panos Terlemezyan Art College of Yerevan. During her studies, she was awarded a special prize by the "Avangard" newspaper. She was a member of the Artists' Union of Armenia from 1974.
Lusik Aguletsi's paintings are in museums and private collections abroad. In addition to painting, Aguletsi was an active ethnographer. She collected weapons, costumes, decorations, and ancient jars. Some of them were brought from her native Agulis and the rest from different corners of Western and Eastern Armenia.
Lusik Aguletsi died on July 13, 2018, at the age of 72.
From 1968, Aguletsi participated in various republican exhibitions in Armenia and abroad.
The exhibition Generations shows five generations of creators in her family, symbolizing why the home became a museum.
The house on 79 Muratsan Street in Yerevan, where Lusik Aguletsi lived and worked for about 45 years, was turned into a house-museum on the initiative of family members along with her husband, sculptor Yuri Samvelyan. In 2013, they established the "Aguletsi" Ethnographic, Cultural, Creative, and Educational Foundation, and in 2019, they opened the "Aguletsi" House-Museum and Art Café.
The museum holds treasures from her 40 years of collecting. Visitors can see old artifacts, ceramics, coins, medieval items, books, icons, carpets, costumes, tools, weapons, jewelry, and ritual dolls, each with its own story. At the museum, visitors can view a variety of new national costumes that Lusik Aguletsi both designed and crafted herself.
The museum showcases a rich collection of cultural artifacts from Armenia and beyond, gathered from local families, highlighting the preservation of traditional heritage. Aguletsi also contributed to the collection and restoration of cultural objects such as furniture, pottery, and jewelry. Every item was sourced from Armenian families, showing her devotion to preserving national heritage.
A notable exhibition, "Generations," displays five family generations of creators and serves as inspiration for the museum.
In the museum, folk concerts, painting, dance, educational programs and master classes are organized and draws schoolchildren, students, and international visitors.
Adjacent to the museum is the Aguletsi Art Cafe, which features traditional Armenian cuisine with Agulis dishes. The Art Café serves more than just food: it brings back old Armenian recipes and treats food as part of the country's heritage.https://www.livetheworld.com/post/lusik-aguletsi-house-museum-a-traditional-place-in-yerevan-lli4.