Blacksmithing is a traditional method and style of processing iron artistically by combining floral, geometric, and pictorial ornaments that demonstrate the artist's creativity and style in their works.
There was an important role played by the forge "Yerankyuni" (Triangle). The tradition has been safeguarded and recognized by numerous academic publications. A second key role is played by the NGOs "Sacred Land" and "City Research Center" in preserving the blacksmithing tradition in Gyumri. Gyumri blacksmiths have a long tradition of protecting and distributing their skills. It concerns the safeguarding and distribution of Gyumri blacksmithing traditions. Blacksmithing as a craft in Armenia almost disappeared during the industrialization years, from 1960 to 1970. The blacksmithing tradition is carried on by families of blacksmiths who live in Gyumri. A few blacksmiths today are 5th or 6th-generation masters. Each of them still maintains the traditions of urban blacksmithing, the history, and the traditional skills of their respective families.
For centuries, men dominated the art of forging. Since the 1970s, however, this trend has changed, and gender disbalance has gradually been eliminated. It was necessary for women to work in the forge with their husbands during the Papoyan dynasty. The arts of metal processing are taught in the institutions mentioned above to students of all genders today. Gyumri performs informal and formal transmission of knowledge and skills related to the element.
Today, Gyumri is a popular cultural spot among visitors. In the city, extensive restoration efforts are being carried out to preserve architectural peculiarities, including handmade blacksmith goods. By inscribing the element in Armenia's ICH inventory, the state policy towards element safeguarding has been established. With state support, a film entitled “Blacksmithing” was produced in 2008; in 2012, a program entitled “Observations to Record, Identification, and Documentation of the Values of Traditional Culture” was conducted, which included an inventory of the crafts of Shirak and, the Kharberd community in Ararat marz organized a program called "Blacksmithing Courses." In 2018, Armenian folk culture was presented in Washington, D.C. at the Folklife festival. Gyumri masters participated in large open exhibition fairs organized by the Armenian office of the Smithsonian Institute in 2018-2019. In 2021, the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the Russian National Academy of Sciences carried out a state-funded research program on blacksmithing in Gyumri. An electronic book was produced to describe the tradition of blacksmithing in Gyumri. The "Kumayri Reserve Museum" will launch a large state program in the coming years. |Subject=Art, Craftsmanship, and Practices |Country=Armenia |SDG=(04) Quality Education, (05) Gender Equality, (08) Decent Work and Economic Growth, (10) Reduced Inequalities, (11) Sustainable Cities and Communities }}