On June 8, “Chaybushka” Molokan Heritage House-Museum was opened in the village of Fioletovo, which presents the history, cultural values and the lifestyle of Molokans. The opening ceremony was attended by a number of guests from the European Union Delegation to Armenia, GIZ Armenia, Lori Marzpetaran, the Molokan community in Armenia and others.

The creation of the museum was supported by the European Union and the Federal Republic of Germany within the framework of the EU4Business "Innovative Tourism and Technology Development for Armenia (ITTD)" project implemented by the GIZ.

The opening of the museum is a testament to the strong connection of the Molokans and their desire to preserve and present their unique lifestyle, traditions, customs and stories.

Guests of the event had the opportunity to get acquainted with carefully designed museum exhibits, which are presented in the form of photographs, clothes, handicrafts and other interactive exhibits.

The founder of the museum, Anatoly Mikhailov, noted: “I had this dream for a long time. I always wanted to talk about our culture, our customs. I invite everyone to the village of Fioletovo to get away from the bustle of the city, get in touch with the history of the Molokans, enjoy the purest mountain air and taste natural products.”

EU4Business ITTD Team Leader Wilhelm Hugo noted; “This is a very important cultural heritage and we appreciate your openness to allow tourists to see all these gems.”

Antonis Tsamoulis, the cooperation officer of the European Union Delegation to Armenia (EU), said; “We are grateful for the opportunity to discover the hidden sides of Armenia, which are very interesting. The EU were happy to support you. I am personally very glad to get to know the Molokan community in Armenia.”

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The Fioletovo village was founded in 1838-40. Until 1936 the village was called Nikitino. Fioletovo is located 14 km away from Dilijan and 25 km away from Vanadzor, in Gugark region of the Lori province of Armenia. The inhabitants are Russian-Molokan denominations exiled from Tsarist Russia. Before the collapse of the USSR, there were 30 Molokan villages in Armenia, and now the village of Fioletovo is the only one where only Molokans live. Molokans, mixed with Armenians and other representatives of different nationalities, also live in the village of Lermontovo, neighboring Fioletovo, as well as in the capital city of Armenia Yerevan, also in Dilijan, Vanadzor, Gyumri and other towns of the country.