From auctions to Yerevan: Armenia recovers medieval church artifact and Gorky artwork

A historic Armenian artifact and a graphic artwork by Armenian-American painter Arshile Gorky—acquired by the Armenian government as part of its efforts to locate and retrieve Armenian cultural heritage artifacts that have appeared in private collections or auctions around the world-will soon be put on display at the History Museum of Armenia and the National Gallery of Armenia in Yerevan.

The Armenian government allocated more than 300 million drams last year alone for the retrieval of various artifacts. “Soon, our public will be able to see the wooden door panel of a medieval Armenian church acquired by the state, as well as a graphic artwork by Arshile Gorky, which will be displayed in the National Gallery and the History Museum,” Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan said at a parliamentary committee meeting on her ministry’s 2025 performance report.

The monumental Armenian church door panel was made in 1188 and will be displayed at the History Museum of Armenia. The artifact appeared in international circulation in the 1980s and was later found in a private collection in New York. Earlier in December 2025, the Sam Fogg London art dealership website featured a monumental door panel carved for the Haghpat Monastery in Armenia, dated to 1188.

Andreasyan did not reveal details about the Arshile Gorky artwork.