This culture house in Apaga village features an amazing fresco

Apaga Village, a settlement of Sassoon people established in 1919, became home to survivors from the Motkan province of Bitlis state in Western Armenia after the Armenian Genocide. The House of Culture of Apaga Village, erected in 1973, fostered vibrant cultural activities until the 1990s. Subsequently, due to neglect, the building suffered extensive damage to its roof, floor, and assets. From 2009 to 2019, partial restoration was undertaken using community budget funds to prevent further deterioration.

The culture house of Apaga village

In 1974, within the House of Culture, folk artist Sargis Muradyan created the monumental "Sasuntsiner" fresco (18 x 3.70 m), today recognized as a newly discovered monument of national significance. Muradyan conceived the sketch independently, while creating the fresco with assistance from Hrachya Hakobyan, Garnik Smbatyan, and R. Sargsyan.

The fresco stands as a pinnacle of monumental painting in Soviet Armenia, defying prevailing norms by depicting heroes of the liberation struggle at a time when such portrayals were viewed as nationalist in the Soviet context.

At its core, the expansive horizontal composition features an Armenian woman as the central figure in traditional dress, cradling a child. Alongside her are prominent symbols such as the parchment scroll of the epic poem "Sasna Tsrer," a khachkar, and a rifle resting on a cradle.

The left segment vividly portrays Armenian fighters engaged in combat with Turks, prominently featuring the heroic figure of fedayi leader Andranik.

On the right, the scene centers on the funeral pyre of Gevorg Chaush, with Muradyan himself depicted as a fidayi.

A wide lens is needed to capture this image in a single shot

Fedayis were irregular units formed by Armenian civilians who voluntarily left their families to establish self-defense groups in response to the mass murder and pillaging of Armenians by Turkish and Kurdish gangs during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

I’m Suren, a professional urban explorer in Armenia. I offer unique urbex tours to abandoned, hidden, and off-the-map places you won’t find in guidebooks. Want a custom itinerary? Contact me on WhatsApp or Telegram.