Chair of Sports and Art

The Chair was established in 1947 and headed by one of the active figures in the physical training movement Mr. Suren Topchyan. In 1965-1997 the Chair was headed by the USSR Honoured Coach Professor Hovhannes Arakelyan and since 1997 – by the Candidate of Pedagogy Professor Babken Serobyan.

In 1972, the section of physical training was founded in GSPI (Gyumri State Pedagogical Institute) thus creating an opportunity to establish a specialised Chair of Gymnastics and Sports Games. The first Head of the Chair was Assistant Professor Mkrtich Manukyan. Later it was headed by R. Manukyan, R. Papoyan and in 2006 Assistant Professor A. Khachatryan was elected Head of the Chair. In 2013, the Chairs of physical training and sports pedagogy joined and came to be called the Chair of physical training and methods of its teaching. Over the years the Chair has employed such famous experienced professors, Honoured Coaches of the Soviet Union and our Republic as H. Arakelyan, H. Parsadanyan, F. Ghazaryan, G. Butayev, G. Minasyan, R. Papoyan, V. Grigoryan,

B. Serobyan, A. Matevosyan, R. Manukyan, M. Manukyan, R. Cholakhyan, H. Sahakyan, H. Antikyan, A. Khachatryan andother Honoured Coach-Pedagogues. The bulk of the employees have scientific grades and degrees. As a result the GSPI student-athletes have always been winners and prize-winners at both inter-university and republican and international competitions. During these years, both single-player and game kinds of sports flourished at the University, contributing to their development and prosperity. Since the 1970s, 10 (ten) famous Olympic Champions and prize-winners from Leninakan – Gyumri (Yu. Vardanyan, L. Julfalakyan, M. Iskandaryan, I. Militosyan, A. Aleksanyan), more than 30 (thirty) World Champions (V. Militosyan, M. Apikyan, H. Rubenyan, A. Manukyan), 40 (forty) European Champions (R. Emmyan, M. Ghazaryan, H. Stepanyan, Kh. Kyapanaktsyan) have graduated from our University.

The graduates of our Chair have beaten more than 60 World and European records. They have trained and are still training the Armenian National teams, about 30 of them (M. Shirinyan. A. Mhitaryan, L. Julfalakyan, K. Simonyan, S. Sargsyan, G. Vardanyan) being Honoured Coaches of the Republic of Armenia.

Besides, the Chair has done huge scientific – pedagogical research. We have published both scientific and methodological articles which have made their contribution to the students’ education. It is on the initiative of our Chair that the nursery schools have lessons in Physical training in their curriculum. As a result of the research work, a special methodology and system of training exercises have been worked out and were introduced both in our city and in various former Soviet republics, bringing universal recognition and fame to our Chair.

During its long history the Chair has organized the following republican scientific sessions: “Physical Training and Methods of its Teaching”, “Healthy Soldiers to Our National Army”, “The Olympic Movement”, “The Physical and Moral-Psychological Preparedness of the Coming Generation”.

The GSPI (now ShSU) Chair of physical training and methods of its teaching plays a leading part both in the professional growth of the athletes in Shirak region and in training skillful specialists for maintaining the proper level of the athletes’ preparedness.

The Chair of Arts, which formerly being part of the Chair of Pedagogy, issued teachers of painting and drawing, in 2005 was separated as an independent Chair of Painting. In 2013, after joining the Music Chair, it came to be called the Chair of Painting and Music and Methods of their Teaching, and in 2017, as a result of constructive changes in ShSU it was engaged in the Department of Humanities and Arts as a Chair of Arts. The first Head of the Chair of Fine Arts was Candidate of Pedagogy, Assistant Professor Mrs. Laura Atanesyan, who made a great contribution to the establishment and development of the Chair. The Chair employed such Hohoured artists as sculptor Mr. Zaven Koshtoyan, graphic Mr. Hovhannes Gasparyan, painter Mrs. Never Safyan. Today also famous artists, members of Artists Union of Armenia teach at the Chair. The Chair employs sculptor, Assistant Professor Artush Papoyan, painters Professor Valeri Khachatryan, Assistant Professor Ashot Mikaelyan, Anzhela Manvelyan, Member of the Designers Union of Armenia, Candidate of Pedagogy Ofelya Kurazyan, Candidates of Art, Assistant Professor Araks Margaryan and Hasmik Harutyunyan, Doctor of Pedagogy Anahit Kirakosyan, Candidate of Pedagogy, Assistant Professor Karapet Yeghoyan, Candidate of Technical Sciences Hovhannes Harutyunyan, specialist in performing art Samvel Hambaryan.

THE DOMAIN OF THE EDUCATIONAL AND METHODOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF THE CHAIR.

The Chair of Arts carries out educational programmes in 6 (six) specialisations:

Bachelor’s Degree, full-time education:

1. Decorative - applied art;

2. Computer graphics;

3. Design.

Bachelor’s Degree, extra-mural education:

1. Art;

2. Musical education;

Master’s Degree:

1. Decorative – applied art;

2. Painting;

The Chair’s scientific - research work and activities aimed at internationalization.

The major directions of the scientific – research activities of the Chair are the issues on the history and theory of the world art and Armenian art, the key issues on the evaluation, maintenance and modernization of the cultural heritage. The lecturers of the Chair present their survey at International and Republican scientific conferences, publish articles in scientific journals and Mass Media periodicals. The lecturers and students of the Chair have participated in a series of international educational and cultural programmes. In 2016-2017, the Head of the Chair Ofelya Kurazyn as an expert in intercultural communications and the second-year student at Painting, Master’s Degree, Mamikon Varderesyan as an expert in Art took part in the European Council’s international and cultural programme “Fairy Tales Teaching Trust”.

In April – May, 2017, the international educational and cultural programme “Noah’s Ark” was carried out on the initiative of the Chair of Art and the Intercultural Union of Artist – Pedagogues (Международный союз педагогов – художников).

The Chair’s lecturers are members of international professional associations, namely, the Head of the Chair Ofelya Kurazyan has been supervising the Armenian representation of the International Union of Artist – Pedagogues (Международный союз педагогов – художников) since 2017.

The students of the Chair have taken part in some international cultural programmes: “Branding Gyumri, 2017”, “Lenduta, 2017”, “Ride Your Bike, 2016”, etc.

In September, 2016, the Master Peace Foundation gave the third-year student Karlen Varderesyan (Applied Art) the International Nelson Mandela Award for his outstanding social and charity activity.

The Creative Activity of the Chair of Art.

The lecturers and students of the Chair actively participate in the cultural life of our university, city and republic.

· Since 2014, annual Republican exhibitions of young artists have been organized by the Chair.

· In April – May, 2017, on the initiative of the Chair of Art and the International Union of Artist – Pedagogues a joint en plein air “Noah’s Ark” was held, which summed up with an international exhibition.

· I – IV-year students (Applied Art) took part in the programme “Let’s Colour Our City” within the frames of the programme “Gyumri – 2016 – Youth Capital”, held on October 28 – November 15, arranged by the Youth Cultural NGO “Tsiranapogh”, the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs and assisted by Gyumri city hall.

· The Chair annually holds en plein air practice, students thematic and account exhibition reviews.

· The lecturers of the Chair participate in annual and thematic exhibitions initiated by the Artists Union of Armenia (the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Show dedicated to the Motherhood and Beauty Day, the review dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the Artists Union of Armenia, etc.).

The Extra – Curricular Activity of the Chair.

· The students of the Chair actively participate in the cultural and student events at ShSU: exhibitions, concerts, excursions.

· We often visit the historical places in our Republic, museums, exhibition halls, attend significant cultural events.

· The annual en plein air practice is held in camps where the students spend a whole week living a busy and saturated everyday life.

· At the Chair, there is a good tradition to visit the picturesque places in Armenia for en plein air etudes.