After a lapse of 14 years, the Kumayri Museum-Preserve CNCO (Community Non-Commercial Organization is back in business cataloging the numerous cultural and historical buildings and sites in Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city located in Shirak Province.

Stepan Ter-Margaryan, the CNOC’s acting director, says the organization with a staff of four is preparing preservation projects and looking for financial donors.

“Our top priority is to see what has been left in the city, what we have lost, and what can be saved for future generations,” said Ter-Margaryan.

Ter-Margaryan said that the museum’s current list of 1,100 historical items must be verified given that in the past the number reached 1,600. He says that some were destroyed due to the 1988 earthquake and due to urban construction.