The following is an Armenian Research Institute of the South Caucasus press release:

The one thousand year old Gospel of Tsughrut or Hovhannes Avetaran is a significant piece of Armenian medieval art in terms of archaeography and simplicity of miniature expression.

Many times referred to as the Guardian of Tsughrut, the Gospel has been carefully preserved and protected by the Saponjyan family as the holy relic of the village.

With the current scholarship granted by the Armenian Research Institute of the South Caucasus it has been possible to implement conservation and restoration work on the manuscript locally in the village of Tsughrut, thus ensuring longer preservation of the unique relic.

The conservation of the manuscript has been implemented by senior conservators of Yerevan Matenadaran Artavazd Ayvazyan and Arthur Petrosyan, biologist Lusine Markaryan and with the supervision of Ms. Gayane Eliazyan, Head of the Restoration Department of Yerevan Mantenadaran, PhD in Chemical Science. Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian is Berberian Coordinator of Armenian Studies Program at California State University, Fresno. He teaches Armenian Language, Literature, History and culture courses. He is President of the Society for Armenian Studies. Prof. Der Mugrdechian has been awarded the St. Nerses Shnorhali medal for his services to the Armenian Church in 2010 by Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians. Arusyak Baldryan is a MA student of UNESCO World Heritage Studies at Brandenburg Technical University of Cottbus Senftenberg in Germany. She has worked in cultural non-profit projects in Yerevan, Tbilisi, Dresden and Berlin. With joint efforts Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian and Arusyak Baldryan have initiated the Conservation of the Gospel of Tsughrut locally in the village of Tsughrut, in cooperation with Head of the Restoration Department of Yerevan Matenadaran, Ms. Gayane Eliazyan thus preventing the further decay of the medieval Armenian Manuscript (dating back to 974)