Mery Asatryan
Brusov State University
In 2019 during a festival held in Pshatavan village of Armavir region Lilit Yepremyan got a real opportunity to start crafting dolls. She creates eco-friendly products using threads, cloth, and wood. Of course, each doll tells a story about our culture, nation and traditions. This way she tries to make intangible cultural heritage accessible to children by passing on her skills through master classes.
Throughout her 20-year career in education, Lilit has become closer to children, often spending time with them and teaching them how to make dolls. Lilit is a cultural expert and has 20 years of experience teaching. She used her creativity to make the “Ninik” doll while working at Armavir High School No. 4 as Deputy Director.
“Everything started with the festival where we participated with the High School and presented some products. There was an idea to make handmade dolls.”
Before the festival, in a short period time, Lilit made handmade dolls from ecologically clean raw materials with the schoolchildren.
“We mainly use threads and natural materials. If you pay attention, you’ll see that here are our Armenian patterned aprons, the cloth, thread and wooden head. We can also make the head out of threads.”
“Ninik.” That’s the name Lilit Yepremyan used for herself when she was a child. She admits that Ninik often brings her back to her childhood and sometimes even speaks to her. Children who make and play with the dolls experience similar feelings.
“This activity is incredibly comforting. As they craft the doll, finish it, and begin playing with it, they start shaping a character, bringing it to life. Gradually, the doll becomes their friend.”
Lilit Yepremyan mentions that when engaged in making dolls, children focus on the work, the handwork, the flexible finger movements positively influence their language, thinking and speech. Through crafting Ninik dolls, Lilit aims to convey the values of Armenian intangible heritage. The dolls created by Lilit are now traveling around the world. “Ninik has an idea to spread the Armenian spirit around the world. Ninik has been to China, France, USA, Russia.”
The doll wears traditional Armenian designs and patterns on its dress and decorations. Lilit has studied the ornaments of national costumes, carefully looked at patterns from Armenian clothes, drawn them on the computer and made the necessary costume. She prints these Armenian designs onto fabric to create the doll’s outfit.
“A huge amount of work has been done on creating this apron. The dresses of this new collection are made of red velvet ribbon. Unfortunately, it is hard to find such pieces of pure Armenian ornaments. It is a real problem. But it’s good that there’s the Internet, it’s good that there are quality images that you can print.”
That’s how the dolls are made. She has even written a fairy tale book for the doll where she included stories of Armenian traditions. In Lilit’s words, “our traditions, our values and cultural heritage should be described in a language that children can understand.”
The stories about Ninik doll are yet to be completed. The author has left the stories open for children to continue with their own imagination.
