Panos Terlemezyan (1865−1941) is one of the most prominent representatives of the realistic direction in Armenian art of the XIX−XX centuries. The artist’s creative legacy includes landscapes, portraits, thematic works and still lifes, but landscape genre remains dominant in his oeuvre. He has a unique contribution in the development of Armenian realistic landscape painting. The artist’s difficult and challenging life was spent abroad and only in 1928, he returned to Armenia.

KeywordsPanos Terlemezyan realism painting academism impressionism industrial landscape portrait still life exhibition social activity.

In the letter of 1921, addressed to the communists of the Caucasus, the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR, Vladimir Lenin formulated an idea of importance of irrigation, which became a key starting point for the social and economic development of the region. The humanitarian mission of the Norwegian polar explorer and public figure Fridtjof Nansen in Armenia, directly related to irrigation projects, proved the relevance of Lenin's ideas at the international level. During the same period, archaeological research on ancient irrigation systems and related monuments called "vishap" were intensified resulting in a scientific discourse according to which irrigation in ancient times conditioned the emergence of statehood.

KeywordsV. Lenin F. Nansen irrigation “vishap” stelae soviet ideology socialist realism archaeological investigations.