YEREVAN. – A festival of crafts, entitled "Gyumri: City of Craftsmen," will be held Saturday in Gyumri, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia informs Armenian News-NEWS.am.

And on Sunday, this festival will continue in Yerevan—but in a smaller format.

This year has been declared the year of folk creativity and cultural heritage by the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The objective of this festival to be held in Gyumri is to unite the folk crafts of the modern region on one cultural platform, to increase their recognition, and to contribute to the creative advancement of individuals of this heritage.

Masters of folk art from a number of Armenian communities and other CIS countries will participate in the festival, and they will present their artistic works and conduct master classes.

This festival of crafts will be organized every year in various communities of Armenia, and contribute not only to the preservation and transmission of the intangible cultural heritage of these communities, but also promote the development of cultural tourism in Armenia.