YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The four-volume book of the "Armenian History" will be published by the History Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia in 2008. According to the information provided to a Noyan Tapan correspondent by Gnel Grigorian, the Deputy Head of the Institute, 65 million drams (approximately 216 thousand U.S. dollars) has been allocated by the state budget for the publication of the book in four volumes. According to Gnel Grigorian, the eight-volume book of the "Armenian History" was published in the soviet years, in which, however, there is a certain ideological direction characteristic of those years. Certain issues, which mainly concern the history of the newest period of Armenia, that is the 1917-60s, were not covered with the necessary depth, or were distorted: in particular, issues concerning the first Republic of Armenia (1918), the national liberation movements were overlooked, as regards the role of the political parties, except the communist party, it is not mentioned at all. The history of the Armenian Apostolic Church as well is introduced in an incomplete and misrepresented way. In the words of Gnel Grigorian, after the Armenia became independent a task has been set in front of historians to review the issues, which were incompletely and not unbiassedly covered in that publication and introduce them objectively in the book in four volumes to be published. The first volume of the new publication of the "Armenian History" includes the period starting from the ancient times up to the beginning of the 4th century: the adoption of Christianity. The second volume comprises the period strting from the fourth century up to the middle of the 17th one, where the beginning of the Armenian liberation movements, as well as the role of the political parties will be presented. The third one will include the period starting from the half of the 17th century up to 1918: the declaration of the first Republic of Armenia, and, finally, the fourth volume will comprise the period lying between 1918 and 2002-2003. According to Gnel Grigorian, some volumes are likely to have additional sections. Numerous photos and more than hundred maps will be placed in the volumes. It was mentioned that the book in four volumes will also be published in the English and Russian languages.

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