After moving to Yerevan from Leninakan in 1968, Zhirayr Movsisyan worked as a photojournalist in Garun magazine, Hayastan publishing house, World of Books weekly newspaper and the Armenian Television. Later on, he took courses in photography at the Moscow University of Applied Arts. In 1979, Movsisyan was elected a member of the USSR Journalists' Union.(1)

Along with the photo-reportage work, Movsisyan has also engaged in art photography, focusing primarily on themes relating to the natural environment and historical-architectural monuments. In these works, the photographer usually attempted to stress the epic, superhuman power of nature and the dramatic magnificence of historical monuments.

Movsisyan’s photographs have been published in numerous photographic albums dedicated to Armenia and Armenian monuments. He also participated in many all-union and republican exhibitions, and won several prizes for his artistic and documentary photographs.

1) Vahan Kochar, Hay Lusankarichner [Armenian Photographers, in Armenian], self-published, Yerevan, 2007, p.254

Vigen Galstyan, 2016