A blessing ceremony at the entrance of Hovannes Tumanian’s house
YEREVAN (Armenpress)—The opening ceremony of the ‘Hovhannes Tumanian House’cultural center was held on Sunday in the last apartment where the author lived in Tbilisi.
The base of this historical event was the return of Tumanian’s Tbilisi house to the Armenian community where many famous Armenian figures, such as Aghayan, Komitas, Shirvanzade, Isahakyan, Papazyan and others were hosted, where literary talks, readings, press conferences, discussions on published and unpublished works were held, the Armenian, Georgian and world literature samples were studied.
After Georgia’s independence, the fate of the All Armenian poet’s house alienated from the Armenian community was urgent: a non-operative library unit belonging to private owner and half-ruined apartment left to the heirs.
Tumanian’s house was handed over to its original owner thanks to the efforts of former President of the Writers’ Union of Armenia, late Levon Ananyan. Former Mayor of Gyumri, currently MP Vardan Ghukasyan and co-founder of the IDeA Foundation Ruben Vardanyan who assisted the program. The renovation, improvement and furnishing works of the house have been conducted by the Jinishian Memorial Foundation, IDeA Foundation and the Armenian Diocese of Georgia.
The opening ceremony of the ‘Hovhannes Tumanian House’ center was attended by a delegation from the Holy See of Etchmiadzin, Armenian and Georgian state, political figures, diplomats, guests from Russia and Armenia’s various cities and regions, heads of community structures and Georgian-Armenian intellectuals.
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The opening ceremony of the center started with wreath laying ceremony at the tomb of Hovhannes Tumanian in the Khojivank Pantheon of Armenian writers and public figures.
Member of parliament Vardan Ghukasyan, IDeA Foundation’s Executive Director Edgar Manukyan, Executive Director at Jinishian Memorial Program Elizan Minasyan cut the ribbon. The opening ceremony was also attended by a spiritual class.
Director of the center Gisane Hovsepyan delivered speech over the center’s activity and its future programs.
Primate of the Tavush Diocese Bishop Ter-Bagrat Galstyan read a congratulatory message from His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians. Congratulatory messages from Armenia’s Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan and Armenia’s Ambassador to Georgia Yuri Vardanyan were also presented.
Thereafter, congratulatory remarks were delivered by Director of the Hovhannes Tumanian House-Museum Narine Tukhikyan, President of the Writers’ Union of Armenia Eduard Militonyan, son of Levon Ananyan, Director of Armenpress news agency Aram Ananyan, President of the Writers’ Union of Georgia Makvala Gonashvili, as well as by other public and literary figures.
The event was summarized by Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Georgia, Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan who expressed gratitude to all philanthropists and supporters for returning Tumanian’s historical house to the Armenian community.
The center will carry out literary, scientific, educational and cultural activity, one of the halls is named after Levon Ananyan where Armenian and Georgian writers will hold meetings, discussions, the center will also serve for ethnography studies and development, will establish cultural ties between the Armenian and Georgian art figures, will have a puppet theatre, AGBU virtual university branch, spiritual, cultural heritage museum of Georgian-Armenians, as well as a library.
Source: Asbarez
Link: Hovannes Tumanian’s Tbilisi House Opens its Doors as Cultural Center