“Colorful Georgia” project dedicated to Hovhannes Tumanyan’s 150th anniversary

On October 24, 2019, the current year's event within the framework of the traditional “Colorful Georgia” project of Georgia's Ministry of Culture took place in the House of Culture of Ninotsminda. The event was entirely dedicated to Tumanyan’s 150th anniversary. The project was implemented as a result of cooperation with the Armenian Diocese in Georgia; “House of Hovhannes Tumanyan” Center for Science and Culture, “Hayartun” Educational and Cultural Center, and Georgia Writers Association participated in the implementation of the project.

The event was honored with the presence of the Vicar of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, Rev. Father Kirakos Davtyan, accompanied by Karen Yeristyan, Head of Administrative and Economic Department of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia. An honorary delegation from Tbilisi, headed by Alexander Grigalashvili, the national programs coordinator of the Ministry of Culture arrived.

The event was attended by the members of Ninotsminda regional administration, representatives of municipality and art admirers, public representatives, and schoolchildren.

Within the framework of the jubilee year, at the initiative of the “House of Hovhannes Tumanyan” Center for Science and Culture of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia and with the support of “Support to national culture development” program by Ministry of Culture of Georgia, as a result of cooperation between Georgia Writers Association and the “House of Hovhannes Tumanyan” Center for Science and Culture, the “Hovhannes Tumanyan – 150” bilingual collection's translation into Georgian was implemented and published. This edition includes untranslated quatrains and some other works written by the Poet of All Armenians. The presentation of the collection took place within the framework of “Colorful Georgia” project. Gisane Hovsepyan, the Head of the “House of Hovhannes Tumanyan” Center for Science and Culture delivered a speech and spoke about the publication of the collection.

Givi Shahnazar, Maghvala Gonashvili, Manana Gorgiashvili, Baghater Arabuli, who appreciated their participation in this publication as a great honor, valued the centuries-old friendship of the Armenian and Georgian peoples, and mentioned taht Hovhannes Tumanyan was the devotee of that friendship.

The Vicar of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia Rev. Father Archimandrite Kirakos Davtyan offered his blessings and high appreciation to the attendees. Rev. Father congratulated on the occasion of the one more Georgian edition of Hovhannes Tumanyan’s works, highly appreciated activities carried out by editorial staff and awarded Givi Shahnazar, Maghvala Gonashvili, and Alexander Grigalashvili with “Hovhannes Tumanyan – 150” medals of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia.

The “Hayartun” Center of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia participated in the concert program of the event. The event was conducted by the Head of the “Hayartun” Center Eugenia Markosyan and Director of Diocesan Department of Culture Suren Abramyan.

Along with the presentation, an exhibition was organized presenting Hovhannes Tumanyan’s photos of different years. The exhibition was conducted by the designer of the “Hovhannes Tumanyan – 150” collection Ivane Kezoua.

The event became the evidence of the fact that Hovhannes Tumanyan is a beloved poet not only for his people and nation but also for the Georgian people. His literary works are being studied in schools, people song and recite his poems. It was Tumanyan who presented in a new way the Georgian literature to Armenian readers, and the translations of Tumanyan’s works presented the samples of Armenian literature of the time to Georgian readers.