Poetry Festival at Armenian Community of Tbilisi

Many events dedicated to Armenian literature, in particular Armenian poetry, take place at the Armenian Community of Tbilisi. But this latter one, which took place on July 25, 2020, in the courtyard of the Cathedral of Saint George in Tbilisi, was held under ''From the Unknown Pages of Famous Poets'' mysterious and comprehensive title. It was a belated but the first response to the International Poetry Day (March 21) in the Armenian Diocese in Georgia.

The event was initiated by Diocesan ''House of Hovhannes Tumanyan'' Center for Science and Culture. This event which was postponed because of coronavirus pandemic became the first event symbolizing the return of Tbilisi's Armenian community to their daily life. The event took place with the blessings of Sayat-Nova and other late great Armenians figures buried in the courtyard of the Cathedral. The event was attended by a large number of admirers of poetry.

Admirers of poetry and representatives of various generations of Armenian community of Tbilisi attended the event to listen to and admire the poems written by the great Armenian poets.

After the Evening Service, the event was honored with the presence of the Vicar of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, Rev. Father Archimandrite Kirakos Davtyan. Director of the ''House of Hovhannes Tumanyan'' Center Gisane Hovsepyan gave opening remarks and conveyed the responsibility of conducting the evening to Gohar Mazmanyan, who had organized the event.

Armenian poetry is inexhaustible with its brilliant faces, shining pearls, its heartfelt poems’ lines, its soft melodiousness and its steadfast modernity. And those pearls shone with childish, love, patriotic, philosophical, spiritual, translated samples which were presented by the pupils of N104 school, as well as students of ‘’Saint Gregory of Narek’’ and ‘’Saint Elias the Prophet’’ one-day schools of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, and just poetry admirer community figures. The poems of Nahapet Kouchak, Gregory of Narek, Rouben Sevak, Daniel Varuzhan, Hovhannes Tumanyan, Vahan Teryan, Hovhannes Shiraz, Silva Kapoutikyan, Henrikh Sahakyan, Michael Akhtyan, Anahit Bostanjyan, Guri Eteri, Zhora Snkhchyan and others were presented by those for whom these poems are very dear and close to their hearts, accompanied by appropriate comments. Armenian pearls of literature sounded in Georgian and Russian as samples of high quality translation.

Poet and translator Givi Shahnazar, who is a great master of Armenian-Georgian literature, joined the evening of poetry via Skype and read a poem by Victor Hovsepyan dedicated to Terenti Graneli. And Rev. Father Kirakos Simonyan read passages from ‘’Speeches’' of John Chrysostom.

The event was concluded with the blessings of Rev. Father Archimandrite Kirakos Davtyan. Touching upon the evening of poetry, Rev. Father highly appreciated the event organized within an interesting format and saturated with questions and answers, songs and recitation. He encouraged the attendees to express our unity through love, smile, and kindness.

The event, which was organized and implemented with high-level quality, became a beautiful opportunity for each participant to express and interpret their own feeling and emotions in a unique way, as well as to dive into the deep sea of Armenian literature.