Turning the pages of Armenian-Georgian friendship: "Georgia and Hovhannes Tumanyan"

On March 16, 2024, a literary and artistic event entitled "Hovhannes Tumanyan and Georgia" was held at the "House of Hovhannes Tumanyan" Center for Science, Education, and Culture of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia. The event was attended by Georgian writers, poets, Armenologists, translators, teachers, heads of public organizations, Armenian and Georgian students, schoolchildren, Armenian intellectuals, and advocates of Armenian-Georgian friendship. The day was symbolic, saturated with the inspiration of friendship between two Christian nations, Armenians and Georgians.

The literary and artistic event, which was implemented with blessings of the Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Kirakos Davtyan, and the initiative of the Center's employees Gohar Mazmanyan and Edita Zohrabyan, pursued the aim of reviewing the century-old friendship between Armenians and Georgians, which was expressed in Hovhannes Tumanyan's warm friendship and brotherly love for Georgia and the Georgian people.

The event was honored with the presence of the Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Kirakos Davtyan.

The speeches delivered by Chairperson of the Writers Association of Georgia Maghvala Gonashvili, Professor of the Tbilisi Ivane Javakhishvili State University Niko Javakhishvili, as well as tour guide Gohar Mazmanyan, employee of the Teacher's house Karine Manukyan, Armenologist Natia Chantladze, were varied. All the speeches were imbued with the appreciation of the great folk poet and Armenian-Georgian relations, the period of Tumanyan's study at the Nersisyan School, translations of Armenian and Georgian authors, Hovhannes Tumanyan's contribution to the opening of Tbilisi State University in 1918, as well as Sayat-Nova's "Vardaton" (Feast of Roses) and similar events which are still being implemented nowadays, and the necessity of organizing such events to inform the Georgian and Armenian youth about the friendship of the two peoples.

The event was also full of artistic performances. Recitation of Hovhannes Tumanyan's legend "The Dog and The Cat" by Natalya Mirzoyan, as well as the performance of Sayat-Nova's poems by Aida Bazoyan-Surmalyan and Arman Papikyan received a warm response from the audience.