Manuk Adamian: Siamanto’s nephew

Interview by Hovhannes Yeranian
Culture

Yerkir/am
October 22, 2004

The 125th birthday of the great Armenian poet Siamanto, who was killed
during the Armenian Genocide, was celebrated in 2003. The celebration
was not organized on a scale appropriate for this poetâ~@~Ys talent
and his contribution to the Armenian culture. Siamanto is not very
widely known as opposed to some other Western Armenian poets.

Meanwhile, it is obvious that he was a poet of universal value whose
poetry has not been adequately appreciated. Siamantoâ~@~Ys nephew,
French-Armenian doctor Manuk Adamian visited Yerkir. Manukian is
doing his best to popularize Siamanto â~@~Ys poetry both among the
Armenians in Armenia and the Diaspora. We interviewed doctor Adamian.

MA: I was born in 1942 in Paris. My father was born in Sis. Then he
moved to Izmir, Cyprus and then to Paris. My mother was the daughter
of Siamantoâ~@~Ys sister. She had moved to France earlier. She had
three children. I started reading Siamantoâ~@~Ys poetry quite late
even though our family was saturated with memories of him.

Q: Mr. Adamian, when did you come to Armenia for the first time?

A: I visited Armenia five times during the Soviet period. After Armenia
became independent, I came here in 1993. Then I was working at an
organization called Country and Culture. Its manager, Gegham Gevorgian
is my classmate. We reconstructed the church in Gogaran village near
Spitak. Next year I came to Armenia with my children. Then in 1995
I came alone again. There is a school named after Siamanto in the
South-West district in Yerevan. I wanted to assist that school.

We organized a week of appreciation of Siamantoâ~@~Ys poetry. Students
from several schools in Yerevan participated in essay and poetry
reading competitions devoted to his poetry. Now such competitions are
organized every year. Actor Azat Gasparian chaired the evaluation
committee of the poetry reading competition. I heard him recite
Siamantoâ~@~Ys poems and had an idea of producing a CD with his poems.

So we produced a CD with 15 poems recited by Gasparian. A thirty-page
booklet was included with the CD which was prepared based on the
materials provided by the Museum of Literature and Arts.

Q: Not many people know about the CD in Armenia. How many copies of
the disc were issued?

A: 500 CDâ~@~Ys were produced and 300 were taken to the Diaspora.

Q: What events did you organize last year when Siamantoâ~@~Ys 125th
birthday anniversary was celebrated?

A: We celebrated his birthday on August 13. Later in September some
other events were organized at Siamanto School and the Writers Union
in Yerevan. I tried hard to learn and read Siamantoâ~@~Ys poem called
Revenge of Centuries. The poem ends with these words, â~@~My name
is struggle and my end is victory.â~@~]

Q: I assume you have some plans connected with your current visit
to Armenia?

A: No, this time I just came here to enjoy myself. I do not have
any specific plans. I cannot imagine myself without Armenia. I come
here at least twice a year. I felt homesick and this is why I came
to Armenia this time.

Q: I see you have a camera. Is it an amateur camera? Did you take it
to take some pictures of Armenia?

A: No, I treat photography very professionally. I respect this art
very much. I have made thousands of slides and photos that I showed in
different countries accompanied with music. My only topic is Armenia
â~@~S Echmiadzin, Salbuchinar, Oshakan, Haghartsin, Sardarapat,
Byurakan and other places. I have also shown a series of photos of
Ararat. But these photos were shown not with music but with poetry
readings of Shiraz, Isahakyan, Charents and other poets. I have a
series of photos of Yerevan at night.

Q: Mr. Manukian, donâ~@~Yt you think that itâ~@~Ys time to publish
a full collection of Siamantoâ~@~Ys poetry?

A: Yes, we are now working on publishing a full collection of his
poems.

Q: Do you know when it will be published?

A: Not yet, but I hope it will be published soon.

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