SILVA KAPUTIKYAN KNEW…

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[11:56 am] 05 March, 2009

The house/museum of Silva Kaputikyan opened its doors to the public
this January and it looks just the way it did back in August 2006 when
the writer summed up her final desire in her will and was laid to rest.

"Dear editor, I wasn’t able to turn down my good friend, Deputy
Minister of Culture Karine Khodikyan’s offer and agreed to be a member
of the admission commission…"these are the words in the hand-written
paper beside the pen and glasses. Nothing has changed. The fruits
and brandy on the table are where they have always been.

"Silva loved to eat bread with walnuts and she had to eat the finest
walnuts. She didn’t like it when I saved money and didn’t buy what
she liked," says Mrs. Rafleta Hajyan who is Silva Kaputikyan’s
niece. Rafleta currently runs the house/museum and takes care of the
assets of "Silva’s house" and tells all visitors about the renowned
Armenian writer.

"Many people used to come and even ask Silva for money. We used to
fight and I used to tell Silva that she is helping others when it
should really be the other way around," says Mrs. Rafleta adding that
Silva had even put some money aside for her funeral.

Museum workers wipe the dust off the items in the living room every
morning and never move anything around because that was Silva’s wish
stated in her will.

There is a brandy next to the souvenirs in one of the closets, which
the writer had decided to open on her 90th birthday. But the brandy
was opened without Silva. Now, in the balcony where Silva loved to sit,
is a big exhibition room where one may see all of Silva’s certificates
and membership cards and her presents.