PanArmenian, Armenia
April 18 2009
`Park of Literature’ opened in Hakhnidzor village to Commemorate Hrant
Matevosyan
18.04.2009 17:33 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `Park of Literature’ opened in Hakhnidzor village to
Commemorate Hrant Matevosyan.
The project was initiated by RA Ministry of Culture and `Hrant
Matevosyan’ Cultural Foundation. By their invitation, Russian writer
Andrey Bitov visited the park and planted there the first two Lebanon
cedars in commemoration of his long friendship with the great Armenian
writer.
`My mother’s surname is Kedrova, that’s why Hrant’s son and I decided
to plant cedars in the park. May they have a long life and symbolize
the memory of our mothers, Olga Kedrova and Mrs. Arousyak. No wonder
we’re so close with Hrant’s children. Nothing in the word happens by
mere accident. It’s a sign from Heaven,’ Andrey Bitov said while
planting the tree with Zaven Karyan, Hrant Matevosyan’s childhood
friend.
The colleagues of the great writer ` Rouben Hovsepyuan, Hrachya
Saroukhyan, Felix Meloyan. Levon Khechoyan, Zorayr Khalapyan and
Vahaghn Grigoryan also planted trees in the yard of Hrant’s native
home.
Andrey Bitov was born in Leningrad. He started writing in 1956. In
1957, he entered the Institute of Mines in Leningrad, where he
participated in the activities of the literary union where he wrote
poems. Imitating Victor Golyakin, he started writing short absurdist
stories which were first published in 1990. In interviews, he often
called himself a non-professional writer. From 1960 till 1978, he
published 10 fiction books. Andrey Bitov has been a member of the
Writers’ Union since 1965. In 1978, his novel `Pushkin’s Home’ was
published in the US. In 1979, Bitov was one of the authors of the
`Metropol’ uncensored almanac. His works haven’t been published since
1986.
`Perestroyka’ created new opportunities for the writer: trips abroad,
symposiums and public activities. In 1988, he was one of the founders
of the Pen Club and in 1991 became its President. Bitov was also one
of the founders of `Bagage’ Informal Association.