MONUMENT TO THE GREAT ARMENIAN POET AND ASHUG SAYAT-NOVA ESTABLISHED IN CENTRAL YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.10.2009 18:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The bust of the Armenian poet, ashug Sayat-Nova
was established October 16 at the center of Yerevan.

"We must remember our brilliant and talented ashugs. They have enriched
our culture and laid the basis for its further development, " a French
sculptor of Armenian origin, the author of the bust Toros Raskelenian
said. Toros Raskelenian was awarded the Legion of Honor of the French
Republic and the Order of Movses Khorenatsi of the Republic of Armenia.

Toros Raskelenian as early as in April this year, expressed willingness
to gift a monument to Sayat-Nova to Yerevan, the monument is dedicated
to the memory of the sculptor’s mother.

The bust unveiling ceremony was attended by the mayor of Yerevan
Gagik Beglaryan and the Minister for Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan.

"We will try to have as much as possible such remarkable sculptures
in Yerevan," the mayor Gagik Beglaryan said.

Sayat-Nova, Haroutiune Sayadyan – (1712-1795), Armenian poet,
musician, ashug (Caucasian folk poet and singer), a master of
love poetry, was born in a family of a native of Aleppo settled
in Tiflis. Nineteen-year-old young men he had left to wander for 7
years. It is still a riddle which countries had Haroutiune Sayadyan
visited.

He returned Tiflis with Sayat-Nova name, which means "king of songs"
or "lord of music" in Hindi, as Hovhannes Tumanyan suggested.

Rumour about the amazing ashug immediately spread over the town. After
listening to the singing of Sayat-Nova, King Irakli II generously
rewarded him and made his court ashug .

Sayat-Nova, serving as the head of the palace ensemble, lived at
the court more than 10 years and eventually became a victim of the
intrigues of the nobles. The king told him to take the vows. Sayat
Nova was named Stepanos, obtained the rank of Archimandrite and
became a member of the brotherhood of the Haghpat Monastery near the
Georgian border.

He remained there until of war with a fierce eunuch Agha Mohammed
Khan fro Turkic dynasty of Qajars, occupied the Persian throne. In
1795 Tflis fell under the onslaught of hordes of Aga Mohammad-Khan
and the 83-year-old monk was found killed in the Armenian cathedral
church of Surb Gevorg. Sayat Nova was buried in the place of his
death – under the north wall of the Church of Surb Gevorg.