The Toumanian Museum

Armenia has a very rich literary tradition but I think the most beloved author of all is Hovhannes Toumanian.  He crowned himself amenayn hayots banasteghts( the all Armenian poet)-and it is very well deserved. There are many things named after Toumanian here in Yerevan, although he never lived here. Toumanian street is one of the main streets of Yerevan- and at the end of it is the Toumanian museum.

Toumanian was born in the village of Dsegh, but he spent the majority of his life in Tblisi. He has written hundreds of stories, poems, plays, fairy tales and everything else you can think of. I can say with quite a measure of confidence that every Armenian child who grew up in an Armenian household is familiar with his work.   

He was an author, an intellectual, and a family man. Toumanian congregated around himself all of the prominent Armenian intellectuals of his day- and they met every Thursday on his veranda (vernahark) to discuss the issues of the day. Very Hemingwayesque of him.

The museum is very nicely done with recreations of his study and vernahark in Tblisi. It has lots of pictures, illustrations, letters, postcards, clothes, and other personal items.The coolest piece was a very disneyland inspired recreation of  the village in which he was born. The curtains open and music starts playing to a background of painted mountains and makeshift rivers. Very nice.

(Images from top: The exterior of the museum, a few very large books in the doorway, some of the various exhibits, Armen standing in front of the disneyland model, recreation of the vernahark, a party celebrating his release from jail in St. Petersburg-I would love to be a guest at this shindig).