On May 11, 2019, YSU Ijevan Branch hosted a republican conference dedicated to Hovhannes Tumanyan’s 150th anniversary organized by the Armenian Language and Literature Department.

 First, the guests enjoyed the works of students of the Faculty of Applied Arts of YSUIB, then the solemn opening of the conference took place.

The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of different spheres of the region, provincial and urban authorities, the Primate of Tavush diocese, Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan, deputy governor of Tavush Tatul Stepanyan, guests from Great Britain, representatives of administrative and professorial staff of YSUIB  and students, directors and teachers of schools, art, banking, NGO, mas media representatives, and citizens.

 The conference was attended by researchers, professors, associate professors from YSU and Ijevan Branch of YSU, the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, Shirak Center for Armenian Studies, Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, Vanadzor State University.

 The Head of the Department of Armenian Language and Literature of Ijevan Branch of Yerevan State University, PhD, Associate Professor Vachagan Avagyan, Primate of Tavush Diocese, Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan, Acting Director of Ijevan Branch of Yerevan State University, PhD, Associate Professor Artak Tsutsulyan, Director of the Institute of Literature after M. Abeghyan, NAS RA  Vardan Devrikyan made an opening speech. They warmly welcomed the participants of the conference, conveyed gratitude for organising  such jubilee event and wished good luck to the work of the conference.

Then, at the Faculty of Applied Arts, reports were delivered by

1. Hovhannes Hovhannisyan Institute of Literature of NAS RA Head of the Tumanyan Chronicles of Life and Work, PhD Vladimir Kirakosyan (“Modern Problems of Tumanyan Studies”),

2. Head of YSU Department of Armenian Philology after   Tamrazyan, Professor Samvel Muradyan ( Tumanyan Studies of a Folk Material)

3. PhD, Associate Professor Khachatur Vardanyan (“Endless Beauty of Friendship (Levon Shant-Hovhannes Tumanyan)”),

4. President of “Tavush” Compatriotic Union, PhD, Professor Lavrenti Mirzoyan (Scientific Report).
5. Devrikyan and L. Mirzoyan also donated their books to YSUIB Library.

Then the work of the conference continued in classrooms, in three departments.

The following reports were delivered at the first Department (Vachagan Avagyan, Head of the Department):

1. “No week without Tumanyan. The new format of presenting Tumanyan’s life and writing “(YSU Faculty of Armenian Philology, Department of History of Armenian Literature named after H. Tamrazyan, PhD. Hayk Hambardzumyan)

2. “Hovhannes Tumanyan’s plays in Time Story” (Eva Mnatsakanyan, senior researcher at the M. Abeghyan Institute of Literature of NAS RA),

3. “Tumanyan’s” Edem flower in the context of national and international versions of tale”, Nvard Vardanyan, docent of the Faculty of Armenian Philology, Department of the Armenian Literature after H. Tamrazyan.

4. “The theme of a foolish man in Hovhannes Tumanyan’s tales” (senior researchers of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, Ester Khemchyan, PhD Marine Khemchyan)

5. “Tumanyan translation of Russian fairy tales” (Assistant of the Department of English Language and Literature of the Faculty of Humanities of Ijevan Branch of Yerevan State University, Kristine Dadyan),

6. “Tumanyan’s works as an exclusive lore of folklore “(researcher at Shirak Center for Armenian Studies NAS RA Hasmik Matikyan),

7. “Similarities of Tumanyan and Chopanyan” Vachagan Avagyan, Associate Professor at the Department of History of Armenian Philology, YSUIB Faculty of Armenian Philology, Acting head of YSUIB Department of Armenian Language and Literature, Department of Humanities.

The second Department (Head of the Department, Vahan Aghababyan)

1. Academician of YSU Faculty of Armenian Philology named after Tamrazyan,  Associate Professor, PhD  Arshaluys Galstyan (“Tumanyan in the” Mshak “(1870-1890) ratings)

2. Nune Mkrtchyan, senior researcher at the Literature Institute named after M. Abeghyan (Hovhannes Tumanyan as a public figure)

3. Kristine Najaryan, researcher at the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, a head of educational programs department (Hovhannes Tumanyan’s orphan work)

4. Associate Professor of the Department of Armenian Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, YSU Ijevan Branch Vahan Aghababyan (“The Great Thinkers about the Greatest”),

5. Assistant Professor, Department of Armenian Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Yerevan State University Ijevan Branch Alisa Hasanyan (“The Artistic Peculiarities of H. Tumanyan’s Sasuntsi Davit”),

6. Assistant Professor, Department of Armenian Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Yerevan State University Ijevan Branch Mushegh Sarukhanyan (“1915 and H. Tumanyan”).

 The third Department (Headed by Lusine Tumanyan)

1. Lilit Petrosyan, lecturer of the Department of Armenian Language at Vanadzor State University (“The Expressions of Grigor Narekatsi’s Narrative in Hovhannes Tumanyan’s Works”),

2. Associate Professor of the Department of Armenian Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, PhD. Karine Poghosyan (“Links in H. Tumanyan’s Work”),

3. Associate Professor of the Department of Armenian Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Yerevan State University Ijevan Branch, PhD. Aida Sarhatyan (“The literary structures in H. Tumanyan’s work”),

4. Associate Professor of the Department of Printed and Broadcasting Media at YSU Faculty of Journalism, PhD. Anahit Brutyan (“The All-Armenian Poet about the Creation of the Armenian University”),

5. Hasmik Grigoryan, Teacher of the Basic School N3 in Ijevan (Tumanyan “The Brave Nazar” Fairy Tales),

6. Siranush Ghushchyan, a teacher of the Armenian language and literature at the school N 5 after M. Martirosyan in Ijevan (“Tumanyan in his letters”),

7. Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign Language and Literature of the Faculty of Humanities of Yerevan State University Ijevan Branch, Emma Temrazyan (“About Tumanyan Paraphrase”).

 After the discussions, the participants moved to YSUIB consultation room to pass the certificates and close the conference.

 Summing up the results of the conference, Mr. Tsutsulyan conveyed his contentment and gratitude to the organizers of the conference, all the participants and especially researchers and professors from Yerevan, who not only made a major contribution to the fulfilment of the conference, but also greatly inspired the students from the border region,  away from the center (capital Yerevan).

The conference ended with a reception.

The conference program is available here.

The Photos of the conference are available in the gallery..