Day 8: Final day in Yerevan
Pantheon, Komitas Museum, Cafesjian Art Gallery, Charetsi, Lover’s park and In Vino wine bar
Yerevan
Well, even after spending a whole week in Armenia, I realized that there were still plenty of places to explore. As that day was going to be my last day in Yerevan, I had to eliminate the options and select only the must see ones.
So, right after I had my breakfast, I drove off to the Komitas Museum. It was a short drive from city center, so got there before the opening hour. Luckily, by that way, I had the chance to visit another place right next to the museum that called Komitas Pantheon. The memorial park was named after Soghomon Soghomonian (full name of Komitas). In the park, there were approximately 60 burials of significant, highly respected characters.
Komitas Pantheon
Komitas
As it was impossible to share every single character’s memorial, I chose some of them…
Sos Sargsyan, a prominent actor, director and writer, will rest in here forever.
To get to know him better, you may read an article that was published on the day he passed away, 26th of September 2013.
Sos Sargsyan
Aforesaid detailed about his life the previous day; Sergei Parajanov will also rest in peace in this park forever.
Sergei Parajanov
Another prominent Armenian artist, scriptwriter Hrant Matevosyan, who is best known as an outstanding representative of contemporary Armenian fiction, will eternally stay there too welcoming his fans.​
Hrant Matevosyan
One of the most impressive statue in the park belonged to Khoren Babkenovich Abrahamyan.
He was awarded the honorary title “People’s artist of USSR”, as an actor and director.
You may follow the link to see his filmography.
Koren Abrahamyan
By the time I finished my visit, Komitas Museum had started welcoming guests. So, I bought my entrance ticket and got in.
Komitas Museum
Komitas had several identities. He took his first education in theology and earned the doctorate degree to become a Vardapet (highly educated priest in the Armenian Apostolic church).
Secondly, he continued his studies in music. At the same time, he started composing folk songs in Armenian and in other cultures. His first-ever published collection consisted of Kurdish folk songs. Then he continued growing his reputation by introducing Armenian folk songs to wider audiences. Komitas Vardapet was then became known as the founder and savior of Armenian national music. In genocide years, the world famous Vardapet suffered too much of agony as he was deported several times from one place to another.
After tough years in exile, he experienced a mental breakdown. In latter years, his mental state got worsened and stopped talking to people at all. He hid himself in his shell and lived in his own lonely world. Thus, he was sent to Paris to a psychiatric hospital for intensive care and treatment. As he spent his last 20 years in a hospital, he has been depicted as a martyr of the genocide.
To take a deeper look in his life, I searched articles pertaining to Vartapet’s life. Here is what I found the most interesting article published at The Guardian to honor one of the noblest ever lived Armenian character.
Whilst checking his master works at the museum, I saw one of Komitas’ poems written on a wall with big letters namely “As a fortune”.
Komitas Museum
It was forbidden to take pictures inside, however, the curator advised me to visit the official website to take a virtual museum tour.
When I had time later that day, I had visited the website and had found very unpleasant facts about him. There I found a section about his illness and the theories about his true cause of his death due to scientific research. The assumptions really had blown my mind. I ended my tour at the museum and drove to another museum called “Cafesjian Museum of Art”.
The open-air exhibition (also known as Cafesjian Sculpture Garden) was situated right in the heart of the city near the Cascade. At that art center, great examples of modern art were exposed. Large-scale art pieces were generally made of monumental sculptures. Here I include some of them below…
Cafesjian Sculpture Garden
Cafesjian Sculpture Garden
Cafesjian Sculpture Garden
Cafesjian Sculpture Garden
Cafesjian Sculpture Garden
Finishing my tour at that promenade venue, I felt quite hungry. Having searched places around via Internet to have lunch, I ended up in an Armenian cuisine once again.
The place inherited its name from its address located at Charentsi Street, 28. Before I made my order, I checked the tips and comments of the previous visitors and finally made my decision. I ordered Goat cheese salad, Humus and Manti to eat and Ayran to drink.
Charentsi 28
Well, to tell the truth, all the dishes were perfectly prepared and admirably presented. I really enjoyed being there and enjoyed my meal.
If you visit Yerevan, I highly recommend you to dine here at least once. You may follow the link to cast an eye over the menu…
After having my lunch, I’ve decided to park the car somewhere near a park and take a walk. So, the nearest park I had found thereabouts was the Circular Park.
The park was established in a huge field, laid out on a 300-hectare area. I parked my car on Alek Manukyan Street and entered the park from its southern entrance. Walking up the park, firstly, I came across to an ornamental pool, where a couple of cute swans were swimming.
Circular Park
Proceeding my walk, at the end of the park, at the northernmost part, I have seen an artistic statue.
The monumental statue was surrounded by three human figures. The most gripping one was obviously the beautifully carved head with his hand on the right side. This man was a prominent poet from the 20th century, Yeghishe Charentsi. His outstanding poems were curiously followed by his own nation. Besides having had a good reputation in Armenia, he also had become world famous after his works were published in collections.
On the contrary, his works made him become a target of Soviet government just because his poems were based on true stories of people who suffered from the dictatorial and the communist regime. Like other public activists, who spoke loudly against the administration, he was charged for "counterrevolutionary and nationalist activity" and imprisoned.
Charentsi, a victim of Stalinism, could not resist so much in the prison, and soon died in the prison hospital.
Yeghishe Charentsi Monument
Having checked his works, I selected that one below as the most impressive poem of his…
A Serenade To My Mother
I remember your old face
My precious mother and very sweet
With light wrinkles and lines
My precious one and very sweet.
You are sitting on the porch
Alongside the growing fig tree
Throwing a shadow on your face
My precious mother and very sweet.
You are sitting sadly and silently
Remembering those old days
That have come and also gone by
My precious mother and very sweet.
And you remember your own son
Who had left you and gone far.
"Where has he gone?" You wonder,
My precious one and very sweet.
"Where is he now?" You wonder,
"Is he alive or is he dead?
And what doors has he been knocking?"
My precious one and very sweet.
And you wonder if he's been tired
Or if he's been cheated by love;
And in whose laps has he made love?
My precious one and very sweet.
You are thinking sadly
While the fig tree keeps rocking.
Your sorrow has no limits indeed
My precious one and very sweet.
And then sour tears
Drop down your eyes one by one
Upon your weary hands
My precious one and very sweet.
YEGHISHE CHARENTSI
Rest of his poems can be read following the link…
Due his extraordinary works in artistic literature, Charents was honored on obverse of 1000 Armenian drams.
As I broached the topic about banknotes, I would like to share all the banknotes to honor all those heroes from Armenian history.
Armenian Banknotes-Dram
While Hovhannes Tumanyan was honored on 5000 AMD, Avetik Isahakyan was honored on 10000 AMD banknote and Martiros Saryan presented his face on the obverse of 20000 AMD. Here is the full list of current AMD banknotes with heroic figures of Armenia…
From one promenade to another, I ended up in Lover’s Park. The park was praised of its landscape design, so I wanted to see it with my own eyes. Honestly, the walkways were perfectly designed and the selected materials were of good quality. The circular narrow river circumnavigating the whole park and the small bridges, which unite the walk way implement a unique atmosphere to the park. A person could feel himself/herself like in a secret garden of paradise.
Lover’s Park
One of the statues of the park drew my strong attention. The statue was built to honor a talented poet and essayist Gevorg Emin.
Gevorg Emin
I was done with parks that day. Then, I felt the urge to get back to my hostel to get some rest and get prepared for the night out. I got into my room, took a shower, and laid down on bed for half an hour.
After the recharge, I put some fancy clothes and stepped out of the hostel. I have made up my mind to go to a wine bar, so I have found a very close place serving various types of wine. The name of the wine bar/wine shop was called “In Vino”.
The place was so cozy looking with its tables spread outdoor. Inside there were wine shelves full of international wines behind a deli shop window.
In Vino Wine Bar
The variety of wine was wider than I expected. I asked the waitress to bring me the most popular Armenian wine they had. Thus, she recommended me to try red wine of Areni. Aforesaid, Areni (village) was famous with its wine. Thus, I nodded my head as a yes accepting her advice. As a must that goes perfectly with any kind of wine, I ordered some cheese plate and snacks. The sweetness, the acidity and the vintage of the wine were very well balanced. Although I’m not a wine professor, I can distinguish the good from the bad. Morever, I could easily say that it was one of the tastiest wines I have ever had.
In Vino Wine Bar
As I am a light drinker, one glass of wine was enough for me to get drowsy. So, having had the joy of night, I headed back to hostel for a comfort sleep.