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Armenian Culture: Our Defense, Our Weapon
http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2011/05/14/armenian-culture-our-defense-our-weapon/
Posted on May 14, 2011 by Editor
By Edmond Y. Azadian
`If we have captivated other people, that has been done only through
our songs,' wrote the late, modern Armenian poet, Paruyr Sevak.
Indeed, our music and culture have been our only weapons of
self-defense and self-preservation, as well as the means to influence
non-Armenians. Although our great revolutionary novelist Raffy had
lamented that we could become a great nation had we tempered swords
rather than chalices and had we built fortresses instead of churches
and cathedrals, the historic truth is that Armenians have survived
through their culture, by choice or by default and today no
alternative is left for us. We need to know our culture, present it to
the world and win appropriate recognition for its richness.
We have been too slow in showcasing our cultural heritage to the
world, of course, partly because circumstances have not always been in
our favor.
Perhaps our enemies have been more alert to grasp the value of the
Armenian culture and that is why they have targeted the creators of
that culture. The first task of Talaat Pasha was to exterminate the
Armenian intellectuals. And today, Talaat's successors, the Azeris
have been destroying with the same zeal the Armenian khachkars of
Julfa, unique expressions and relics of Armenian culture.
Recent international recognitions have come to drive home that our
ancestors have created and willed to us cultural and scientific legacy
of global significance. A case in point, UNESCO's decision to award
Melina Mercouri International prize for safeguarding and management of
cultural landscapes to the `Garni Preserve Museum.' The prize will be
shared with the village of Batir in Palestine.
Garni is one of the best-preserved Hellenistic monuments in the world.
At one time in history, Armenia was under the influence of Hellenistic
culture. Our nation absorbed and preserved the finest traditions of
that culture. Even several manuscripts of philosophy, which were lost
forever for the world culture, were preserved in Armenian translation
and were thus returned to the world.
The other cultural milestone is UNESCO's approval to celebrate in the
year 2012 the 1,400th anniversary of medieval scientist Anania
Shirakatsi, who was a philosopher, mathematician, astronomer and as
well as the founder of exact sciences, natural science and astronomy
in Armenia. He was a trailblazer in the study of the universe
centuries before Galileo.
The proposal to include Shirakatsi in UNESCO's list came from the
Byurakan Observatory team, which symbolizes the continuation of
Shirakatsi's work in space exploration in the modern era.
Under astronomer Victor Harpartzoumian, Byurakan became a world-class
center of cosmic-ray research as well as space-age sciences. The
collapse of the Soviet Union diminished its role because of scarcity
of funding and the massive brain drain from Armenia.
In today's globalized era, many nations have been translating and
introducing their ethnic literatures and heritages into major
languages and thus introduce them into the forum of world culture.
That is how they attract world attention and awards. We Armenians have
traditionally (and subjectively) looked down upon Turks and Turkish
literature. Yet they captured the Nobel Prize even before we could get
one. And there are a number of Armenian writers who certainly are no
less talented than Orhan Pamuk.
During the Soviet period, there was a program to translate Armenian
literature into Russian in order to attract a broader audience and
gain world recognition. But the Soviet Union at the time was encircled
by its iron curtain, so that very little literature, except the
Russian ones, filtered to the West. The French- Armenian community
seems less organized, considering its size, but it has shown more
instances of breaking the glass ceiling to present some treasures of
the Armenian culture to the non- Armenian public. Recent examples
include an exhibition organized by Claude Mutafian presenting the
culture of the Cilician Armenian Kingdom (10th and 14th century) under
the title of `Silver Age of Armenia Culture.' Then came the exhibition
at the Louvre Museum, `Armenia Sacra,' to bring to the world attention
our Christian heritage in one of the most visible and prestigious
cultural forums in the world.
Most recently, one of the gems of Armenian musical heritage was
presented to the French audience: the opera buffa `Garine' in French
translation by Dickran Tchouhadjian.
Several French singers - none of them of Armenian descent - were so
impressed by Tchouhadjian's music that they have formed a quartet
named Arevadzaghig to present Armenian liturgical and classical music
to French audiences in Armenian.
The 1991 film `Mayrig,' by French-Armenian filmmaker Henri Verneuil,
and starring Claudia Cardinale and Omar Sharif, did not receive the
attention and acclaim that it deserved, however. All these major
cultural activities are spearheaded by individuals without a coherent,
broader program, nor sponsored by major funding. Unlike other
countries, the French government is more sensitive and receptive to
minority cultures, and therefore more willing to support those
programs.
Today, with the emergence of the European Union, movements are more
fluid within the continent and achievements in one country can move to
the other or be easily replicated.
When we speak about Europe we cannot ignore the task of the Mkhitarist
fathers in Venice (1717) and later in Vienna, who have served as
beacons of Armenian culture and scholarship. Even the poet Lord Byron
has left his footprint on St. Lazarus Island off the coast of Venice,
with much praise to the achievements of the Mkhitarists.
Perhaps it was the offshoot of the Mkhiterists tradition that a group
of Italian architects release the series of Armenian architectural
volumes, under the leadership of Adriano Alpago Novello. The latter
was an architect, art historian and professor who had fallen in love
with medieval Armenian architecture.
All these references certainly do not cover the entire gamut of
Armenian cultural achievements in Europe or elsewhere. Many more could
be added to prove that Armenians may only be recognized and respected
through their cultural identity.
All we need is to garner our resources to focus on greater and more
significant cultures projects, especially in view of the Genocide
centennial, so that we can continue `captivating others through our
songs.'
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2011/05/14/armenian-culture-our-defense-our-weapon/
Posted on May 14, 2011 by Editor
By Edmond Y. Azadian
`If we have captivated other people, that has been done only through
our songs,' wrote the late, modern Armenian poet, Paruyr Sevak.
Indeed, our music and culture have been our only weapons of
self-defense and self-preservation, as well as the means to influence
non-Armenians. Although our great revolutionary novelist Raffy had
lamented that we could become a great nation had we tempered swords
rather than chalices and had we built fortresses instead of churches
and cathedrals, the historic truth is that Armenians have survived
through their culture, by choice or by default and today no
alternative is left for us. We need to know our culture, present it to
the world and win appropriate recognition for its richness.
We have been too slow in showcasing our cultural heritage to the
world, of course, partly because circumstances have not always been in
our favor.
Perhaps our enemies have been more alert to grasp the value of the
Armenian culture and that is why they have targeted the creators of
that culture. The first task of Talaat Pasha was to exterminate the
Armenian intellectuals. And today, Talaat's successors, the Azeris
have been destroying with the same zeal the Armenian khachkars of
Julfa, unique expressions and relics of Armenian culture.
Recent international recognitions have come to drive home that our
ancestors have created and willed to us cultural and scientific legacy
of global significance. A case in point, UNESCO's decision to award
Melina Mercouri International prize for safeguarding and management of
cultural landscapes to the `Garni Preserve Museum.' The prize will be
shared with the village of Batir in Palestine.
Garni is one of the best-preserved Hellenistic monuments in the world.
At one time in history, Armenia was under the influence of Hellenistic
culture. Our nation absorbed and preserved the finest traditions of
that culture. Even several manuscripts of philosophy, which were lost
forever for the world culture, were preserved in Armenian translation
and were thus returned to the world.
The other cultural milestone is UNESCO's approval to celebrate in the
year 2012 the 1,400th anniversary of medieval scientist Anania
Shirakatsi, who was a philosopher, mathematician, astronomer and as
well as the founder of exact sciences, natural science and astronomy
in Armenia. He was a trailblazer in the study of the universe
centuries before Galileo.
The proposal to include Shirakatsi in UNESCO's list came from the
Byurakan Observatory team, which symbolizes the continuation of
Shirakatsi's work in space exploration in the modern era.
Under astronomer Victor Harpartzoumian, Byurakan became a world-class
center of cosmic-ray research as well as space-age sciences. The
collapse of the Soviet Union diminished its role because of scarcity
of funding and the massive brain drain from Armenia.
In today's globalized era, many nations have been translating and
introducing their ethnic literatures and heritages into major
languages and thus introduce them into the forum of world culture.
That is how they attract world attention and awards. We Armenians have
traditionally (and subjectively) looked down upon Turks and Turkish
literature. Yet they captured the Nobel Prize even before we could get
one. And there are a number of Armenian writers who certainly are no
less talented than Orhan Pamuk.
During the Soviet period, there was a program to translate Armenian
literature into Russian in order to attract a broader audience and
gain world recognition. But the Soviet Union at the time was encircled
by its iron curtain, so that very little literature, except the
Russian ones, filtered to the West. The French- Armenian community
seems less organized, considering its size, but it has shown more
instances of breaking the glass ceiling to present some treasures of
the Armenian culture to the non- Armenian public. Recent examples
include an exhibition organized by Claude Mutafian presenting the
culture of the Cilician Armenian Kingdom (10th and 14th century) under
the title of `Silver Age of Armenia Culture.' Then came the exhibition
at the Louvre Museum, `Armenia Sacra,' to bring to the world attention
our Christian heritage in one of the most visible and prestigious
cultural forums in the world.
Most recently, one of the gems of Armenian musical heritage was
presented to the French audience: the opera buffa `Garine' in French
translation by Dickran Tchouhadjian.
Several French singers - none of them of Armenian descent - were so
impressed by Tchouhadjian's music that they have formed a quartet
named Arevadzaghig to present Armenian liturgical and classical music
to French audiences in Armenian.
The 1991 film `Mayrig,' by French-Armenian filmmaker Henri Verneuil,
and starring Claudia Cardinale and Omar Sharif, did not receive the
attention and acclaim that it deserved, however. All these major
cultural activities are spearheaded by individuals without a coherent,
broader program, nor sponsored by major funding. Unlike other
countries, the French government is more sensitive and receptive to
minority cultures, and therefore more willing to support those
programs.
Today, with the emergence of the European Union, movements are more
fluid within the continent and achievements in one country can move to
the other or be easily replicated.
When we speak about Europe we cannot ignore the task of the Mkhitarist
fathers in Venice (1717) and later in Vienna, who have served as
beacons of Armenian culture and scholarship. Even the poet Lord Byron
has left his footprint on St. Lazarus Island off the coast of Venice,
with much praise to the achievements of the Mkhitarists.
Perhaps it was the offshoot of the Mkhiterists tradition that a group
of Italian architects release the series of Armenian architectural
volumes, under the leadership of Adriano Alpago Novello. The latter
was an architect, art historian and professor who had fallen in love
with medieval Armenian architecture.
All these references certainly do not cover the entire gamut of
Armenian cultural achievements in Europe or elsewhere. Many more could
be added to prove that Armenians may only be recognized and respected
through their cultural identity.
All we need is to garner our resources to focus on greater and more
significant cultures projects, especially in view of the Genocide
centennial, so that we can continue `captivating others through our
songs.'
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress