MONUMENTS

1913

State index: 1.12.15.4

Sculptor: Andreas Ter-Marukyan

A bronze statue of Khachatur Abovyan, the great Armenian enlightener, writer, and founder of modern Armenian literature and pedagogy, is situated in the yard of his namesake house-museum at 4th address, Kanaker. The statue stands on a high, smooth granite pedestal. It depicts Abovyan standing with his right foot slightly forward and his hands crossed over his chest. He holds the book "Wounds of Armenia," a cornerstone of new Armenian literature, in his right hand. Abovyan is dressed in a light coat with a high collar that reaches below his knees. Bareheaded and with a thoughtful expression, he gazes into the distance.

The pedestal is unadorned, featuring a two-line inscription at the top: “KHACHATUR ABOVYAN / 1804 – DISAPPEARED IN 1848.” The statue stands 2.2 meters tall and is visible from all sides. The facial features are modeled after a portrait by artist Friedrich Ludwig von Maidel from Dorpat. The initiative to create the statue was driven by the progressive Armenian community and was conceived in 1908, on the 60th anniversary of the writer’s disappearance.

Prominent Armenian figures argued that the statue of the great enlightener should not be placed in a church or cemetery, as was traditional, but instead in the heart of Yerevan. The creation of the statue faced numerous obstacles. The Tsarist government did not permit the smaller nations of the empire, particularly the Armenians, to erect monuments to their notable figures in urban squares, fearing it might inspire national liberation aspirations.

However, under significant pressure from Armenian public opinion, the Caucasus Viceroyalty reluctantly permitted the statue’s construction in Yerevan, although they anticipated that the project would fail due to high financial costs. The organizational efforts were led by Baku's “Armenian Cultural Union,” which engaged various segments of society in the mission. Writers Hovhannes Tumanyan, Alexandr Shirvanzade, painter Gevorg Bashinjaghyan, and others actively encouraged public participation through donations in their articles, supporting this nationwide initiative.

Following a suggestion by Shirvanzade, the "Armenian Cultural Union" decided on September 14, 1908, to announce an award ceremony and initiate a donation drive during its session. This decision was publicized in Armenian and Russian newspapers to inform the wider public and sculptors from Transcaucasia and abroad about the initiative. The creation of the statue required substantial funds, initially estimated at 12,000 rubles, but later projected to be at least 18,000 rubles. Despite the high costs, the project progressed slowly, with only a modest sum of 2,000 rubles raised over two years.

To accelerate this crucial national initiative, many progressive figures, including Tumanyan and Shirvanzade, renewed their efforts in 1910 by publishing articles. Tumanyan, in particular, wrote a notable piece titled “All Together,” published in the 266th issue of the “Horizon” newspaper. In his article, Tumanyan expressed: “This is not just a statue of a talented writer; it is not merely a statue of an individual. It is a monument to the wounded heart of the Armenian people, which will stand here in the Holy Ararat Valley, visible for generations and centuries to witness the many swords that have pierced it and the immense grief and pain it embodies. It must stand forever, conveying the sufferings and aspirations of the Armenian people to the entire world.”

Tumanyan urged everyone to participate in this initiative, emphasizing that the statue of this esteemed figure should be installed with contributions from the entire nation. To boost donations, literary and artistic events, concerts, and performances were organized in various cities, including Transcaucasia, Moscow, and St. Petersburg, between 1910 and 1912. The growing enthusiasm for Abovyan and his monument led to the publication of books and articles, as well as the creation of music and artworks inspired by him.

The Baku “Armenian Cultural Union” reached out to six renowned Armenian sculptors, including Andreas Ter-Marukyan, who was living in Paris, and Hakob Gyurjyan, a recent graduate of the Art Academy of Paris. Both sculptors submitted their designs to the Cultural Union in 1910. After extensive deliberation, the project by sculptor Andreas Ter-Marukyan was selected. Ter-Marukyan worked on the statue and its decorative pedestal in Paris from 1910 to 1913. Upon completing his work in 1913, he arranged for the casting of the statue in bronze.

In 1911 and 1913, Ter-Marukyan visited Yerevan to gather additional information about the writer and to determine the statue's installation site. After discussions with the city Duma architect, it was decided that the monument would be placed in a city square, between the boulevard and the future statue of V. Lenin.

Due to the slow pace of donations over five years and insufficient funds, the statue remained in the foundry of the factory owner, who had not received payment and therefore refused to release the statue. Moreover, in 1917, the factory owner, facing increased demand for metal during World War I, decided to cast and sell the bronze at a higher price. Only after Ter-Marukyan’s persistent and heartfelt requests was the statue preserved. Unfortunately, before his death in March 1919, the renowned sculptor did not see the statue installed in Yerevan nor receive the anticipated payment.

In the early 1920s, the newly established government of the Armenian SSR allocated the necessary funds to purchase Abovyan’s statue and pedestal, along with several other works by Ter-Marukyan, including the bust of Ghevond Alishan and other high sculptures. These were shipped from Paris to Yerevan on February 27, 1925. However, the cargo did not arrive as expected.

Ashot Patmagryan, who was in Paris and involved in the events, contacted Sargis Lukashin (formerly Srapionyan), the deputy of the Council of the People’s Commissar of the Transcaucasian Federation, who had relocated to Tbilisi for work. Patmagryan urged Lukashin to take action to locate and transport the statue to Yerevan. It was discovered that the shipment had been mistakenly identified by Batumi authorities as a statue of an unknown European revolutionary, and it had been placed in the main square of Batumi. Lukashin instructed that the statue be urgently returned to Armenia, but for unknown reasons, it only reached Yerevan in 1933.

On July 6, 1933, Khachatur Abovyan’s statue was finally installed in Yerevan, but not at the originally designated location. Instead, it was placed on Abovyan Street in a small square near the Moscow Cinema (now Charles Aznavour Square) on a new, undecorated tetrahedral pedestal. The original pedestal by Ter-Marukyan remains unknown. In 1950, as part of the reconstruction of Abovyan Street, the statue was moved to a new location near the Circus, in front of the former railway station, on an unadorned site.

In 1953, the statue was relocated to Tsitsernakaberd Hill, a location somewhat out of public view. In 1957, it was moved again, this time to a site near Hrazdan Gorge, in proximity to Children’s Park. After several relocations, the statue finally found its permanent home on September 10, 1964, in Kanaker, in the yard of the great writer's house-museum, where it remains to this day.

However, in the late 1980s, the statue was defaced by unknown individuals who shot at its head and shoulders. Despite these acts of vandalism, the monument to Khachatur Abovyan stands as one of the earliest and most successful tributes to the great Armenian enlightener. It is also one of the few surviving works of Ter-Marukyan, representing a masterpiece of his art and a pioneering example of monumental statue sculpture in Armenia. This monument marked the beginning of Armenian monumental sculpture and remains a significant milestone in the country’s artistic heritage.

“Scientific Research Centre of Historical and Cultural Heritage” SNCO

Yerevan Municipality