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Profile | Hovhannes Tumanian

Feb. 19, 1869 - March 23, 1923

Profile

By Lilly Torosyan

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Perhaps no author has captivated the hearts and minds of Armenians—young and old alike—as intensely as Hovhannes Tumanian. Often mislabeled as a children’s writer, Tumanian’s “simple” style represented literature that was of, and for, the masses—meant to be consumed by all—regardless of age, class, gender, or education level. No wonder, then, he is considered the national poet of Armenia.

Ballads and poems

The Dog and the Cat (1886)
Maro (1887)
Akhtamar (1891)
David of Sassoun (1902)
The Capture of Fort Tmuk (1902)
A Drop of Honey (1909)
The End of Evil (1908)
The Shah and the Peddler (1917)

Novels

Anush (1890)
Gikor
David of Sassoun

Fairy tales

Nazar the Brave
The Kid Goat
The Unlucky Panos

'Anush'

'Anush' Perhaps the most well-known Tumanian creation is the poem, Anush (1892), which tells the tale of a young woman’s doomed love affair. Composer Armen Tigranian (1879-1950) later adapted the story into a five-act opera, which became the first opera inspired by Armenian folk music and culture. The photo above depicts the lovers, Anush and Saro, by painter Alexander Grigoryan.

'The capture of Fort Tmuk'

'The capture of Fort Tmuk' Set in 18th century Crimea, “The Capture of Fort Tmuk” depicts the sad fate of a young noblewoman’s capriciousness, against the backdrop of an uprising by the Armenian people—a “double siege.” Soviet Armenian composer, Alexander Spendiaryan (1871-1928), adapted Tumanian’s poem into a two-part opera called “Almast,” which premiered in Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater in 1930. Tumanian was to compose the libretto himself, but the task was eventually undertaken by Russian poet Sophia Parnok. “The Capture of Fort Tmuk” is one of two Armenian operas based on a Tumanian work of fiction. Depicted in the photo above is an Armenian stamp featuring opera singer Tatevik Sazandaryan, who starred in the leading role of the Almast opera. The stamp was issued in 2016, the centenary year of Sazandaryan’s birth. In September 2019, a GoFundMe page was started by 1Dram to raise funds for a comic book adaptation of the poem. If you’re interested, check this out link here.

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Phonetic spelling

Hoh-vahn-ness Too-mahn-yahn (Hoʊvənz Tuməniən)

Place of birth

Dsegh village, Lori, Armenia

Occupation

Writer; Poet; Translator; Activist

Style

Narrative poems in rhyming verse

Today, Tumanian’s tongue has reached a crystalline simplicity that approaches Pushkin, and which should be considered one of his highest virtues.

- Vahan Terian <br> (1885-1920)

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