'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.