Garret

profile Komitas in Tumanian’s home The Tiflis of Tumanian’s time was a teeming hotspot of Armenian culture and literature. For nearly a decade, Tumanian invited many of his fellow literary giants, such as Levon Shant, Avetik Isahakian, and Nikol Aghbalian, into his home to exchange ideas on literature, politics, and art. This writer’s saloon, aptly named “Vernatun” (meaning “garret” in Armenian), left an indelible impression on Armenian culture.    In this 1970s painting by Soviet Armenian painter Dmitry Nalbandian (1906-1993), we see members of Vernatun’s star-studded ensemble, gathered around the piano, admiring the great Komitas.