In Tbilisi, at the Obvodny Lane studio, writer, journalist and ethnographer Elena Shuvaeva-Petrosyan presented her books, which will be published in 2024. This is a collection of poems, stories and parables “Ararat Time”, published by Yuri Navoyan, Chairman of the Public Organization DIALOG within the framework of the book of the same name in the Moscow publishing house “Book World”, and the book “Voices of Immortality. Memoirs of Armenian veterans of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945,” published with the support of Nikolai Avetov in Yerevan. Elena collected and recorded the stories of more than 30 veterans and introduced readers to the contribution of the Armenian people to the Great Victory over fascism. The creative meeting was organized by a well-known writer, actor and musician in Tbilisi public circles - Artem Kirakozov.
The Obvodny Lane studio is located in the historical Armenian district of the Georgian capital - Avlabar. The house in which the studio is located dates back more than two hundred years and is the ancestral nest of the Kirakozov family. Representatives of creative professions of different nationalities gathered for a creative meeting with the author from Armenia - Armenians, Georgians, Russians, Ukrainians, Greeks, Jews, etc., but they are all united by the Russian language, and they define their nationality as follows: “We are real Tbilisians. This is a separate nation." The entire leadership team of the Marshal Bagramyan Veterans Association, led by Chairman Colonel Simon Yesayan, came from Armenia to support Elena. Elena, a native of the Russian steppes, shared the story of her journey to Armenia, talked about repeated ascents of the Biblical Ararat and other mountains, and read poems and short stories. The guests, in turn, got acquainted with the author’s work in advance and made recitations.
In particular, Anatoly Lobov, a professional actor and reader, presented the story “Born by Narek,” which aroused great interest from the audience. Poet Marina Kirakosyan-Movsesova performed her poem dedicated to Armenia and Ararat. At the end of the event, a traditional book exchange took place in Obvodny Lane: most of the guests - poets and writers - presented their books as a gift and received from the hands of the author "Arartian Time" and "Voices of Immortality". In addition to the presentation at the Obvodny Lane studio, Elena Shuvaeva-Petrosyan and Simon Yesayan presented books at the Veterans Organization in Tbilisi (headed by General Tengiz Shubladze). The association of veterans in the Georgian capital, just like in Armenia, was created in 1956 and honors the traditions and charter established almost 70 years ago.
Both organizations are preparing to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory and have decided to join forces to hold joint events designed not only to remember the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, to pay tribute to living veterans, but also to help strengthen friendship and cooperation between neighboring republics, for which the main Russian remains the language of dialogue.
Alena Dandina
