Memorial plaque in honor of Avetik Isahakyan unveiled in Venice
According to the press service of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of Armenia, the event was attended by Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Alfred Kocharyan, Armenian Ambassador to Italy Vladimir Karapetyan, Prefect of Venice Darko Pellos, Deputy Mayor of Venice Simone Venturini, and representatives of the local community.
The event was made possible through the joint efforts of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport of Armenia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the support of the Consulate General of Venice, as well as the Avetik Isahakyan House-Museum and the Consulate General of Venice.
Welcoming those gathered, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport of Armenia Alfred Kocharyan emphasized his honor to be in Venice, a city that has been a meeting place of cultures, ideas, and peoples for centuries. "Today we have gathered here to honor the memory of the great Armenian poet Avetik Isahakyan and unveil a memorial plaque in the house where he lived. Last year, we celebrated the 150th anniversary of our greatest poet's birth with a series of events. The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport of the Republic of Armenia held numerous commemorative events in Armenia and abroad, paying tribute to Avetik Isahakyan's literary and cultural legacy. Last March, we also unveiled a memorial plaque in Leipzig, Germany, in his memory," the Armenian official said.
He emphasized that the peoples of Armenia and Italy have been united by deep cultural and historical ties for centuries, and that Armenian intellectuals and cultural figures, including Avetik Isahakyan, have strengthened the friendship between the two countries with their presence in the city.
The plaque dedicated to the master symbolizes the cultural dialogue between the two countries. The plaque depicts the Rialto Bridge, a symbol of one of Ava Isahakyan's best poems, "I Saw a Beautiful Girl on the Rialto Bridge," as well as an ornament from one of the master's favorite architectural structures, the Ereruyk Cathedral. Visitors can watch the video "Isahakyan and Venice" using the QR code on the plaque. The plaque's architect is Hayk Asatryan.
In this house, where the memorial plaque is installed, the master lived and worked with his family for six years, from 1921 to 1926. During his years in Venice, this house hosted great Armenian cultural figures, Martiros Saryan and Yeghishe Charents. This cultural dialogue will continue in the master's mansion in Yerevan, which has been converted into a museum. A bench in the shape of the Rialto Bridge, designed and developed by French-Armenian sculptor Harut Yekmalyan in collaboration with Yerevan Vocational School No. 4, will be installed in its beautiful garden.