National poet of Armenia Hovhannes Tumanyan was born on February 19. The “Hayartun” Center at the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia marked the 145^th birthday anniversary of “Great inhabitant of Lori” by a literary-musical evening, initiated by the “Hayartun” Center in collaboration with the “Vernatun” Union of Armenian Writers of Georgia and the "Kamurj" Public, Literary and Cultural Organization.

The commemorative event started at the Tbilisi Pantheon of the Armenian Writers and Public Figures “Khojivank”. Attendees laid flowers at the tomb of the national poet. At the gravestone of Hovhannes Tumanyan, under the leadership of the Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan and through the offices of the clergy the requiem service was conducted, after which the book donation campaign entitled “You are one of the 145 readers, receiving a gift” took place. The book donation campaign has already become a tradition and is implemented at the initiative of the poetess Anahit Bostanjyan and from her private library.

The event continued at the “Hayartun” Center of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia. By the organizers’ efforts an atmosphere identical to Tumanyan’s epoch was created, in the light of lamps and candles - as a combination of symbols of time and memory. Under the overture to Anush Opera the recitation of Levon Chidilyan heralded the birth of genius Hovhannes Tumanyan in Armenian land.

The Vicar-General of Samtskhe-Javakheti and Tsalka Supreme Archimandrite Babken Salbiyan, Taron Shagoyan, Caucasian Regional Department Head at the RA Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, writers, intellectuals, and admirers of Tumanyan’s works attended the event. Tumanyan’s great-granddaughter – Yelena Kolesnikova, who had called and expressed her gratitude for organizing the event, for health reasons could not attend the evening.

During the event documentary film frames about Tumanyan’s life and work were shown, in the intervals between them Liza Torosyan, a student of Tbilisi school № 104, Samvel Elbakyan, an actor of Tbilisi State Drama Theatre after Petros Adamyan, poet and translator Givi Shakhnazari skillfully recited Tumanyan’s works, and Anahit Bostanjyan read a poem of her own composition in two languages.

President of the “Vernatun” Union of Armenian Writers of Georgia Gevorg Snkhchyan delivered a speech, he underlined that Hovhannes Tumanyan was not only a poet, but a public activist as well, he created the first union of Armenian writers, founded the “Vernatun” Union, united the representatives of creative thought around the “Hayartun” Center, organized traditional “Vardaton” in honor of Sayat-Nova, and extended a helping hand to the people who survived the genocide.

At the end of the event the Head of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan blessed the audience, he named Hovhannes Tumanyan the phenomenon, who’s works influenced and raised many generations, and his fairy tales, novels, poems and quatrains – are the representation of the Armenian nation in all aspects. The Primate of the Diocese expressed his gratitude for event decoration to the coordinator Levon Chidilyan, artistic director Pavel Oganezov, all participants and the audience.

Music and songs, based on Tumanyan’s works, which were perfectly performed by singer Svetlana Tatoeva, individual performers of the “Hayartun” Center Ani Ghushchyan, Genrikh Petrosyan, Hovhannes Shakhnazaryan, St.Nerses Shnorhali Youth Choir (choirmaster Maria Abulyan), made the literary-musical evening especially charming.