On April 23, at the temporary hall of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Foundation a new exhibition has opened under the title “Armenian Genocide 150 Year-Old Witnesses: Komitas Vardapet and Hovhannes Tumanyan”.

A welcome speech was delivered by director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Foundation Harutyun Marutyan, than by the Head of Exhibition department Seda Parsamyan: “The exhibition is unique and very teaching. It is being versatile in covering the connections of the two geniuses and in the same time their connection with the Armenian Genocide”. She expressed thanks to the RA museums for providing necessary items for the exhibition and Ministry of Culture for assisting in the transfer of materials, also the Director and staff of the museum-institute for assisting in the preparation works, as well as the audience for supporting the event.

RA Minister of Education and Science Arayik Harutunyan also participated in the opening ceremony.

Seda Parsamyan presented to the participants the exhibition in details and stressed the relationship of the two geniuses and their direct connection with the history of the Armenian Genocide.

After the opening of the exhibition fir planting ceremony took place at the Memory Alley of the Memorial Complex. Two students from School No 166, Hovannes and Soghomon, planted the firs of their namesakes. On the signposts beside the trees are written: In memory of the 150th anniversary of Hovhannes Tumanyan and Komitas Vardapet. “50 years later, on their 200-year jubilees should again come and water these trees”, said AGMI Director.

As it was informed before the exhibition is dedicated to the 150th anniversaries of two great Armenian intellectuals - Komitas Vardapet and Hovannes Toumanyan.

The aim of the exhibition is to publicize their ties with the history of the Armenian Genocide. The exhibition has two main directions: on one hand friendly and creative relationship of the two geniuses is illustrated, and on the other hand, the impact of the Armenian Genocide and its tragic consequences on them.

The bilingual (Armenian, English) exhibition consisting of eight panels includes original materials from the collections of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, as well as materials and photos from various archives and museums in Armenia. For the first time an excerpt from video testimony of Aghavni Mkrtchyan, a genocide survivor from Bitlis, on the relief work of Hovhannes Toumanyan in 1915 in Echmadzin among the Armenian refugees will be shown. A wead-beads of a unique importance made by Varteres Atanesyan, one of the Armenian intellectuals exiled to Chankere on April 11/24, 1915, is presented among the original materials. The wead-beads is made on the way to Chankere. The names of 99 exiled Armenian intellectuals are engraved on the beads: the name of Komitas Vardapet is carved on the first grain.

The exhibition will be accompanied by Komitas' unfinished opera music based on Toumanyan’s “Anoush” opera, performed by Araks Mansouryan. Several sketches of the Armenian renowned painter Sargis Mouradyan from his "Komitas" series will also be exhibited.

The exhibition will be open until August 30, 2019, entrance is free.