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The last house of Armenian renowned poet and publicist Hovhannes Tumanyan located on Amagleba street, 18 (former Davitashvili St.) in Tbilisi, Georgia, reopened its doors on Monday to serve as scientific and cultural center.

To remind, Hovhannes Tumanyan lived in the house from 1904 to 1923. In 1952 the writer’s personal belongings were taken to Yerevan. 4 rooms out of 6 where turned into a library. The rest belonged to heirs. After Georgia’s independence, the City Hall of Tbilisi has transferred the ownership of the part of the library to a Georgian citizen. In a critical condition, that part later had was acquired again at the initiative of Levon Ananyan, the former chairman of the Writers’ Union of Armenia thanks to the financial support provided by then Mayor of Gyumri, Vardan Ghukasyan.

“The reopening of the House will turn into a new beginning in the long history of Armenian-Georgia cultural ties,” the Diocese of Armenian Apostolic and Orthodox Church in Georgia, said in a release.
After the acquisition of the building by the Diocese, Jinishian Memorial and IdeA Foundations along with the Armenian Church initiated the full renovation and furnishing of the building.

“The ground of this historic occasion was laid with the acquisition of the 100-year-old building by the community of Tbilisi Armenians, where once Aghayan, Komitas, Shirvanzade, Isahakyan, Papazian, Mar, Iyashvili, Tabidze, Grishashvili, Bryusov and other bright names of Armenian and Georgia culture and literature were received,” the Diocese said in a statement.

The solemn ceremony of the opening of the House was attended by the delegation of Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, public and political figures from Armenia, Georgia, and Russia, heads of Armenian community structures, intellectuals.

The event started with a wrath laying ceremony at the tomb of Hovhannes Tumanyan at Khojivank Pantheon of Armenian writers and public figures, following by a requiem service offered by the Primates of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia and Tavush.