House-Museum Hovhannes Tumanyan

Founded: 1953
Subject: Biography
Visitors per year: 40,000 people
Working days: Tue-Sun
Opening hours: 11:00-16:30

Born in 1869 Tumanyan has written a great number of poems, quatrains, ballads, novels, tales, fables and articles along his creative path. Some of the most popular works by Tumanyan are “The Dog and the Cat,” “Maro,” “Akhtamar,” “Anush,” Nazar the Brave,” “Death of the Mouse,” “A Drop of Honey” and so on. In regard to Tumanyan’s works Russian writer Korney Chukovski said, “The person who wrote “A Drop of Honey,” “The Dog and the Cat” and “The Death of the Mouse” must be classified among the leading masters of world art.”
Hovhannes Tumanian Museum functions since 1953. The founder and the first director was the poets daughter. Copies of manuscripts, photo documents and original illustrations of Tumanian writing, works of such artists as G.Yeritsian, A.Grigorian, G.Khanjian are exhibited here.
In 1969, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the great writer, a new two-storey building was built to house materials related to Tumanyans life and work including his personal items, documents, manuscripts, sketches, and publications in more than 40 languages.
In the first floor of the museum there are various materials regarding the writer’s social life and activity, including photos, letters, documents, manuscripts and so on. The materials are introduced in chronological order so that the visitors can keep up with the life path of this most talented Armenian writer. Also, on the walls of the first floor, there are several lines from Tumanyan’s poems, which if you don’t know Armenian, are worth to be asked to be translated for you to have a broader idea of the writer and to have a broader notion of who Hovhannes Tumanyan was. On the second floor there are six halls, which are the reproduction of Tumanyan’s last apartment in Tbilisi. Tumanyan’s exceptionally rich library can also be found on the same floor. It includes around 8000 books.
The second floor replicates in minute detail Tumanians Tiflis (Georgia) apartment where the writer lived the last 14 years of his life. The museum also accommodates his private library of about 8000 volumes dedicated to studies on the Caucasus and Armenia, religion, culture, history and folklore of various nations. The museum is a large research center and organizes literary events and performances dedicated to the brilliant writer Tumanyan. Cultural events and exhibitions are organized as well.
The patio has the bust of the poet (sculptor Aytzemnik Urartu) and a small chapel (architect R. Julhakyan) where the heart of the poet is buried.