Андрей Тихомиров
Vahan Teryan – poet and public figure
During the years of Soviet rule, a broad healthcare system was created in Armenia, providing the population of the republic with all types of medical care. Socio-economic transformations have put an end to epidemic diseases. Compared to 1913, the number of hospital beds has increased by more than 100 times. In 1980, there were 171 hospital facilities with 26 thousand hospital beds. In 1980, 11.1 thousand doctors worked in the republic (in 1913 there were only 73 doctors), the number of secondary medical personnel was 26.6 thousand people. New hospital facilities, dispensaries, polyclinics have been put into operation, and the network of resorts and rest homes has expanded.
Hundreds of thousands of people were treated and rested annually in 89 sanatoriums, rest homes, boarding houses and tourist bases. The resorts of Arzli, Jermuk, Dilijan, Sevan, etc. are known far beyond the borders of the republic.
Sports were widely developed. By the beginning of 1981, there were 24 stadiums in the republic. 89 football fields and 979 volleyball, basketball and tennis courts. The total number of physical education students is 720 thousand people. Since 1970, the republican stadium "Hrazdan" has been operating, accommodating up to 75 thousand spectators.
The center of the development of scientific thought in the republic was the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR, founded in 1943. As part of the Academy in 1980, it worked
88 academicians and corresponding members. There were hundreds of scientific institutions of various profiles in the republic. In Soviet Armenia, such problems of modern science as astrophysics, radio engineering, electronics, cybernetics, biochemistry and physiology, biophysics, bionics, etc. were developed. The Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory was world famous.
The names of many prominent scientists of Armenia at that time – V. Ambartsulyan, A. Iosifyan, S. Mergelian, A. Nalbandian, M. Jrbashyan, L. Mnjoyan and others were widely known outside the republic.
The national revival of the Armenian people is reflected in Armenian literature and art.
In the works of both the old masters of Armenian literature – O. Tumanyan, A. Isaakian, A. Bakunets, D. Demirchyan, S. Zoryan, R. Kochar, G. Saryan, N. Zaryan, and representatives of the new generation of Armenian writers and poets – O. Shiraz, P. Sevak, S. Kaputikyan, A. Sagiyan, S. Khanzadian, G. Emin and others praised the work and life of the people of the republic. The names of major composers were widely known – A. Khachaturian, A. Babajanyan, A. Harutyunyan, E. Oganesyan, E. Mirzoyan.
Fine arts, in particular painting, were widely developed. The name of the People's Artist of the USSR M. Saryan enjoys worldwide fame. A. Kojoyan, S. Arakelyan, O. Zardaryan, E. Isabekyan, S. Safaryan, M. Avetisyan, M. Abegyan, G. Gurdjian and many other artists have enriched and developed the fine art of Armenia.
Vahan Teryan's activities
Vahan Teryan (birth name Vahan (Vahan) Sukiasovich Ter-Grigoryan; born January 28 (February 9) 1885, Gandza – died January 7, 1920, Orenburg) was an Armenian poet, lyricist and public figure. He is known for his sad, romantic poems, the most famous of which are still read and sung in their musical versions.
Teryan was born in the village of Gandza in the Javakheti region of Georgia (then part of the Russian Empire). He was educated in Tiflis, then studied at the Lazarian College in Moscow, where he became acquainted with symbolism and joined the Russian Social Democrats. He was imprisoned by the Tsarist police for his political activities. He is mainly known for his poems dedicated to autumn and love. That is why Teryan is known in literature as the "Singer of Autumn". He published his first book of poetry, Dreams at Dusk, in 1908, which caused an immediate sensation, Hovhannes Tumanyan called him the most original lyric poet of his time. Later, he published "Night Memory", "Golden Legend", "Return", "Golden Connection", "In the Land of Nairi" (where he replaced the word "Nairi" for every case when the word "Armenia" would fit) and "Cat Paradise". His poems are filled with images of rain, fog, pale fields and shapeless shadows, symbols of sadness, despair and, ultimately, peace.
In 1913, Teryan left Moscow University and entered St. Petersburg University, where he specialized in Oriental languages, which increased his political activity. In 1916, Vahan Teryan published a collection of poems called "The Land of Nairi" (in Armenia: "Yerkir Nairi"), in which he uses "Nairi" as the name of Armenia. Similarly, in 1923, Yeghishe Charents wrote a satirical novel called "The Land of Nairi", again using Nairi as a synonym for Armenia. Hayastan Yeghiazaryan used Nairi as his pseudonym, replacing his name Hayastan (which is how Armenians call Armenia in their native language) with Nairi.
The Armenian revolutionary poet and statesman Vahan Teryan was fluent in Russian, French, German, Latin, Greek, Arabic, Georgian, Kurdish and Persian. He translated the works of Wilde, Bryusov and other poets and prose writers of different nations. "Our homeland is Russia, and in its bosom we wish to move forward and preserve our culture," the poet wrote, linking the fate of Armenian culture with the great heritage of Russian culture. The Council of People's Commissars (SNK) adopted the decree "On Turkish Armenia", the draft of which was drawn up by Vahan Teryan.
A great role in the creation of the Teryan museum was played by the society of young friends of V. Teryan, which was founded on October 13, 1982 by literary critic-writer Leonid Bolshakov Naumovich.
"He ended up in Orenburg at the end of 1919, fulfilling a responsible assignment from the government of the young Soviet republic. The city on the banks of the Urals gave him his last refuge; the last weeks of his life passed here and the poet's untimely death overtook him.
The result of the difficult biographical searches of the author of the report was the clarification of all the circumstances of the last, fatal business trip of Vahan Teryan (25.X. 1919-7.1.1920).
Here is a brief chronicle of this business trip.
