User:Yerevantsi/sandbox/Sasuntsi

David of Sassoun (statue)

Սասունցի Դավթի երկրորդ արձանը | Երվանդ Քոչար-125

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQt274Z5Y1k
https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/HQt274Z5Y1k

Սասունցի Դավթի առաջին արձանը | Երվանդ Քոչար-125

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUkGhj7Uu94
https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/OUkGhj7Uu94

sorted

The monument itself, against the backdrop of neglect and the demolition of several historical buildings, seemed to stand out from the perspective of the once-unified ensemble of the railway square.

բրախել ենք այդ անլույս արվարձանում

հպարտանում ենք Սասունցի Դավթի արձանով, բայց միայն անցյալ ժամանակով, քանի որ արձանի այսօրվա վիճակն ու նրան շրջապատող տարածքը ոչ միայն լուրջ մտահոգությունների առիթ է տալիս, այլեւ՝ ամբողջովին խեղաթյուրում է հեղինակային գաղափարը։

արձանի միջավայրի մաքրման աշխատանքներ իրականացնել, քանի որ տարածքն անմխիթար վիճակում է գտնվում ու խիստ աղտոտված է, ինչպես նաեւ բացակայում են ջուրն

Мастерство Кочара-монументалиста, эпический склад творчества, национальный характер, ярко выявившийся в этом произведении, с еще большей силой выступают в памятнике Давиду Сасунскому, осуществленном на Привокзальной площади в Ереване в 1959 г. (удостоен Государственной премии Армянской ССР в 1967 г.). В эпическом и в то же время символическом образе Давида Сасунского Кочар увековечил героизм армянского народа, его многовековую борьбу за счастье и свободу. В то же время образ Давида вполне современен. Фигура всадника с конем полна стремительности, мощи, внутренней напряженности. Экспрессивная выразительность конного памятника способствует активному воздействию на зрителя. Памятник, стоящий на скалообразном пьедестале (арх. М. Д. Мазманян), подчиняет себе разнородную по стилю архитектурную среду, «организует» вокруг себя все пространство площади. Памятник Давиду Сасунскому справедливо считается эмблемой столицы Советской Армении - Еревана.

The mastery of Kochar the monumental artist, the epic nature of his creativity, the national character vividly expressed in this work, emerge with even greater force in the monument to David Sasuntsi, erected in Yerevan's Railway Square in 1959 (awarded the State Prize of the Armenian SSR in 1967). In the epic and at the same time symbolic image of David Sasuntsi, Kochar immortalized the heroism of the Armenian people, their centuries-long struggle for happiness and freedom. At the same time, the image of David is entirely contemporary. The figure of the horseman with the horse is full of swiftness, power, and inner tension. The expressive expressiveness of the equestrian monument contributes to an active impact on the viewer. The monument, standing on a rocky pedestal (arch. M.D. Mazmanian), subordinates the stylistically diverse architectural environment, "organizing" all the space around it. The monument to David Sasuntsi is rightfully considered the emblem of the capital of Soviet Armenia - Yerevan.

In the same way, the statues to Vardan Mamikonyan, an Armenian national hero who led the uprising against Persian rule in 451 A.D. and to the protagonist of the Armenian epos David Sasuntsi were constructed as signs of the struggle of the nation for a better future. This was an important component in the official rhetoric of teleological progression from dark ages to the ultimate bright future that would come if the nation adhered to communism.

Aghasyan

Aghasyan, A. V. [in Armenian] (2024). "Սասունցի Դավթի կերպարը Երվանդ Քոչարի արվեստում [The image of David of Sassoun in the art of Ervand Kochar]" (PDF). Reports. 124 (2). National Academy of Sciences of Armenia: 44–56. doi:10.54503/0321-1339-2024.124.2-44.

Решенная в условно-стилизованной манере, плотно облегающая фигуру одежда Давида не только не нарушает пластическую характеристику образа, но еще более акцентирует его атлетическое, поистине бога- тырское телосложение. Обутые на босу ногу сандалии на толстой подошве, штаны, обшитые по бокам "лампасами" из грубого ворса, туго обтягивающий талию широкий ку- шак, холщевая рубаха с открытым воротом, короткая ман- тия наподобие плаща, увесистый меч, подстать его облада- телю - эти лаконичные, строго отобранные детали костюма и предметные аксессуары наделяют Давида, с одной сто- роны, чертами армянского пастуха-простолюдина, а с другой представляют его как воина, народного заступника-феданна. На двойственность образа указывает и сам жест Давида, резко развернувшего плечи и далеко оттянувшего за спину меч. Этот не совсем "правильный", подходящий скорее ко- сарю, нежели ратнику, жест хорошо иллюстрирует мысль о мирной натуре героя, и шире - о миролюбии народа, вынужденного браться за оружие в годины горестных ис- пытаний. Давид Кочара воии не по призванию, а поневоле, в ратном подвиге он отстанвает и воплощает миротвор- ческие идеалы народа-труженика. Фигура всадника испол- нена огромного напряжения. Готовясь нанести удар, он привстал, опираясь на стремя выпрямленной, до конца разогну- той в колене левой ногой. Движение плеч и могучего торса Давида, остановленное встречным движением его решительно повернутой головы, образует динамичный кон- трапост, и это шаткое равновесие разнонаправленных сил - еле сдерживаемых, грозящих "прорваться" - насыщает об- раз герол неимоверной внутренней энергией. Если правый передний аспект композиции раскрывает фигуру Давида во всей ее титанической мощи, то левый боковой аспект, на оборот, обнаруживает поразительную легкость и "окрылен- ность" фигуры, ее безудержный и стремительный духовный порыв. Прижатая к крупу коня, согнутая в колене правая нога, наклон корпуса и головы, растрепанные волосы героя, складки его подхваченного ветром плаща и застывшее на весу точеное лезвие меча - все это, складываясь в беспокойный, подвижный, но в то же время ясно очерченный на фоне неба, словно отчеканенный силуэт, создает ощущение ничем не обремененного, раскованного полета.

tightly fitting clothing ... accentuates his athletic, truly heroic physique. The sandals on his bare feet with thick soles, the pants trimmed on the sides with rough wool "stripes," the wide belt tightly cinching his waist, the linen shirt with an open collar, the short cloak resembling a cape, and the hefty sword matching its owner

The figure of the rider is filled with immense tension. Preparing to strike, he has risen slightly, supporting himself on the stirrup with his left leg, which is fully extended at the knee. The movement of David's shoulders and powerful torso, countered by the resolute turn of his head, forms a dynamic contrapposto, and this precarious balance of opposing forces—barely restrained, threatening to "break free"—imbues the image of the hero with incredible inner energy.

If the right front aspect of the composition reveals David's figure in all its titanic power, the left side aspect, on the contrary, reveals the figure's remarkable lightness and "winged" nature, its unstoppable and swift spiritual impulse. The right leg, bent at the knee and pressed against the horse's flank, the tilt of the torso and head, the hero's windblown hair, the folds of his cloak caught by the wind, and the poised blade of the sword—all of this, combining into a restless, dynamic, yet clearly defined silhouette against the sky, creates a sense of unburdened, unfettered flight.

Simyan

It was only thanks to the petitions of Kochar's friends from the Nersisian School, Karo Khalabian and Anastas Mikoyan, that the outstanding Armenian sculptor was rehabilitated in 1943.

After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the square in front of the railway station in Yerevan, in a sense, became marginalized. One of the residents living near the station, 77-year-old Grandpa Henrik, recounts that "the station was one of the lively centers of Yerevan, it was lively in every way, life was in full swing, and now it is an abandoned outskirts. The functional significance of the station has been minimized [Yerevantsi 2011, 58]8. The quote emphasizes the change in the status of the station square. Of course, after 2011, the station square underwent transformation, but the adjacent territories are still used for wholesale and retail trade in agricultural products, as peasants sell their products brought by trains there.

The perception of the sculpture in the post-Soviet era could have been authentic if the infrastructure (railway connections) had been preserved. However, since the location of David of Sasun was marginalized, for guests of Armenia and for the younger generation of the Armenian diaspora, guides, kitschy artifacts of the Vernissage, in other words, the emblematic nature of the sculpture, are modeled indirectly rather than directly from the perception of the sculpture.

A completely different picture would have emerged if, as a result of the debates in the press in the 2000s, the sculpture had been moved to the "center." After the completion of the celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the adoption of Christianity in 2001 and the demonstration of the cross installed in connection with the celebration of the adoption of Christianity in 301 on Republic Square (formerly Lenin Square), it was strongly suggested to move Kocharyan's sculpture to the center [Abramyan 2003, 48]. The relocation of the sculpture to the "center" was discussed several times in the Armenian press ("Aravot," 1998, 2006, "Grakan Tert," 2001, "Novoe Vremya," 2002), but there was no response from the authorities of the Republic of Armenia [Gukasyan 2002; Mikaelian 2002 a; Novoe Vremya 2002, 8].

After the collapse of the USSR, the destruction of infrastructure, the relocation of the monument from the "periphery" to the "center" would probably have been appropriate also because David of Sasun is a collective image, politically "neutral" and beloved.

Voskan Yerevantsi suggested, while dismantling the "frame of Armenian identity" of the Soviet era, to take it "out of the commercial environment" and install the sculpture "on some free territory near the airport" [Yerevan 2014]. There was even a proposal to place Kocharyan's sculpture at the intersection of Mashtots Avenue and Sayat-Nova, closer to his museum and other monuments: the artist Saryan, composer Komitas, architect Tamanyan, composers and conductors Khachaturian and Spendiarov, writers Saroyan and Tumanyan [Yerevan 2014]. The idea of placing the epic hero David of Sasun in the center, surrounded by a "constellation" of Armenian cultural figures, is quite acceptable, but due to the size, Kocharyan's sculpture is large and therefore would not fit well on the small Place de France. Additionally, it would block semantically marked perspectives and panoramas for the city residents.

The majority of voices advocated for relocating Kochar's sculpture to Republic Square. Notably, Kochar himself, according to the sculptor's son Aykaz Kochar, envisioned his creation precisely on this square [Yerevan 2014].

"Нам кажется, что памятник Е. Кочара вполне может вписаться в архитектонику площади Республики, поскольку на площади Ленина (нынешняя площадь Республики) образовалась бы «водяная» синтагма: поющие фонтаны, скульптура Давиду Сасунскому, возвышающаяся из круглого (или прямоугольного) бассейна и фонтан «Эребуни Ереван – 2750»16 (илл. 8). При такой динамичной синтагме совсем по-другому смотрелась бы скульптура Давиду Сасунскому."

V. Gukasyan's point of view regarding the relocation is quite convincing and well-grounded: "Without a doubt, David will live a new life in a new place and will truly become the meaningful counterpoint of the heart of the capital. Indeed, a beloved and dear epic hero, embodying the typical traits and character of his ethnicity. A fearless and blameless knight recognized by all parties, including the Communists. It is quite possible that if Ulyanov [Lenin] did not stand on this square, David would have been installed here in 1959" [Gukasyan 2002, 2]. V. Gukasyan is indeed correct, noting that the relocation of the sculpture to a new place would be perceived in an entirely new way thanks to a new architectural (Tamanyan) context.

After the debates in the press and the expressed opinions about relocating the sculpture from the "periphery" to the "center," the question remained unresolved and received no reaction from the authorities.

In conclusion, it can be noted that Ervand Kochar's sculpture dedicated to the epic hero David of Sasun is a strong marker of the Armenian epic in urban space and has been replicated multiple times in Soviet and post-Soviet times. The sculpture, in historical perspective and in the context of the epic text, has been analyzed and interpreted differently in various time periods, and the "fate" of the statue and the artist Ervand Kochar have become a significant "sign" indicating the realities of the Soviet era and post-Soviet Armenia.

Simyan, Tigran (2017). "Армянский эпос в социальном и коллективном сознании советской и постсоветской эпохи (на примере китчевых товаров Ереванского вернисажа) [The Armenian epic in the social and collective consciousness of the Soviet and post-Soviet eras (using the example of kitsch goods at the Yerevan Vernissage)]" (PDF). ΠΡΑΞΗMΑ. Journal of Visual Semiotics (in Russian). 2 (12). Tomsk State Pedagogical University: 92–111.

Telman Zurabian

Telman Zurabian https://web.archive.org/web/20231205070921/https://arar.sci.am/Content/362986/%D0%97%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B1%D1%8F%D0%BD_%D0%A2.%D0%A1._-_%D0%92%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BD%D1%8B_%D1%81%D1%87%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8C%D1%8F_-_1981.pdf

https://forum.artinvestment.ru/blog.php?b=43601

archived

Razmik Panossian: p. 58 "It should be mentioned that the rebellions against the Arabs inspired one of the more popular oral epics of heroism in the form of the legendary figure David of Sasun (a Bagratuni). This tale eventually became part of Armenian literature with clear national(ist) overtones against tyranny and foreign occupation."

Yerevan's former chief architect Samvel Danielyan stated that he considers it one of the finest works of art not just in Yerevan, but the world.

Tigran Simyan contrasted it with Varaz Samuelian's statue of David in Fresno, California, which is emotional and extroverted.

Refs

^ Cite error: The named reference noev-kovcheg was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Shekoyan was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference nune was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Geodakyan, Gevorg, ed. (1980). Искусство Советской Армении за 60 лет [Art of Soviet Armenia of 60 Years] (in Russian). Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR Publishing. p. 112.
^ Harutyunyan, Angela (2008). "State Icons and Narratives in the Symbolic Cityscape of Yerevan". In Harutyunyan, Angela; Hörschelmann, Kathrin; Miles, Malcolm (eds.). Public Spheres after Socialism (PDF). Bristol: Intellect Books. p. 24. ISBN 978-1-84150-212-0.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Aghasyan 1999, p. 77-79.
^ Simyan 2016, p. 85.
^ Simyan 2016, p. 88.
^ ^a ^b ^c Simyan 2016, p. 90.
^ Simyan 2016, p. 91.
^ ^a ^b ^c Simyan 2016, p. 92.
^ ^a ^b Simyan 2016, p. 93.
^ Simyan 2017, p. xxxx.
^ Cite error: The named reference Zurabian was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Panossian 2006, p. 58.
^ Tamazyan, Susanna (17 April 2013). "Հին ու նոր Երևանի խաչմերուկում [At the crossroads of Old and New Yerevan]". df.am (in Armenian). No. 47. Archived from the original on 17 February 2020.
^ Simyan 2016, p. 87.
^ Cite error: The named reference Samuelian was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[noev-kovcheg-1] Cite error: The named reference noev-kovcheg was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Shekoyan-2] Cite error: The named reference Shekoyan was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[nune-3] Cite error: The named reference nune was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[4] Geodakyan, Gevorg, ed. (1980). Искусство Советской Армении за 60 лет [Art of Soviet Armenia of 60 Years] (in Russian). Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR Publishing. p. 112.

[5] Harutyunyan, Angela (2008). "State Icons and Narratives in the Symbolic Cityscape of Yerevan". In Harutyunyan, Angela; Hörschelmann, Kathrin; Miles, Malcolm (eds.). Public Spheres after Socialism (PDF). Bristol: Intellect Books. p. 24. ISBN 978-1-84150-212-0.

[FOOTNOTEAghasyan199977-79-6] Aghasyan 1999, p. 77-79.

[FOOTNOTESimyan201685-7] Simyan 2016, p. 85.

[FOOTNOTESimyan201688-8] Simyan 2016, p. 88.

[FOOTNOTESimyan201690-9] Simyan 2016, p. 90.

[FOOTNOTESimyan201691-10] Simyan 2016, p. 91.

[FOOTNOTESimyan201692-11] Simyan 2016, p. 92.

[FOOTNOTESimyan201693-12] Simyan 2016, p. 93.

[FOOTNOTESimyan2017xxxx-13] Simyan 2017, p. xxxx.

[Zurabian-14] Cite error: The named reference Zurabian was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[FOOTNOTEPanossian200658-15] Panossian 2006, p. 58.

[16] Tamazyan, Susanna (17 April 2013). "Հին ու նոր Երևանի խաչմերուկում [At the crossroads of Old and New Yerevan]". df.am (in Armenian). No. 47. Archived from the original on 17 February 2020.

[FOOTNOTESimyan201687-17] Simyan 2016, p. 87.

[Samuelian-18] Cite error: The named reference Samuelian was invoked but never defined (see the help page).