Verchabes, Surp Grigori!!
OK, I mixed up some E and W Armenian there, but vochinch. Today, I finally made it to Surp Grigori Monastery, below the village of Dsegh (Where Hovhannes Tumanyan is from). I have tried unsuccessfully to find it before, but this time Jack knew the way and me and Lena saw it for the first time. Fantastic ruins, hidden in lush green forest, in a beautiful canyon. What a treat to see a monastery of this beauty, which I have driven nearby so many times and look for unsuccessfully. Next we went to Kobayr, another fantastic monastery, which they have fixed up quite a bit, with nice stairs leading up to it now. We spent some time with a family there, where the woman was so amazingly genuine and nice, and even in this little village she seemed so wordly. Her father made one of the most impressive string of comments and observations I have ever heard here...
They call Vanadzor, Armenia's 3rd largest city, and nearest large city Kirovakan still. When we commented that we use the new names already, he explained that Kirov was a communist that was no better than Stalin, who won out in the quest for control. He said Lenin and Stalin were horrible for all the evils they did to people, and especially the Armenian nation. Lenin for giving away Kars, Ardahan, and the rest of Western Armenia, which was not his to give, then Stalin for giving Karabakh and Nakhichevan to the Azeris, as well as for sending so many Armenians, including diasporans he had encouraged to come to Siberia. He said we could have built an amazing nation by now if we had just been left to our own devices. Now we have to start from scratch having lost all those years. His thoughts about the Soviet times and his optimism are so rare and so beautiful to me. Then this 80 year old man climbed up a rickety ladder to pick some grapes for us to try. Whoah, they were incredible... tasting just like grape cool-aid or blow-pops, which are artificially flavored... but this is the real thing. He raised seven kids in this village and was happy with his life, while his one daughter left in the village preferred to move to a city. The family had also tamed a wild pidgeon without ever caging it, but rather just by feeding it. The village kids which were all out and about were so well behaved, friendly and adorable that they were a pleasure to be around. This perfect day was topped off with perfect weather. What a fantastic Sunday!
OK, I mixed up some E and W Armenian there, but vochinch. Today, I finally made it to Surp Grigori Monastery, below the village of Dsegh (Where Hovhannes Tumanyan is from). I have tried unsuccessfully to find it before, but this time Jack knew the way and me and Lena saw it for the first time. Fantastic ruins, hidden in lush green forest, in a beautiful canyon. What a treat to see a monastery of this beauty, which I have driven nearby so many times and look for unsuccessfully. Next we went to Kobayr, another fantastic monastery, which they have fixed up quite a bit, with nice stairs leading up to it now. We spent some time with a family there, where the woman was so amazingly genuine and nice, and even in this little village she seemed so wordly. Her father made one of the most impressive string of comments and observations I have ever heard here...
They call Vanadzor, Armenia's 3rd largest city, and nearest large city Kirovakan still. When we commented that we use the new names already, he explained that Kirov was a communist that was no better than Stalin, who won out in the quest for control. He said Lenin and Stalin were horrible for all the evils they did to people, and especially the Armenian nation. Lenin for giving away Kars, Ardahan, and the rest of Western Armenia, which was not his to give, then Stalin for giving Karabakh and Nakhichevan to the Azeris, as well as for sending so many Armenians, including diasporans he had encouraged to come to Siberia. He said we could have built an amazing nation by now if we had just been left to our own devices. Now we have to start from scratch having lost all those years. His thoughts about the Soviet times and his optimism are so rare and so beautiful to me. Then this 80 year old man climbed up a rickety ladder to pick some grapes for us to try. Whoah, they were incredible... tasting just like grape cool-aid or blow-pops, which are artificially flavored... but this is the real thing. He raised seven kids in this village and was happy with his life, while his one daughter left in the village preferred to move to a city. The family had also tamed a wild pidgeon without ever caging it, but rather just by feeding it. The village kids which were all out and about were so well behaved, friendly and adorable that they were a pleasure to be around. This perfect day was topped off with perfect weather. What a fantastic Sunday!
posted by Raffi K. at 10:36 PM
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