Armenians in Estonia, Estonians in Armenia
“From the peak opened a broad panorama, but the distance was too great to distinguish anything besides large objects. The whole valley of Araks was covered in thick brume, where Erivan and Sardarapat looked like dark patches no bigger than one’s hand; a mountain to the south was more distinct, Bayazet was at its foot. In the north-north-east shined the spiky mountain peak of Alagez with snowy dents. This mountain top is probably impossible to conquer. Closer to Ararat, especially in the south-east and far to the west, stretch many small mountains with pyramid-like peaks and dents in the middle, they look like former volcanoes; east of the south-east direction stands Small Ararat, it’s dome doesn’t look like a pointed cone from here, as it may seem from the plain, it looks like a four sided surface, as though it were propped with a pyramid with big and small rocky outgrowths on its edges and in the middle. But what amazed me was the large part of Gokcha Lake that could be seen from here. The lake looked like a sparkly plain heading north through a tall mountain chain, sealing in the mirror-like surface in the south. This mountain chain is very tall, I never thought you could see this hidden water mirror from Ararat.
After observing the views I took a look at my companions and noticed that my faithful and trusty friend Abovyan wasn’t here, - I figured it out: he’s setting up a cross. I wanted to do everything myself on the round field, where the cross would be well-placed and safe. But Abovyan decided to take up the sacred mission to place the cross and found a field on the north-east edge of the peak, otherwise, as he noted, it wouldn’t be seen in the middle from the valley, since it was only five-feet high. The deacon moved back enough to have the cross seen not only from the valley, but also from Argury and St. Jacob’s Monastery. To do that he risked walking along the steep slope that was in the center of a field for 30 feet, that’s why I failed to see him at first; I found Abovyan effortlessly working – breaking ice for a hole to press in the cross.”
This story is from Doctor Johann Friedrich von Parrot’s book “The Journey to Ararat”. He was a professor of physics in Derpt (Tartu), Russian Imperial State Advisor, and also a chevalier of St. Anne’s order of second degree with emperor’s crown.. In 1829 he climbed the legendary mountain, accompanied by monastery servant Khachatur Abovyan. This was the start of their friendship, which lasted to the end of their lives.
In 1805 in the village of Kanaker, Artem Abovyan’s son Khachatur was born. He became an Armenian writer, the founder of new Armenian literature and a new literary language, an educator and an ethnographer. He had teachers from Narsynyan, one of the educational centers in the Transcaucasia. Numerous people of science and culture received their education in this place – Pogos Karadagtsy and poet Arutiun Alamdarian. After Porrot’s expedition to Ararat Abovyan entered the Derpt (Tartu) University. Freidrich Parrot himself was requesting the university to provide Abovyan with a scholarship. When Abovyan graduated he became one of the most educated people in North Armenia. He mastered 8 foreign languages. He corresponded with Schiller and Goethe. His wife was Johanna Emilia Lo’oze, who moved from Revel (Tallinn) to Tiflis.
A lot of time passed, and today over 2,000 Armenians live in Estonia. The Armenian Minister of Culture Laine Janes sent his compliments in 2009 to Armenians in Estonia on Armenian Independence Day. In his speech he used such words as: “In my hometown of Tartu, Armenian intelligentsia appeared in the XIX century. Such names as Khachatur Abovyan and Stepanos Nazaryan will forever be part of Tartu University’s honorary history. Today Armenians are an essential part of Estonian society, enriching us all with their old and rich culture”.
One can never tell where the crossings of fate may tie the two peoples’, link their history and the ways of their sons and daughters together.
To be continued
Olga Lillipuu, Tallin. Exclusively for VC
