International Seminar "Khachatur Abovyan 1830–1836 in Tartu, a Place of His Spiritual Rebirth"

Description

On 2 November from 11:00 to 16:00, the international seminar “Khachatur Abovyan 1830–1836 in Tartu, a Place of His Spiritual Rebirth” will take place in Auditorium 140 of the University of Tartu Main Building (Ülikooli 18). The seminar will be held in English.

Why did the Armenian national hero, writer, and educational reformer Khachatur Abovyan consider Tartu the place of his spiritual rebirth?

On 2 November from 11:00 to 16:00, the international seminar “Khachatur Abovyan 1830–1836 in Tartu, a Place of His Spiritual Rebirth” will take place in Auditorium 140 of the University of Tartu Main Building (Ülikooli 18). The seminar focuses on the six years Abovyan spent in Tartu, a period that proved decisive both for his personal development and for his later work as a promoter of Armenian education and culture.

The working language of the seminar is English.

Abovyan arrived in Tartu in 1830 after meeting Professor Friedrich Wilhelm Parrot of the University of Tartu during the historic expedition to the summit of Mount Ararat, Armenia’s sacred mountain. While in Tartu, Abovyan studied under a special programme at the university, attended lectures, collaborated with professors, and later recorded his experiences in the extensive Dorpat Diaries, written in Classical Armenian.

At the seminar, historians and cultural scholars from Estonia and Armenia will discuss Abovyan’s life, his connections with the University of Tartu, and the shared cultural links between Armenia and Estonia.

Speakers:

Arevik Stamboltsyan and Mane Aghajanyan (Khachatur Abovyan House-Museum, Yerevan)
Toomas Hiio (Estonian War Museum – General Laidoner Museum)
Janet Laidla (Institute of History and Archaeology, University of Tartu)
Ken Ird (University of Tartu Museum)
The seminar is complemented by a display at the University of Tartu Art Museum, featuring unique objects related to the joint expedition of Friedrich Wilhelm Parrot and Khachatur Abovyan to Mount Ararat.

Organizers: University of Tartu Museum and the Khachatur Abovyan House-Museum (Yerevan).

Everyone interested in Tartu, the University of Tartu, and cultural history is warmly welcome to attend.

PROGRAMME

11:00

Opening

11:15–12:15

“Khachatur Abovyan’s Dorpat (Tartu) Years”

Arevik Stamboltsyan, Khachatur Abovyan House-Museum

“Khachatur Abovyan’s ‘Dorpat Diaries’”

Mane Aghajanyan, Khachatur Abovyan House-Museum

12:15–13:00

Break

13:00–14:30

“Armenian students at the Imperial University of Tartu – why and from?”

Toomas Hiio, Estonian War Museum - General Laidoner Museum

“More than a University? Professional Exams at the Imperial University of Tartu”

Janet Laidla, University of Tartu

“Cultivating Abovyan’s Legacy in Soviet Tartu: A Model of the Friendship of Peoples”

Ken Ird, University of Tartu Museum

14:40–15:15 Roundtable

15:30-16:00 Tour at the University of Tartu Art Museum and the main building.

The seminar will be held in English.

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