Tbilisi: Where cultures meet
December 25th, 2009 by Onnik Krikorian
Sergei Parajanov statue, Tbilisi, Georgia © Onnik Krikorian on Nokia N82 phone
It was perhaps only appropriate that the route for a return visit to an Azeri tea house run by ethnic Armenians in the old part of Tbilisi took us past a statue of the renowned ethnic Armenian filmmaker Sergei Parajanov. Like other Armenian cultural icons such as Sayat Nova, an 18th century troubadour who wrote songs in Armenian, Georgian, Persian and especially Azerbaijani, Parajanov belonged more to the Caucasus than any one nation and it was perhaps for this reason that he remained in his native Tbilisi for most of his life. He moved to Yerevan just two years before his death in 1990.
Indeed, his last completed film was Ashik Kerib, an Azeri folk tale made even as troubles between Armenia and Azerbaijan descended into violence over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh. Effigies of the cult Armenian cultural icon, revered by international filmmakers such as Fellini, were even reportedly burnt during the Karabakh movement’s demonstrations in Yerevan according to peace activists such as Georgy Vanyan. Today, of course, few Armenians remember the controversy over Parajanov’s work in Azerbaijan or even know of the films he made in Georgian, Azeri and Ukrainian.
Even fewer people in Azerbaijan know about him or Sayat Nova at all, especially in an environment where the portrayal of Armenians is arguably more negative than that of Azerbaijan by the Armenian media. For most outsiders, however, the media in both countries tend to equally concentrate on the negative rather than the positive or even neutral.
Nevertheless, and like Sayat Nova who was also linked more to the cultural mixing pot that the region has always been rather than single parts, Parajanov represented the rich cultural heritage of the South Caucasus which undoubtedly influenced his work. Today, while few Armenians and Azeris in their own respective countries communicate let alone meet and even with its own ethnic problems, that history of mutual respect and friendship between minority groups in Georgia continues albeit to some extent. This even extends to ethnic Armenians and Azeris living in the capital, Tbilisi.
Small though it may be, an Azeri tea house run by an ethnic Armenian family represents the reality that away from negative stereotypes, ethno-nationalist forces, and a biased media in Armenia and Azerbaijan which has arguably become as much part of the conflict as local political forces, Armenians and Azeris can co-exist side by side. In fact, they actually do, with many of Alexei and Margarita Petrosyan customers fluent in Armenian, Azerbaijani, Georgian, Russian, and Farsi simply because of the diverse ethnic mix assembled there.
Today, two Azeri journalism students and one Georgian blogger, who also tweeted, visited the tea house.
Participants of this project supported by Transitions Online and the British Embassy in Yerevan will return to the tea house again on Sunday and fuller reports will be available on this blog. Over the coming days and weeks this blog will highlight such examples using new media and social networking tools and stories, photos, and video as a continuation of a brief cross-border exercise undertaken in September. Until then, a video interview with Georgian participant on today’s visit is below.
Shot on mobile phone in very low light conditions, the quality is not fantastic, but good enough until other audio and video is available. However, part of this project is also to examine the potential of mobile phone reporting, and especially by citizen journalists or the media in the regions of countries such as Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.
Incidentally, please follow us on Twitter @caucasusproject, and not least for tomorrow’s visit to Tsopi, a co-inhabited village in an ethnic Azeri region of Georgia just a few kilometers from the border with Armenia.
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December 25th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Steady State » Blog Archive » Tbilisi: Where cultures meet | armeniatoday said:
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December 25th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
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December 25th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Steady State » Blog Archive » Tbilisi: Where cultures meet | azerbaijantoday said:
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December 25th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Armenia & the South Caucasus | The Caucasian Knot » Tbilisi: Where cultures meet said:
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December 29th, 2009 at 4:59 am
Global Voices Online » Overcoming negative stereotypes in the South Caucasus said:
[...] fact, as a second post detailing visiting an teahouse where all the ethnic groups of the South Caucasus gather notes, the cultural links between [...]
December 30th, 2009 at 11:19 am
Overcoming negative stereotypes in the South Caucasus :: Elites TV said:
[...] fact, as a second post detailing visiting an teahouse where all the ethnic groups of the South Caucasus gather notes, the cultural links between [...]
December 30th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Steady State » Blog Archive » Tbilisi: Where cultures meet Tea said:
[...] more here: Steady State » Blog Archive » Tbilisi: Where cultures meet By admin | category: tea house | tags: armenians, azeri, fresh-made-to-order, friendster, [...]
December 31st, 2009 at 5:28 am
Steady State » Blog Archive » Тбилиси: там, где соприкасаются культуры said:
[...] State « Tbilisi: Where cultures meet Ethnic Armenian-Azeri coexistence in Georgia [...]
January 1st, 2010 at 9:58 am
artmika said:
Thanks for the post. Just one remark re “Effigies of the cult Armenian cultural icon, revered by international filmmakers such as Fellini, were even reportedly burnt during the Karabakh movement’s demonstrations in Yerevan according to peace activists such as Georgy Vanyan.”
Unless Vanyan provides with more evidence, I would treat this quote with caution. I was pretty active and aware of things during Karabakh demonstrations in Yerevan, and everything related to Parajanov is very close to me.
However, I cannot recall such things. Even if it happened, it should have been something obscure.
Sadly, although a monument was unveiled, Paradjanov’s flat in Tbilisi was effectively destroyed…
I recommend this relevant report by Hetq.am:
http://hetq.am/en/culture/parajanov-2/
January 5th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
Onnik Krikorian said:
True, about the mention of Vanyan saying that, but it’s also quite possible some idiot nationalist did, rather than it being some kind of widespread movement.
Still, just as it might be reportedly, it might also have happened.
There were those who were able to do such things, I’m sure. Look at how many people are brandished as traitors because they don’t fit in with “expections” of “Armenians.”
Still, I wish people would remember or even know about Ashik Kerib more. One of my favourite Paradjanov movies, but just to say that I’m glad the old central part of Tbilisi is intact.
In Yerevan they have pretty much destroyed everything. As someone pointed out recently. Whatever happened to those historic buildings they were numbering and taking apart.
Where did they end up? Not on the new location for the historic buildings they promised, that’s for sure… But, ultimately, in Am, Az and Ge there are big problems.
Big problems with tolerance, with acceptance of minorities, with corruption, democracy, and everything else. However, Tbilisi, as a meeting point for all, still can’t be beat. It’s refreshing in comparison.
I’m anyway glad to see Paradjanov’s statue newly erected there. Could be more visible, but it’s nice to encounter while wandering through the pretty streets of old Tbilisi.
January 6th, 2010 at 6:41 am
Steady State » Blog Archive » Tiflis: mədəniyyətlərin uzlaşdığı yer said:
[...] Azərbaycan çay evinə geri aparan yol bizi təsadüfi olmadan tanınmış erməni kinorejisyoru Sergey Paracanovun abidəsinə gətirib çıxardı. Bir çox erməni mədəniyyət ikonaları, məsələn 18-ci [...]
January 11th, 2010 at 3:01 pm