Khoren Abrahamyan

Actor Honored: Khoren Abrahamyan laid to rest with bittersweet recognition

By Gayane Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow Reporter (used with perssion)

Two months ago beloved Armenian actor Khoren Abrahamyan told ArmeniaNow:

“I have so many ideas and thoughts, so many things to say. I feel I am in my 20s and I am confident I will manage to reach at least the half of the aims I have.”

In his 50 professional years the actor reached plenty aims, among which was to bring his art to a mass audience that rewarded Abrahamayan with admiration and respect. And his country rewarded him with the distinction of People’s Artist.

On Tuesday, appreciation of Abrahamyan’s work mixed with grief as thousands honored him by carrying his body through the streets of Yerevan, to the Sundukyan Theater where he first performed, then laying the actor to rest at the Komitas Pantheon.

Abrahamyan died of heart attack last Friday in Yerevan.

Among mourners at services in the National Opera and Ballet Theater were President Robert Kocharyan, His Holiness Catholicos Garegin II, Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan and Mayor Yervand Zarkaryan.

Khoren Abrahamyan’s body was carried on the arms of admirers and colleagues accompanied by the music of his most famous film “The Song of the First Love”.

At his death, he had been working for three years to produce a sequel. His last stage performance was in the Sundukyan where he appeared in Qobern’s “Gin Play”, November 21.

“We are a small nation, but we give birth to these kind of great people from time to time,” said a colleague and fellow People’s Artist, Sos Sargsyan, fighting back tears. “Khorik was a great man of world significance, an unimaginable actor and person.”

• 1990 It was removed in a documentary film General Andranik ,director Levon Mkrtchyan, narration by Khoren Abrahamyan.

Students from the Theater and Cinema Institute and Yerevan State University formed a protest action following Abrahamyan’s funeral. They were angered that a party for the pop music group Shicker took place in the theater after Abrahamyan’s funeral.

Khoren Abrahamyan, like singer and director Tigran Levonyan and writer Hrant Matevosyan left this world insulted. For 10 years he did not have a stage, fired from the native Sundukyan theatre.

“A great man like Khorik, one of the last Mohicans, was asking on TV to give him a stage, a hall to play. I think it is not a coincidence only we have a saying ‘die and you’ll be loved’”, says playwright Perch Zeytuntsyan. “I am glad they understood in the end and asked him to return to the mother theater and play at least once. We are gradually becoming poorer, who will fill this big gap? Will it be those who made award ceremonies and birthday parties on the day of the funeral?”