XX century literature
First half of the XX century
Armenian literature of the beginning of the 20th century is distinguished by the simultaneous existence of several directions - realism, romanticism, symbolism, avant-garde, as well as marked by the rise of poetry. Works in the genre of historical novel marked postwar years. Poetry becomes the leading genre, while prose acquires new characteristics - lyrical miniature, psychological story.
The most significant phenomenon of the 20th century literature was the activities of the literary circle, called «Vernatun» under Hovhannes Tumanyan’s leadership. The participants of «Vernatun» considered themselves the heirs of the great scholar-philologist, reformer of the Armenian pedagogical system and the founder of new Armenian literature Khachatur Abovyan.
«Vernatun» was founded in 1899 in Tiflis. Not only writers, but also musicians, artists gathered in the attic of Hovhannes Tumanyan’с housе. They read their new works, showed new pictures, performed musical works. «Vernatun» maintained contact with many other literary circles, for example, with the Moscow circle «Sreda», founded by Alexander Sumbatov. The members of Vernatun were Avetik Isahakyan, Ghazaros Aghayan, Levon Shant, Derenik Demirchyan. It was this literary circle that set the Armenian literature further development vector. «Sreda» in different years was leaded by Valery Bryusov, who had a great friendship with Hovhannes Tumanyan.
Concerning the new generation of Western Armenian poets of the early 20th century, we can mention the names of Siamanto, Daniel Varuzhan, Misak Metsarents, Ruben Sevak, Vahan Tekeyan, who embodied new symbolist trends, pagan subjects, enriched the traditions of classical Armenian literature in their works.
In 1916, thanks to Valery Bryusov's efforts, the book «Poetry of Armenia from ancient times to our days» was published in Moscow. The anthology presented the translations of the main works of the Armenian literature, and all proceeds from sales were directed to help refugees who had survived the Genocide.
After sovietization of Armenia, difficult times began in the Armenian literature. A significant part of the society, as well as all over the world, was fascinated by the ideas of Marxism, which greatly affected the literary flows and was dangerous in terms of preservation of the previous generations' literary heritage. The most significant figure in the proletarian poetry was Eghishe Charents. In 1920 (the year of Armenia’s sovietization), he proclaimed the «Manifesto of Three» - a declaration against «bourgeois» literature. Hovhannes Tumanyan, as well as Vahan Teryan, fell under the severe verdict of Charents.
Vahan Teryan is a subtle lyric poet, the first symbolist in Eastern Armenian poetry. His cycles of poems «Dreams of the Dawn», «Night and Reminiscences)», «Golden Tale», «Land of Nairi» marked a new quality of Armenian poetry, Teryan first introduced a syllabo-tonic dimension.
In the 1930s, the most difficult times for Armenian literature began. The leaders of the publishing house of Armenia – «Pethrat», were arrested. Works of Raffi, Shant, as well as all poets and writers related to the ideas of liberation war were prohibited. It became dangerous to sing songs written by unwanted poets. But the people found a way to preserve them: the poems and songs of Raphael Patkanyan, Nahapet Rusinyan, Armenak Ghazaryan have been performed as folk songs and poems for many years.
Proletarian literature, glorifying Lenin, Stalin, and communist ideas, appeared in many circular publications. But the works of Charents, the faithful follower of the revolution, have been banished for many years, and the poet himself, having fallen into disfavor, died in prison. Charents's works are a treasure of world literature. He was perfectly proficient in the languages of allegory, symbolism, he created vivid, multifaceted works, with several semantic layers. For instance, in the work «Violent crowds», Charents describes the modern world to him with the language of Johann's «Revelation», writes an ode to the Indian deity «Soma», describing the spirit of struggle and confrontation. The poem «Curly Boy», in which the poet describes the beautiful future of Armenia, became a symbolic work by him. The image of the boy became a symbol of New Armenia. After the rehabilitation of the poet, one of the industrial cities of the republic was named after him, in which, of course, a monument to this literary hero was erected.
In the late 1930s, the topics of heroic battle, authoritarian rule, the issue of betrayal and devotion became more and more urgent. This was а Soviet trend and Armenia, of course, was involved in it as well. Images of valiant warriors of antiquity and kings-generals became the most popular in art. So, in the 1940s, the screen version of Ghazaros Aghayan's fairy tale «Anait» turns from a magical story into a rather prosaic novel about state intrigues. In 1951, Derenik Demirchyan's historical novel «Vardanank» was published. Demirchyan takes the plot, sung by Khachatur Abovyan in «Wounds of Armenia» - the struggle of lord Vardan Mamikonyan against the Persian domination. The publication of this novel was a true event. In those years, people could not talk about the Genocide openly, thus, any allegory and reminder of the national struggle, became an event that was dear to the people.
