The main cluster of tombstones remaining at Khojivank, 2011. |
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| Details | |
|---|---|
| Year established | c. 1655 |
| Location | Tbilisi, Georgia |
| Type | public |
| Owned by | Tbilisi Municipality |
The Armenian Pantheon of Tbilisi also as Khojavank (Armenian: Խոջավանք) or Khojivank (Armenian: Խոջիվանք; Georgian: ხოჯივანკი Khojivank'i; Russian: Ходживанк) is a historical Armenian architectural complex in north-eastern part of Havlabar district of Tbilisi, Georgia, consisting of huge memorial cemetery and St. Astvatsatsin church. The church and most part of the cemetery was destroyed in 1937, and remaining part of the cemetery was destroyed in the period of 1995-2004 during Sameba Cathedral construction. Only tiny part of the remains and gravestones are preserved as Armenian Pantheon of Tbilisi.
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The area was given to Armenian Bebut-Bek of Bebutov family in 1612 by Shah Abbas by appropriate diploma. His son Aslan Meliq-Bebut, treasurer of Georgian king Rostom of Kartli enlarged the original cemetery, built pipes for bringing water here, planted a number of trees and in 1655 built St. Astvatsatin church, called Khojivank as a name of the founded, who was called by Georgian king Rostom - Khoja Bebut (Big Bebut). Later the cemetery was called Khojivank too. The building sign preserved and is kept in Historical-Ethnographic Museum of Tbilisi, which says: "In summer of Armenian year of 1104 with the wish of God I, Khoja Bebut and my brother Khatin and my wife Lali built this church of humble Aslan". St. Astvatsatsin church was dedicated to Saint Purple Mother of God, was circled in fence, had beautiful walls and had a blossoming garden beside.
Later the diploma of Bebutovs was renewed by Teymuraz II and Irakliy II.
In 1899 a massive border wall was built around the cemetery, which by that time had immensely enlarged.
The number of graves in the period before destruction reached more than 90,000.
In 1920s burying in Khojivank was almost ceased.
Since Lavrentiy Beria's 1934 famous order the church and cemetery started being destroyed. St. Astvatsatin church with surrounding church buildings was destroyed, all chapels and crypts were crushed together with most of graves, which gravestones and khachkars of rare marble and other stones were used as building material. Special brigades of People's Commissariat for State Security were seeking for precious items around the cemetery. This was done till 1938 and most of the cemetery was destroyed, while only little part of the graves were saved and moved generally to Petropavlovskoe cemetery. The gravestones of Hovhannes Tumanyan and Raffi were saved. The area was rebuilt as park with primary title "Park of culture and leisure after 26 commissars", but final title was "Friendship", where the walls were mainly built of Armenian gravestones. Also a number of gravestones were used as building materials in Institute of the Party halls (current Georgian parliament) and Lavrentiy Beria's house with address Machabeli 11. The wall bordering School #68 and water tower built in 1961 was also built of those gravestones. Some stones were used as stairway in park on Madaten island.
On 17 March 1962 Armenian pantheon was opened with about 30 gravestones saved, most of which did not have any remains below.
In 1994 Tbilisi Sameba church construction started in the area, which firstly was announced to occupy area beside Khojivank, but the size of the new church was huge and it covered significant part of Khojivank. Most of the remained graves were removed, most gravestones removed. "Grigoriy Dolukhanov (1800-1881)" gravestone was thrown in front of Armenian theater and left for several years. As a response to Armenian protests the construction stopped, but in June 1997 started again.
In 25 December 2002 first church service was held. On 23 November 2004 Sameba church was officially opened.
Later the cemetery got larger and became the largest Armenian cemetery of Tbilisi with great number of epigrams and gravestones with short notes, which could tell much about Armenian population of Tbilisi, families, various heritages and different sides of social life. Among famous epigrams were Sayat-Nova's wife gravestone epigram, which said "456 (1768 y.). In this grave I am - wife of Sayat-Nova Marmar. Bless". Another example was epigram: "Here I am - wife of Ter-David, Archpriest of Mughni church. Who reads remember. Summer 420 (1732y.)". Grigor Artsruni gravestone created like a cliff was lost. Ghazaros Aghayan gravestone with epigram: "Friend of children Ghazaros Aghayan was lost too. Generally some epigrams are preserved due to A. Yeremyan, who rewrote and published in Vienna epigraphs of Khojivank of 19th century end - 20th century start, and single examples saved in Historical-Ethnographic museum in Tbilisi. As Yeremyan wrote, there were thousands of granite, marble sculptures and stellas, thousands of short and exciting notes, sad poems and quatrains.
Here are some of the famous Armenians burials:[1]
| Name | Date | Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Ghazaros Aghayan | 1840–1911 | Writer, educator, folklorist, historian, linguist and public figure |
| Hakob Aghabab | 1926 | Poet |
| Isahak Alikhanian | 1946 | Actor |
| Grigor Artsruni | 1845–1892 | "Mshak" newspaper editor |
| Bagrat Ayvazian | 1937 | Writer |
| Ashkharhabek Bebutov | Founder of Khojivank | |
| Vasili Bebutov | 1791–1858 | General |
| Nikol Duman | 1867–1914 | Military leader and member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation party |
| Arshak Gafavian (Qeri) | 1916 | Military commander |
| Gevorg Hakhverdian | 1892 | Philologist, doctor, public figure, Sayat-Nova publisher |
| Hakob Hakobian (poet) | 1866–1937 | Poet |
| Naghash Hovnatan | 1722 | Great fresco artist of his time |
| Mkrtun Hovnatanyan | 1846 | |
| Jivani | 1846–1909 | Gusan (composer, singer) |
| Gayane Khachaturian | 1942–2009 | Painter |
| Vano Khojabekian | 1875–1922 | Graphic artist |
| Aleksandr Mantashev | 1842–1911 | Oil magnate, 1st Guild merchant and Speaker of the Tiflis Duma |
| Olga Maysuryan | 1861–1931 | Acress |
| Muratsan | 1854–1908 | Writer |
| Nar-Dos | 1867–1933 | Writer |
| Stepanos Nersisyan | 1807–1884 | Painter |
| Isay Pitoev | 1904 | Educator and philanthropist |
| Pertch Proshian | 1837–1909 | Writer and teacher |
| Raffi | 1835–1888 | Novelist and writer |
| Gabriel Sundukyan | 1825–1912 | Writer and playwright, the founder of modern Armenian drama |
| Nikita Shahnazarian | General-Lieutenant in the Russo-Turkish War (1877-78) | |
| Tserents (Hovsep Shishmanyan) | 1822–1888 | Writer |
| Aleksandr Tsaturyan | 1865–1917 | Poet and translator |
| Prince Georgi Tumanov | 1854–1920 | Founder of Georgian theater community and Tiflis College |
| Prince Mikhail Tumanov | 1818–1875 | Famous Georgian poet, first Pushkin translator to Georgian |
| Hovhannes Tumanyan | 1869–1923 | Poet and writer |
| Makar Yekmalian | 1856–1905 | Composer, conductor |
| Aleksandr Yeritsian | 1841–1902 | Historian and archeologist |
| Gevorg Yevangulian | 1901 | City mayor |
| Simon Zavarian | 1866–1913 | One of the founders of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation party |
Among famous Armenian families buried in Khojivank were