World Premiere of ‘I AM ALIVE’ Musical and Unveiling of Colorado State Capitol ‘Khatchkar’
DENVER, Colo.—Armenians of Colorado, Inc. (AOC), in cooperation with local and national organizations, recently announced the April 2015 events in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, dubbed “Survive, Revive, and Thrive.”
“We join Colorado’s vibrant Armenian community in commemorating the Centennial anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,” said Colorado Governor John W. Hickenlooper. “In 2013, the Colorado General Assembly and I authorized the installation of a replica Armenian khatchkar [cross-stone] to be placed on the Colorado State Capitol grounds in memory of the victims of the 1915 Armenian Genocide. We look forward to the April 24, 2015 unveiling of this beautiful monument.”
Leading up to that date, there are a variety of lectures on the Armenian Genocide focusing on Turkey’s surviving Armenian heritage, Armenian orphan rugs, and the geopolitical legacy of the genocide. The Denver director of Facing History and Ourselves spoke in January on how the organization trains educators to teach the Armenian Genocide. An exhibit of Armenian orphan rugs, accompanied with presentations by prominent experts Stephan Isberian and Hrach Kozibeyokian, was held in March.
Sona Hedeshian, the president of AOC, noted, “We pay tribute to the victims of this unthinkable crime, to Armenian people for their strong will to survive, to all those who raise awareness of the Armenian Genocide and preserve the Armenian culture through art and music. We are delighted to announce the premiere on April 21 of Emmy-winning composer Denise Gentilini’s musical “I AM ALIVE.” We, the Colorado Armenian community, are thankful for the longtime support of the citizens and elected officials of Colorado, past and present, who helped save thousands of orphans during and following the genocide, who have recognized the Armenian Genocide, and who helped make the khatchkar at the Armenian Memorial Garden a reality. AOC is also grateful to Alexander Ter-Hovakimyan, the executive director of the Youth Foundation of Armenia, for donating the khatchkar.”
Anahid Katchian Logue, chair of the Armenian Genocide Centennial Commemoration Committee, noted, “The events surrounding April 24, 2015 spotlight Armenians’ experiences before, during, and following the devastation of the genocide, true to our theme of ‘Survive, Revive, Thrive.’”
Simon Maghakyan, a Denver-based educator and the community development coordinator for the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Western Region, commended his fellow community activists. “We are extremely proud of our community for its monumental successes in educating Coloradans about the Armenian Genocide of 1915-23, one of the 20th century’s greatest crimes against humanity. It will be an honor to gather with my community on April 24 and witness the unveiling of the Armenian khatchkar at the Colorado State Capitol,” Maghakyan said.
Commemoration events will be held beyond the month of April, and include a “Colorado We Thank You” gala in September and a 10th anniversary commemoration of the destruction of the Djulfa cemetery in December.
AOC was established in June 1980 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit cultural organization. Its purpose is to create a cohesive Armenian community and to further the understanding of Armenian history, culture, language, customs, and heritage. AOC actively supports issues and concerns of the Armenian-American community in Colorado as well as those identified within the Armenian Diaspora throughout the world.
Colorado-Armenia relations go back to the 19th century with the arrival to Colorado of a small group of Armenian immigrants, among them a family that established Denver’s oldest business in existence: Sarkisian’s. During and after the genocide, under the leadership of Governors Gunter and Shoup, and executed by the Denver Chamber of Commerce, hundreds of Coloradans came to the aid of the “starving Armenians,” helping the national Near East Relief in collecting $117 million (equivalent to $3 billion today) to save thousands of Armenian orphans. In 1921, the Colorado General Assembly passed a memorial/resolution in a joint session. Today the Armenian community can claim thousands of productive and industrious members in Colorado, including entrepreneurs, artists, inventors, and academics, among them the founder of the Great American Beer Festival, Charlie Papazian; the first CEO of Women’s Bank of Denver, LaRae Orullian; and the founder of Alternative Radio, David Barsamian.
Colorado State Capitol’s khatchkar will be the first monument of its kind on statehouse grounds in the United States. The khatchkar was crafted in Armenia by famous master Varazdat Hambardzumyan, also known as Varpet Varo. The design was based on a 1980’s photograph by Argam Ayvazyan of a Djulfa khatchkar destroyed in 2005. The khatchkar will be added to the Armenian Memorial Garden on the grounds of the Colorado State Capitol. The garden was designated in 1982 in memory of the Armenian Genocide, and attested to by a commemorative plaque added the same year. Khatchkars are Armenian cultural monuments that commemorate individuals and events. During and since the Armenian Genocide, khatchkars—along with other Armenian monuments—have faced deliberate destruction. In 2005 alone, 2,000 khatchkars were destroyed at Djulfa. In 2010, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) acknowledged the value and vulnerability of this indigenous art tradition by declaring it part of the intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
April events
April 8, 10:30 a.m. Lecture by David Barsamian, founder of Alternative Radio, on “Unresolved Geographies,” a deconstruction of the geopolitical legacy of World War I, at The Den, Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood.
April 21, 7:30 p.m. World premiere of “I AM ALIVE” musical, composed by Denise Gentilini and Lisa Nemzo, at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts in Denver. Inspired by the love story of Gentilini’s grandparents who survived the Armenian Genocide.
April 24, 8 a.m. Armenian Genocide Resolution at the Colorado General Assembly.
April 24, 12:30 p.m. Unveiling of the Colorado State Capitol khatchkar on the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide at the Armenian Memorial Garden. Reception to follow.
April 25, 6 p.m. Reception honoring the donor of the khatchkar, Alexander Ter-Hovakimyan of Yerevan, Armenia.
April 26, 10 a.m. Celebration of Divine Liturgy by the Diocese and the Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church at First Baptist Church of Denver. Reception to follow.
For updated information and details, visit www.armeniansofcolorado.org.
Guest Contributor
It would be nice to know what is written on the plaque accompanying the khatchkar.
I am proud and pleased that Armenians in Colorado were able to support such a wonderful and memorable project in light of the 100th Anniversary of the Genocide. I plan to visit the Khachkar in June (from Michigan). Shnorhagalootiun poloreen, ov vor gadaretz ays hrashalee heeshadag mer hay anzyalneroo hamar.
Language of plaque:
This monument commemorates the victims of all crimes against humanity. It was dedicated on the 100th anniversary of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, a tragedy that was widely reported in Colorado. Communities throughout Colorado generously raised funds to assist the survivors, known at that time as the “Starving Armenians.” This cultural monument was crafted in Armenia and is a recreation of a medieval khachkar that had functioned as a gravestone for centuries. In 2010, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization acknowledged the value and vulnerability of this indigenous art tradition by declaring it part of the intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.