Sculptor Yuri Petrosyan recounts that during his student years, they often didn’t go home, entering Shiraz’s house almost every day: “He would recite Tumanyan’s poem ‘In the Mountains of Armenia’… our caravan—confused, plundered, broken and severed into pieces.”
He continues reciting and confesses that he also gained his patriotism thanks to this. The great master Hovhannes Shiraz had his contribution: “Most of my sculptures bear the title ‘Requiem,’ they carry pain; that line has entered me, I continue to live and create with those works. I believe our people are well familiar with two monuments installed in our country—Aram Khachaturian and Hovhannes Aivazovsky.”
Our hero, who created these monuments, remembers his late friend Senik Gevorgyan, with whose financing these were actually created: “Our state didn’t provide money; he did everything himself.”
The sculptor indeed has a deep spiritual connection with his homeland, culture, and the pain and memory of his people. Yuri Petrosyan’s words testify not only to his respect for great art but also to the continuation of spiritual heritage.
As a creator, it’s no coincidence that he gives his works the title “Requiem.” This testifies that his sculptures are not merely images; they are sculpted expressions of national pain, history, and memory. Transmitting that pain and spirit—through stone, bronze, or other materials—requires a deep inner world and empathy.
How are such works created by the soul’s calling? Deep patriotism continues to resonate from profound sources and leaves its imprint in the sculptor’s works. The fifteenth part of the “Mystery of Creation” video series, implemented within the framework of the “ZArt” cultural project by Iravaban.net, allows us to perceive how such art lives within a person and how it finds its expression throughout their entire subsequent life.
“ZArt” has a special mission—to build a bridge between art and society. The project aims to present Armenian artists and their exceptional creations not only to Armenia’s society but also to the diaspora and abroad, contributing to the popularization of art and recognition of artists. Through this documentary series, society comes closer to art, while artists come closer to society, creating a beautiful space of cultural mutual understanding.
The artist opens up and says that each miniature sculpture can be enlarged and turned into a good example of urban sculpture. They don’t have large dimensions, but they develop aesthetic taste in people and can be placed in parks.
This statement testifies to his deep sensitivity and responsibility—not only to create but also to shape the spirit of public space.
Details in the video.
The author and director of the “ZArt” cultural project is Karen Zadoyan, and the author and director of the “Mystery of Creation” video series is Vazgen Ghukasyan.
