FATHER
– Egia (Ilia) Khachaturian – belonged to a peasant
family living for a long time in v.Upper Aza of Nakhichevan District
located near the city of Ordubad bordering on Iran.
In late 1870s, the 13-year-old Ilia left for Tbilisi in search
of a job. At that time Tbilisi was a large city, the center of
trade and culture of the Southern Caucasus. Enterprising people
from all parts of the Caucasus aspired to establish their business
there.
Ilia arrived in Tbilisi in peasant shoes, having several copper
coins in his pockets. Here he managed to settle as an apprentice
at a bookbinder’s shop. In a short time he mastered the
bookbinder’s profession and gain a good reputation among
Tbilisi’s craftsmen. In early 1890s, having collected some
money, he bought his master’s declining business and shortly
managed to attract quite many customers. Hence at the age of 25,
Egia Khachaturian became the owner of the bookbinder’s shop
where his sons Vaghinak and Levon worked afterwards.
MOTHER
– Kumash Sarkisovna – before marriage had lived in
v.Lower Aza located next to Upper Aza, the village Aram Khachaturian’s
father came from.
The composer’s parents were engaged before knowing each
other, when Kumash was 9 and Ilia was 19. This distant engagement
happened to be lucky. Having married the 16-year-old Kumash, Ilia
took her to Tbilisi where all their 5 children were born: the
eldest daughter Ashkhen (died at the age of 1.5) and 4 sons –
Vaghinak, Suren, Levon and Aram.
“My Mom, – recalls Aram Khachaturian, – was
a very beautiful woman: tall, with a lovely figure. Till the end
of her life, she was a careful keeper of the family hearth and
enjoyed my father’s deep respect – a thing rarely
occuring in the East at that time.”
Aram’s mother became blind when she was rather young. She
passed away in 1956 in Yerevan in Vaghinak Ilich’s home
where she had been living for the last 10 years of her life. She
was buried beside her husband whose remains were transported to
Yerevan from Novodevichye Cemetery of Moscow.
Suren
Khachaturian
(Khachaturov) – Aram Khachaturian’s brother –
studied in one of Tbilisi gyms and was keen of theater. Later
he was to play a decisive role in his younger brother’s
– Aram’s life. After graduating from the historico-philological
department of Moscow University, Suren worked as a producer in
the First Studio of Moscow Art Theater later renamed into the
Second MHAT.
In 1919, an Armenian dramatic studio was established in Moscow
due to his endeavours. At that time emerged a need to go to Yerevan
and Tbilisi to recruit young students. He managed to take from
the Southern Caucasus to Moscow 40-50 talented young people. Later
on most of them, having finished their studies at the studio,
returned to Yerevan and Leninakan (now Gyumri) forming the basis
of Leninakan Theater and Armenian Sundukyan Dramatic Theater,
which has gained the status of one of the best theaters of the
USSR.
Karen
I. Khachaturian – Suren Ilich Khachaturian’s
son. Like his uncle Aram Ilich, he graduated from the composition
department of Moscow Conservatory (composition class of Myaskovski).
Before that his teachers were D.Shostakovich and V.Shebalin. Nowadays
he is a well-known composer and professor in Moscow Conservatory.
Two of his ballets – “Chippolino” and “Snow
White and Seven Dwarfs” were staged in Moscow Bolshoi Theater.
He has authored a number of symphonic compositions, music for
plays, films, cartoons as well as the National Anthem of Somalia.
Vaghinak
Khachaturian
– Aram Khachaturian’s brother – graduated from
Tbilisi Commercial College. A financier, he was the only of the
brothers who didn’t devote himself to music. He was very
close with his younger brother Aram constantly taking care of
him. Later Vaghinak Khachatrian’s house in Yerevan became
the basis of the current House-Museum.
Leily
Khachaturian
– Vaghinak Khachaturian’s daughter – is a People’s
Artist of Armenia. Having got a musical education, she went on
studying first in Schukinski College at Vakhtangov Theater in
Moscow, then, after moving to Yerevan – in the State Theater
Institute. Currently she is one of the leading actresses of the
K.S.Stanislavski Russian Dramatic Theater.
Levon
Khachaturian
– Aram Khachaturian’s brother – was a soloist
of Moscow Radio Committee. Having a beautiful voice (barytone),
he nevertheless was a very bashful person and that is why he didn’t
like to perform on stage. Levon Khachaturian synchronized numerous
films.
Emin
Khachaturian
– Levon Khachaturian’s son – was a well-known
conductor and People’s Artist of Russia. He graduated from
Composition and Conducting Department of Moscow Conservatory.
He worked as a conductor with the Moscow Regional Symphony Orchestra,
since 1965 – with the orchestra of Bolshoi Theater. He was
the chief conductor of the USSR State Symphony Cinema Orchestra
for 10 years. Emin Khachaturian conducted many leading symphony
orchestras.
Nune
Khachaturian
– Aram Khachaturian’s daughter – graduated from
Piano Department of Moscow State Conservatory. Nowadays she is
a tutor in Gnesin Institute.
Karen
A. Khachaturian
– Aram Khachaturian’s son – is an art critic.
He graduated from the All-Union State Cinema Institute. His degree
work was a book entitled “Sarian in Theater”.
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