People's Square
In 1990, on the verge of Armenian independence, in the Bem journal of the Union of Theatre Professionals of Armenia Levon Abrahamian published an article titled "Ritual, Pre-theatre and the Theatre Square", with attending photo illustrations by Zaven Khachikyan. Now after a quarter of a century they retell the story.
From Theatre Square to Freedom Square
Sometimes the architect as a creator strives to create a somewhat unusual construction. However often his successors, editors and even those for whom the building was intended consider it to be utopian and alter the original project. In other cases, however, the ideas of the architect suddenly come to life and the role that the architect originally intended for those buildings plays out in a completely different way. This was the case with one of the most significant works realised by Alexander Tamanian - The Opera and Ballet Theatre.
The Opera and Ballet Theatre is indeed one of Tamanian’s most enigmatic buildings. It reflects the perceptions of the architect of the mystic connection between space and its historical and cultural roots. Tamanian was convinced that in the place where he wanted to realise his colossal idea once there used to be a pagan temple of song and love, even though until today no evidence support that assumption. His conviction must have been so strong that he destroyed the Gethsemane Chapel, dating back to medieval ages and situated in that location. However Tamanian did not have an anti-religious agenda. It might have been that his intention was to build a new Soviet temple of song and dance in allegedly the precise location of the pagan prototype of the temple. The Opera and Ballet Theatre is also an illustrative example of how even the great architect could not avoid yielding to the temptation of following Soviet totalitarian architectural tendencies of the 1930’s.
The new interpretation of the pagan temple of song and love Tamanian saw in the project of a People's House and all the drafts of the project reflected the idea that the participants of celebrations and the audience were supposed to join in the celebrations. Probably it was this significant feature of an archaic celebration that linked Tamanian’s project designs for the construction of the People’s House initiated in 1926 with the colossal project of the construction of the Moscow Palace of Soviets launched in 1931. In its last 1934 project design the People’s House acquired some of the external features of the Palace of the Soviets, including the huge monument to Lenin. This was yet to be followed by other developments, which however unravelled already without the participation of the architect himself. This next stage is an evidence of how crucial is the role of an editor even if it concerns the works of the greatest architects. After the death of Tamanian, the construction of the building was finalized by his son Gevorg Tamanian. The latter edited the project by substituting the open air hall with the current symmetric part of the philharmonic theatre, thus taking away the possibility for the public to join in the celebrations, but saving the building from falling a victim to totalitarian architecture.
Although editorial touches of the son from a constructive perspective stripped the building of the festivity intended by the father, Tamanian’s idea eventually came to life, though in a completely different way. This happened in 1988 when the Square of the Opera and Ballet Theatre became the venue for continuous mass demonstrations, which being political in terms of content, in terms of structure and typology where an archaic festival, which fell right into the line with the popular celebration imagined by the architect. Even the name “Theatrical” of the architectural design of the Square, which until then was not widely used was compatible with one of the most significant features of an archaic celebration - theatricality. The archaic festival predicted (or maybe intended) by Tamanian lasted for nine months - from the end of February till the end of November 1988. Throughout this period a specific carnival civic society was operating in the square, one that is remembered with great nostalgia by the participants. In the last two decades the Theatre was surrounded by newly constructed buildings, which however should be viewed not as editing but rather as a threat that the city will be totally stripped off the vision of the architect. However, even now in times of unrest people gather at the Theatre Square designed by Tamanian, which now is called Freedom Square, to ensure that festive all permissiveness turns into freedom, and the carnival civil society that happened here many years ago turns into a real one.
Text by
Levon Abrahamian
Anthropologist
Photos by
Zaven Khachikyan
Documentary Photographer
During the next six months Zaven Khachikyan will shoot urban and night life at Freedom Square.
