HOSPITAL CUP OF THE WRITER

Hovhanness Toumanian spent the last months of his life at the Ostroum hospital in Moscow ․ The writer was severely and terminally ill․ The efforts of the Tiflian doctors did not bear fruit "The doctors gathered again for a meeting ․ They found out that for treatment, the patient needs to be sent to Berlin for X-ray treatment ․ It was decided to go to Berlin with Sagyan's escort "recalls Tumanian's daughter, Nvard in the book" Memories and Conversations "․ On December 23, 1922, Toumanian's children Areg Ashken Nvard, accompanied by Sagyan, left by train to Moscow ․ In Moscow, the writer was met by Dr. Askaryan, writer Karen Mikaelyan, and some of the local Armenians ․ He was transferred to the famous clinic of Professor Spijarnu, which belonged to the surgical faculty of Moscow University ․ Before questioning the patient, the professor found the situation to be particularly difficult ․ He considered the trip to Berlin pointless ․

Toumanian had great hopes that they would help him in Berlin, and when he found out that the trip was not yet possible he said “Before the light came on, darkness eclipsed us ․․․ If we had gone and got under the protection of some kind of science, we would have recovered, what a pity it didn’t come true ”from the mentions of Nvard Toumanyan ․

So far, it was decided to undergo X-ray treatment in Moscow ․ In the hospital, Tumanyan was looked after by Nvard and Ashkhen when Areg was busy with other things. In those days, Toumanyan's cup of tea, which he consumed in the hospital and with which the family carefully cared for, could be considered a "silent witness of the feelings" of the poet and his children. Today it is one of the main exhibition materials of the museum.

White cone-shaped porcelain cup with double bottom and delicate handle. The upper part of the handle is riveted horizontally, tilting at a moderate angle, and the lower part attached to the cup. The double bottom is covered with a gilded border. The cup has patterns on the edge. on a turquoise base with a classic ribbon and a geometric gilded pattern (dimensions: height 4.5 cm; handle diameter 7.3 cm; double diameter 5.5 cm). The bottom of the plate is wide with a gilded border. The ribs are slightly concave and have the same pattern at the edges (measures 13 cm in diameter, double diameter 7 cm).

There is no manufacturer's brand on the cup.

 In 1939, the writer's widow Olga Toumanian handed over a cup and plate to the Literary Museum of the Academy of Sciences of Armenia.

In 1952, when the Toumanyan Museum was organized in Yerevan according to 1952 Act 4 on May 5th, the cup used in the last days of the writer was handed over to the museum.

Article by Tamara Aramyan       Translated by Mery Azaryan