Ajrivank: The monastery near the lake Terterian's house Araik Bachtikian Neighbours

The Ajrivank-Monastery is located on top of a small peninsula at the shore of of Lake Sevan. It's dating from the 9th to 12th century and belongs to "First Renaissance" after the the arab invasion in Armenia. Today the small church is left over and there is an old legend:
When the huns besieged the monastery, they promised to release as much people as fit into the small church room. They were very astonished when they realized that all people from the whole region could enter the church. They were transformed in doves by God and so they could leave the church through the windows.



At many holy places in Armenia you find whishing trees: pilgrims fix small cotton strips here and plea for help. And one of these trees stands near this church. I remembered the shaman trees which I saw in Tuva.


Avet Terterian loved this place and he planned open air concerts here. He bought a house near to the lake and here he spent a lot of time to compose, likehe did in Dilidjan in the house of composers when he needed tranquility for his creative work.

Here he wrote the following:

Music is the vibration of the Universe.
I don't compose music.
I write it down.

When he left this place 1994 to work in Germany, where he got a grant at Wiepersdorf, in economically very hard times, he said

how many music will be here
and I can not hear it!



Araik Bachtikian plays the traditional instruments Duduk and Zurna. He played at many performances of Terterian's symphonies, f.e. at the acclaimed concert of the 3rd Symphony by the Dresden Symphoniker in Juli 1999.

He was our companion in Ajrivank and here he and Heinz-Erich Gödecke had first rehearsals, first short improvisations. In Erivan, Araik joined Heinz-Erich Gödecke and Anna Mayillian at the concert in the House of Composers.

A promising cooperation started, we can be curious.




We met the neighbours and and Kevorg proudly introduced us to his sheep.


We were very much impressed by the snowy mountains and their celestial beauty and we understand why Avet Terterian loved this place so much.

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