The museum of the world-famous film director, screenwriter, and artist Sergey Parajanov is located in Yerevan, in a picturesque place called Dzoragyukh. Sergey Parajanov Museum is one of the most popular museums in Yerevan.
The idea of creating a museum arose in 1988, when Parajanov’s friend, Zaven Sargsyan, organized an exhibition of the artist’s works at the Museum of Folk Art in Yerevan, which Parajanov himself attended. Thanks to his boundless creative imagination, every moment of that festive event became unforgettable.
At the opening, Parajanov noted that his work knew no nationality — it belonged to everyone. Still, he considered himself a man with three homelands: “The first is Georgia, where I came into being. The second is Ukraine, which gave me love, happiness, and worldwide recognition. And the third is Armenia, where my roots are, and where I want to live the rest of my life.”
Inspired by these words, Zaven Sargsyan appealed to the government, and within days a decision was made to allocate a space for the artist’s future house-museum. Two locations were offered: one on Abovyan Street (today’s Dalan), and the second — an unfinished two-story building in the Dzoragyukh ethnographic quarter. After visiting both, Parajanov chose Dzoragyukh.
The maestro was overjoyed and proudly said in interviews that a two-story house-museum was being built for him. He vividly imagined how it would look, how peacocks would stroll in the yard, delighting guests with their beauty. Unfortunately, after the devastating 1988 earthquake, construction was suspended and resumed only in the spring of 1990.
By then, Parajanov had been diagnosed with lung cancer. He passed away before ever moving in, before seeing his vision come to life. The museum opened on the anniversary of his death, in 1991.Sergei Parajanov made a significant contribution to world cinema, becoming the author of cult classics like Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1965) and The Color of Pomegranates (1968).
He received numerous prestigious film awards, and in 1990, posthumously, was granted the title of People’s Artist of both the Ukrainian and Armenian SSR. In 2024, he was also honored as a National Legend of Ukraine. His creative legacy spans cultures and languages — he made films in Armenian, Ukrainian, Georgian, Russian, Azerbaijani, and Moldovan.
Comment (1)