Silva Kaputikyan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Silva Kaputikyan
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| Born | Sirvard Kaputikyan 20 January 1919 Yerevan, Armenia |
| Died | 25 August 2006 (aged 87) Yerevan, Armenia |
| Resting place | Komitas Pantheon |
| Language | Armenian, Russian |
| Nationality | Armenian |
| Genre | Lyric poetry |
| Years active | 1933–2006 |
| Notable works | «Խոսք իմ որդուն» ("A word to my son") |
| Notable awards | USSR State Prize Mesrop Mashtots Medal |
| Spouse | Hovhannes Shiraz |
| Children | Ara Shiraz |
Silva Kaputikyan ([] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: no text (help)) was a famous Armenian poet and activist. She was born on January 20, 1919, and passed away on August 25, 2006. Many people called her "the leading poetess of Armenia" because she was one of the most well-known Armenian writers of the 1900s. Even though she was part of the Communist Party, she strongly supported Armenian national causes.
Her first poetry books came out in the mid-1940s. By the 1950s, she was a very important writer in Soviet Armenia. She wrote in both Armenian and Russian, and her works were translated into many other languages. Later, she often wrote about political and social issues.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Education
Silva Kaputikyan was born Sirvard Kaputikyan on January 20, 1919, in Yerevan, Armenia. Her parents were from Van, a city with a long Armenian history. Her father, Barunak, was a member of a nationalist party and died when she was very young. She was raised by her mother and grandmother.
She studied Armenian language and literature at Yerevan State University from 1936 to 1941. Later, she continued her studies at the Gorky Institute of World Literature in Moscow from 1949 to 1950. In 1945, she joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
Writing Career
Silva Kaputikyan started writing in the early 1930s. Her first poem was published in 1933. In 1941, she became a member of the Writers Union of Armenia. Her first big book of poems was released in 1945.
Two main topics in her writing were national identity and love poems. Her famous poem, "A word to my son," became a well-known verse about being proud of your country. The last lines of the poem say: "Look, my son, wherever you are, / Wherever you go under this moon, / Even if you forget your mother, / Do not forget your Mother tongue."
She traveled to Armenian communities around the world in the 1960s and 1970s. These communities included places in the Middle East, North America, the United States, and Canada. In 1964 and 1976, she published two travel books. These books shared her experiences visiting Armenian communities, many of whom were descendants of people who survived the Armenian genocide. Her books from this time focused on the history and future of the Armenian people, always showing a hopeful view. She also wrote poems for children and two plays.
In total, she wrote over sixty books in Armenian and some in Russian. Many famous writers translated her works.
Death and Funeral
Silva Kaputikyan passed away on August 25, 2006, in a Yerevan hospital after surgery for a broken leg. Her funeral was held at the Yerevan Opera Theatre. She was buried in the famous Komitas Pantheon, a special cemetery for important Armenian figures.
Personal Life
Silva Kaputikyan was married to another well-known poet, Hovhannes Shiraz. Their only son, Ara Shiraz (1941–2014), became a famous sculptor. They later divorced because, as some said, "the presence of two personalities in one family is difficult." Their son, Ara, was seen as the link that kept them connected.
Political Views and Activities
Silva Kaputikyan was known for balancing her support for Armenian national causes with her role in the Soviet system. She always believed that Soviet Armenia was the main center for Armenians worldwide.
She admired Andrei Sakharov, a famous Russian human rights activist, calling him "the conscience of the Soviet people."
Armenian Genocide Remembrance
Kaputikyan spoke about "peaceful revenge" regarding the Armenian genocide. In her 1961 book Midway Contemplations, she wrote: "You must take revenge by continuing to live."
On April 24, 1965, the 50th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, a large protest happened in Yerevan. Kaputikyan was one of the speakers who remembered the Armenian intellectuals killed in 1915. She and poet Paruyr Sevak were key figures in this protest. After this, they were invited to Moscow. The Soviet government then approved building an Armenian genocide memorial in Yerevan, which was finished in 1967.
Soviet Language Policy
She spoke up for the rights of non-Russian peoples in the Soviet Union. In 1980, she worried that Armenian parents felt they had to send their children to Russian-language schools. This was because they thought it would help their children get better jobs.
In May 1987, she was the first non-Russian to publish an article in Pravda, a major Soviet newspaper, about national issues. She criticized the Soviet government for making Russian more common than Armenian. She wrote: "With every passing year, the sphere of our native language is narrowing in Armenia. True patriotism, inspired by a people's history and culture, is a reliable shield protecting young people from alien outside influences."
Support for Armenian Causes
In the 1980s, when asked if Armenian militant actions might harm Armenia's image, she replied that staying silent and begging other powers for help did not do credit to the nation. She believed in standing up for Armenian rights.
She also supported Armenians who were involved in actions to draw attention to Armenian issues.
Karabakh Movement
Silva Kaputikyan was an early leader of the Karabakh movement. This movement aimed to unite the Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) with Soviet Armenia. She and others wanted to achieve this using the Soviet system.
On February 15, 1988, she spoke at a meeting of the Writers Union of Armenia, supporting the Armenians in Karabakh. On February 26, she and another leader met with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to discuss the Karabakh issue. They then convinced protesters in Armenia to pause their rallies.
Environmental Concerns
In October 1987, Kaputikyan demanded that authorities close all chemical plants in Armenia. She warned against an "invisible genocide" from pollution. In January 1989, she stated that the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant in Armenia should be shut down. She believed it threatened the Armenian people's health and future.
Views on Independent Armenia
After Armenia became independent, Kaputikyan became more critical of the government. In 2004, she wrote an open letter titled "Kocharyan Must Go," asking for President Robert Kocharyan to resign. She protested against the violent crackdown on a protest. She also returned the Mesrop Mashtots Medal she had received from him in 1999. She believed that violence had become a main way of doing politics in Armenia.
Recognition and Legacy
Silva Kaputikyan is considered one of the most important Armenian women in history. Her poems are taught in schools, and she became a classic Armenian writer during her lifetime. Armenians often call her "Poetess of All Armenians," similar to how Hovhannes Tumanyan is called "Poet of All Armenians." This title shows how much she was respected.
In 1989, a journalist described her as one of the "highly respected non-Russian cultural figures" in the Soviet Union. Even Soviet Secretary General Mikhail Gorbachev mentioned that his wife, Raisa, greatly admired Kaputikyan's poetry.
A school in Yerevan was named after her in 2007.
House-Museum
On January 20, 2009, which would have been her 90th birthday, the Silva Kaputikyan House-Museum opened in Yerevan. The street where the museum is located was also renamed Kaputikyan Street.
Awards and Titles
Awards
- USSR State Prize (1952)
- Armenian SSR State Prize (1988)
- Honored Cultural Worker of Armenian SSR (1970)
- Honored Cultural Worker Georgian SSR (1982)
- Mesrop Mashtots Medal (1999) by President Robert Kocharyan
- Order of Princess Olga (Ukraine, 1999) by President Leonid Kuchma
Titles
- Full Member (Academician) of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences (1994)
- Honorary Citizen of Yerevan (1986)
In Culture
Cartoonist Alexander Saroukhan drew a caricature of Kaputikyan in 1963, which is now in the National Gallery of Armenia.
Kaputikyan appeared in the 1992 documentary Parajanov: The Last Spring. This film was about Sergei Parajanov, an Armenian filmmaker who faced difficulties from Soviet authorities.
AR TV and Public Television of Armenia have also made documentaries about Silva Kaputikyan.
Images for kids
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Kaputikyan's tombstone at the Komitas Pantheon.
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Kaputikyan on a 2019 stamp of Armenia
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A bust of Kaputikyan
See also
In Spanish: Silva Kaputikián para niños
