The puppeteer: Bringing peace through stories

Journalist: Basa Metreveli, Serine Gabrielyan,

Photographer: Basa Metreveli

28.12.23

Self-taught puppeteer Armen Hovhannisyan has found an unlikely instrument for peace: puppets.

"I didn't like fairy tales when I was little … I realized that fairy tales can also be a very powerful force in bringing people back to their inner fairy," explains Armen Hovhannisyan, 35.

“I decided to create a theater in order to bring some kindness and change the world through puppets.”

Armen is a Georgian-Armenian from Georgia’s southern Marneuli Region, where many residents are ethnic minorities: Georgian-Armenians and Georgian-Azerbaijanis. He started his theater from a suitcase five years ago to bring plays and culture to communities that often lack theaters. Today, he travels from village to village, putting on plays based on Armenian culture with the puppets he makes himself. 

“When I was little, I expected that the theater would come to our village, and it never came,” he recalls.  “Now, when I go, open my suitcase, and [Armenian poet Hovhannes] Tumanyan оr his heroes jumps out, or (film director Sergey) Parajanov, the fairy tale starts for children…A child who grows up playing with puppets forms a completely different inner world, and people who want war probably did not have puppets as children."

As an ethnic Armenian, Armen sees the puppets not only as a way to reconnect the Armenian community in Georgia with their roots but also an opportunity for ethnic Georgians—and Georgian-Azerbaijanis—to learn about it, as well. Noting that no one is “forcing” ethnic minorities to give up their ancestral language or culture, it can be difficult to maintain one's ethnic identity. "I have found my way through the puppet theater. In addition, Georgians respect people who maintain their own culture,” he says.

“Azerbaijanis children come and watch an Armenian performance, or an Armenian child listens to Georgian culture in Georgian. An Armenian child, exposed to Georgian culture, will also learn that language while a Georgian, getting acquainted with our culture, also respects it. In this way, friendship can be born between children of these different nations, and the fairy tale can unite everyone. And that's exactly what I want.”

The following photo story and diary is by Chai Khana photographer Basa Metreveli, who followed Armen Hovhannisyan for several days and documented his art and dedication to sharing the gift of storytelling with children. 

….
My father always promised to take me to a marionette theater. He never did. However, puppets caught my attention again when I read The Watchmen, a comic book by Alan Moore. Dr. Manhattan’s line, "I'm just a puppet who can see the strings,” has always stayed with me. I have considered getting a tattoo of it, but I am not sure how to draw a puppet that sees its strings or whom to ask.

So I am excited when I get an assignment to photograph an actual puppeteer, Armen Hovhannisyan. 

He is a big man with an artistic hat. He seems completely absorbed in his work, in an artistic world in general. He is a big fan of Sergey Parajanov. I know who Parajanov is, of course but I have never watched any of his work with great attention. 

“This is the right time.” - I say to myself. I start with “Sayat Nova.” I’m stunned. An article I read noted he was jailed for the film but I'm surprised he was not shot. I’m already happy that I agreed on this assignment. Then I watched “Ashik-Kerib.” Parajanov made it after they released him from prison. Being a genius is one thing, but having guts is another.

Armen believes that mirrors have magical powers, especially if they are old. He keeps a few of them around his house. Armen’s house, Shahumian

July 3, 2023

I arrived in Marneuli early in the morning. Armen meets me near the Marneuli Public Library and invites me inside. 

He says he has two classes today: one at Marneuli's Public Library and the other in the village of Tamarisi. Today they will focus on how to make an owl doll with the wings of Ukraine.

”I don’t know if theყ’ll become artists at the end of the day or not but what I know is: they definitely will be a good audience at any theater,” Armen says.


The children are very excited about their lesson. They are preparing for their own little show, "Marneuli News." They use their own handmade dolls to discuss the problems of the region and forecast the weather.

Armen class to teach children his craft of dollmaking at Marneuli’s Community Center.

Armen has another big puppet show coming soon. It will be held at Marneuli’s Community Center. He tells me that in the play there is a character that personifies him. His name is Haruk and he has his marionette theater in the fictional village of “Aisia”.

“Theatre inside a theater… Don’t you think this is too complicated? You took it too far this time Armen,” one of the librarians says to Armen. He just smiles.

After the Tamarisi lesson Armen invited me to his home in Shahumian.

Armen has decorated a chair at his yard in an Old Tbilisian manner. Armen’s house, Shahumian

The rooms in Armen’s house are full of dolls, puppets, paintings, and different kinds of creatures. In every corner, on every shell there is some kind of artifact with eyes alive. I'm having a hard time maintaining my focus mentally or camera-wise... All eyes are on me. But, maybe that's why I wanted to be a photographer - to explore places I would never have imagined on my own, places I would never have access to otherwise.

Armen created the puppets, table, magic musical box, and everything else you see in the picture. They reside in the corner of his bedroom. Armen’s house, Shahumian      

In Armens' rooms I begin to perceive glimpses of his mindscape. I see his fascination with the multicultural Caucasus of the 19th and 20th centuries, a place where diversity intertwined and various ethnicities coexisted, giving rise to a distinctive and splendid culture.

A small Christmas scene on in Armen’s living room.Armen’s house, Shahumian

 I notice Niko Pirosmani on one of the shelves. He definitely has a very special place in Armen’s work. I also started noticing a lot of mirrors. 

”Mirrors hold strong magical powers, especially if they are old,” Armen says. 

"Dreams and fairytales - they are connected. My fairytales are for adults too, because they also need fairy tales. We may think that we are grownups, but there is always a child living within us. Through my plays, I aim to help them reconnect with their inner child. However, somehow my stories often turn out to be tragic.”

July 14, 2023 – Performance of “Aisia” in the Marneuli Community Center

Tato Geliashvili, the director of the play "Aisia,” speaks to the actors before the show begins. 

The doors open. The spectators are mostly children, with a few adults accompanying them here and there. The major lights go off and I am instantly greeted by exquisitely made scenes, marionettes, and colorful lighting.

Children, parents, and teachers are choosing their seats to watch the marionette theater directed by Tato Geliashvili, featuring puppets by Armen.

The play is set in the village of “Aisia”, also known as the Village of the Rising Sun. It portrays people with different ethnic backgrounds and worldviews living together happily, supporting each other through difficult moments in life.

Stills from the actual play show Haruk, the personification of Armen in the play, and his miniature theater. 

I'm completely absorbed in the play. Everything is beautifully done. It wasn't until midway through the performance that I realized this was my first time attending a marionette play. After all the promises my father gave me, it wasn't he but a camera that brought me here. Perhaps this is how a camera works sometimes: it compels you to pursue your unfulfilled desires, exposing your subconscious along the way. However, I never imagined that I would attend my first marionette play in Marneuli. I should bring my kid here one day. 

After the play, the actors take a bow. 

After the play, I offer Armen a drive back home. I told him that I admired their performance, that I really did not think that I would see such a sight. He brushes off my praise, saying things could have been better. Although he invites me to his home again, I have to decline since I need to pick up my son from kindergarten. When he learns my son’s name, Nerses, has Armenian origins, he becomes very excited.

“You know who Nerses Shnoharli is, right? Of course you know,” he exclaims. 

Of course, I don't know. I shake my head in shame. This man knows more than me even about my son's name.

"He was a highly renowned Armenian theologian, poet, writer, and hymn composer of the eleventh century. He is canonized by both the Armenian and Catholic churches,” he explains.  

I promise to google him up and to bring my kid to their next performance as well.  

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