04:13, 2 April 2003

Abelyan, Ovanes Artemyevich

Well-known Armenian actor and theater activist, National Artist (Narodnyy Artist) of Armenian SSR and Azerbaijani SSR (1932).

Born October 23 (November 4), 1865, in the city of Shemakha in Azerbaijan. Started performing in Baku in 1882. Toured Russia, the Ukraine, Central Asia, Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Germany, France, UK, and USA. Worked in Armenian Sundukyan Theater in Yerevan since 1925, then in Armenian Theater of Baku. Abelyan's performances were distinguished with realism and variety of expressive media. Best parts: Elizbarov, Barkhudar, and Gizh Danel (Because of Honor, Namus, and Evil Spirit by Shirvanzade), Pepo (Pepo by Sundukyan), The Brave Nazar (The Brave Nazar by Demirchyan), Uncle Bagdasar (Uncle Bagdasar by Paronyan), Neschastlivtsev (The Forest by Ostrovsky), Rasplyuev (Krechinsky's Wedding by Sukhovo-Kobylin), Othello and King Lear in Shakespeare's plays, and Egor Bulychev (Egor Bulychev et alii by Gorky).

Ovanes A. Abelyan died in Yerevan July 1, 1936. In 1936, Vanadzor State Drama Theater was named after Abelyan.