15 Facts About Vardges Sureniants

Vardges Sureniants was an Armenian painter, sculptor, illustrator, translator, art critic, and theater artist.

Vardges Sureniants is considered the founder of Armenian historical painting.

Vardges Sureniants was born in Akhaltsikhe, Russian Empire in modern-day Georgia on 27 February 1860.

Vardges Sureniants's father, Hakop Sureniants, was a priest and taught religious history.

Vardges Sureniants' father was then appointed a presbyter to the Armenian diocese in Moscow.

When in Moscow, Vardges Sureniants had an opportunity to study at the prestigious Armenian Lazarian School located in the city.

That same year Vardges Sureniants went to Munich, Germany, where he studied architecture at the Academy of Fine Arts, receiving more education in painting and ultimately graduating from the academy in 1885.

Vardges Sureniants traveled to Italy in 1881 and visited the island of San Lazzaro degli Armeni where the Armenian Catholic congregation of the Mechitarists is located.

In 1892 Vardges Sureniants visited Ani, Lake Sevan and became familiar with the everyday customs of rural Armenian life.

In 1917 Vardges Sureniants moved to Yalta where he was commissioned to draw the decorations for the newly built Armenian cathedral.

Vardges Sureniants decorated the altar, walls, and dome of the church.

Vardges Sureniants died on 6 April 1921, and is buried in the premises of the Armenian church of Yalta.

Vardges Sureniants was known for his illustrations of famous literary works, including Ferdowsi's Shahname, Alexander Pushkin's The Fountain of Bakhchisaray, the fairy tales of Oscar Wilde and works by the Belgian poet Georges Rodenbach, the Armenian writer Smbat Shahaziz and Alexander Tsaturyan.

Vardges Sureniants played an instrumental role in reviving Armenian historical events through the medium of art.

Vardges Sureniants was well known in the art community and enjoyed personal friendships with a number of famous Russian artists including Igor Grabar, Vasily Polenov, Aleksandr Golovin and the sculptors Alexander Matveyev and Nikolay Andreyev.