Each year on the first Saturday of July, Jivani's Day (Serovbe Benkoyan) solemnly celebrates. It has become a tradition in the village of Kartsakh, near Akhalkalaki, Georgia, the birthplace of the great ashugh. This year was not an exception: numerous admirers of Jivani's art of singing had arrived from Armenia, Georgia and Russia to attend the celebration.
The day of July 7, 2018 was festive in the village. It began with Divine Liturgy celebrated in the local Surb Hovhannes Mkrtich (Saint John the Baptist) church. The celebrant of the day was Rev. Father Tigran Mkhitaryan, pastor of the Saint Sargis church in Diliska and nearby settlements in Akhalkalaki region of the Samtskhe – Javakheti and Tsalka's General Prelacy of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia. During the Divine Liturgy, the celebrant touched upon the mystery of the day, art of singing of the great ashugh, who is the pride of all Armenians and Kartsakh villagers, the speaker also referred to Jivani’s philosophical poetry.
In attendance were Members of Parliament of Georgia Henzel Mkoyan and Samvel Manukyan, Samtskhe – Javakheti Governor Kakha Samkharadze, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to Georgia Ruben Sadoyan, Deputy Minister of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia David Sargsyan, Mayor of Akhalkalaki Yurik Unanyan, Chairman of Akhalkalaki Municipality Assembly (Sakrebulo) Nairi Iritsyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the “Support to Javakheti” Foundation Sos Sahakyan and the Executive Director of the Foundation Ashot Hakobyan and others.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the guests laid flowers to the bust of Jivani. Then they went to the house museum of the prominent ashugh, where the students of Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan welcomed them with performances of national instruments. Afterwards, the attendees toured the house museum, got acquainted with the heritage of the famous ashugh and were provided with an opportunity to taste the traditional Armenian lavash (soft, thin unleavened flatbread), which was made in tonratoon (a big pit dug in the ground in which fire is made, used for baking bread) of Jivani's paternal house. Then the festive event was continued on the hill located nearby and reception took place.
The “Sayat-Nova” State Minstrel Song Ensemble, led by People’s Artist of the Republic of Armenia Tovmas Poghosyan even more beautified the event with their wonderful performances. Jivani’s and other ashughs’ songs were sounded. Ashugh Leili, Dance Ensemble of Kartsakh after Jivani, Folk Song and Dance Ensemble “Javakhk”, Dance Ensemble of the village of Damala, “Anoush” Dance Ensemble of Munich as well as folk singer Armen Mkoyan and other artists performed at the celebration.
This year, the event was organized due to the cooperation between Akhalkalaki local authorities and the Ashugh Jinavi’s house museum, established by the “Support for Javakheti” Foundation.