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LEVON ARAKELYAN'S "MIRACLE" CAVE IN ARINJ
Sona Avagyan
http://hetq.am/eng/articles/20953/levon-arakelyan%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Cmiracle%E2%80%9D-cave-in-arinj.html
13:03, November 27, 2012
Many years ago Tosya Gharibyan, a resident of the Arinj village in
Kotayk Province, asked her husband to dig her potato cellar in their
home's basement.
That request, made in 1985, changed the future direction of Levon
Arakelyan's life.
A builder by profession, Levon proceeded to dig and dig singlehandedly
for the next 23 years until his death.
Today, curious visitors travel to Arinj to see the underground
cave/museum dug by Levon.
Tosya says that Levon saw a vision and heard a voice from the midst of
a white fog tell him, "Levon, you will perform one singular miracle
in this world. You will become sick. Do not fear any illness. What
images you see before your eyes, you will reproduce exactly."
After this, master Levon decided to dig the potato cellar deep
and wide.
Master Levon at work Levon's self-portrait on the courtyard wall
The underground cave goes 21 meters deep into the earth. The museum
has seven rooms that are interconnected by a maze of corridors and
steps. The floor space of the cave is 280 square meters and is located
beneath the yard of the two storey house.
Tosya Gharibyan says the temperature in the cave remains a constant
10 degrees Centigrade, in both summer and winter.
The cave is festooned with numerous stone carvings made by Levon. The
underground museum is also illuminate by electric lights.
Portions of Vigen Chaldryan's film "Priestess" were shot here.
Levon's only tools were a hammer and chisel. He didn't believe in power
tools. The master builder never rested, working almost every day and
digging through successive layers of black earth, touf and basalt.
Tosya Gharibyan descending into the cave Levon's portrait of
his wife "My husband would only catch 3-4 sleep a night. In the latter
years of the project, visitors would come with food to offer him. Levon
would complain and say they were interrupting his work. From the very
beginning, he'd fill up a bottle of mineral water and take it down
the cave. That's what sustained him. That and his untiring spirit
and love for what he was doing. If he didn't love what he was doing,
he'd never achieve all this. And there I was chiding him, 'Get out
of there. It might collapse on you'. Luckily, he never listened to me."
The first floor of the house has been transformed into a museum as
well, displaying the clothes worn and tools used by Levon. There are
also press clippings of the cave and a visitor's sign-in book. And
the cave/museum has been a spot for many a curious visitor - whether
from Armenia, the diaspora or non-Armenian tourists.
In the yard, you can see flower pots that Levon made from the shards
and pieces of stone from the dig. There are also two stone mosaics
on the wall of the courtyard - one is of Levon, holding his hammer
and chisel, the other is Tosya, potato in hand.
Master Levon's tools Planters in the courtyard made of stone shards
Levon Arakelyan passed away suddenly four years ago at 67. He was
working on the day he died.
"He would say, God has instructed me to do this and God will tell me
when to stop." says Tosya.
Levon and Tosya have four daughters and 12 grandchildren.
Tosya says that in this age of modern tools and equipment, no one
will continue the work of master Levon. His hammer and chisel remain
silent, on display for all to see.
Sona Avagyan
http://hetq.am/eng/articles/20953/levon-arakelyan%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Cmiracle%E2%80%9D-cave-in-arinj.html
13:03, November 27, 2012
Many years ago Tosya Gharibyan, a resident of the Arinj village in
Kotayk Province, asked her husband to dig her potato cellar in their
home's basement.
That request, made in 1985, changed the future direction of Levon
Arakelyan's life.
A builder by profession, Levon proceeded to dig and dig singlehandedly
for the next 23 years until his death.
Today, curious visitors travel to Arinj to see the underground
cave/museum dug by Levon.
Tosya says that Levon saw a vision and heard a voice from the midst of
a white fog tell him, "Levon, you will perform one singular miracle
in this world. You will become sick. Do not fear any illness. What
images you see before your eyes, you will reproduce exactly."
After this, master Levon decided to dig the potato cellar deep
and wide.
Master Levon at work Levon's self-portrait on the courtyard wall
The underground cave goes 21 meters deep into the earth. The museum
has seven rooms that are interconnected by a maze of corridors and
steps. The floor space of the cave is 280 square meters and is located
beneath the yard of the two storey house.
Tosya Gharibyan says the temperature in the cave remains a constant
10 degrees Centigrade, in both summer and winter.
The cave is festooned with numerous stone carvings made by Levon. The
underground museum is also illuminate by electric lights.
Portions of Vigen Chaldryan's film "Priestess" were shot here.
Levon's only tools were a hammer and chisel. He didn't believe in power
tools. The master builder never rested, working almost every day and
digging through successive layers of black earth, touf and basalt.
Tosya Gharibyan descending into the cave Levon's portrait of
his wife "My husband would only catch 3-4 sleep a night. In the latter
years of the project, visitors would come with food to offer him. Levon
would complain and say they were interrupting his work. From the very
beginning, he'd fill up a bottle of mineral water and take it down
the cave. That's what sustained him. That and his untiring spirit
and love for what he was doing. If he didn't love what he was doing,
he'd never achieve all this. And there I was chiding him, 'Get out
of there. It might collapse on you'. Luckily, he never listened to me."
The first floor of the house has been transformed into a museum as
well, displaying the clothes worn and tools used by Levon. There are
also press clippings of the cave and a visitor's sign-in book. And
the cave/museum has been a spot for many a curious visitor - whether
from Armenia, the diaspora or non-Armenian tourists.
In the yard, you can see flower pots that Levon made from the shards
and pieces of stone from the dig. There are also two stone mosaics
on the wall of the courtyard - one is of Levon, holding his hammer
and chisel, the other is Tosya, potato in hand.
Master Levon's tools Planters in the courtyard made of stone shards
Levon Arakelyan passed away suddenly four years ago at 67. He was
working on the day he died.
"He would say, God has instructed me to do this and God will tell me
when to stop." says Tosya.
Levon and Tosya have four daughters and 12 grandchildren.
Tosya says that in this age of modern tools and equipment, no one
will continue the work of master Levon. His hammer and chisel remain
silent, on display for all to see.