The resort town of Dilijan in Armenia is known for its lush mountainous landscapes. It is also home to the Composers’ Union Resort, a place that hosted world famous composers in the 1960s and became a cultural hub in the former Soviet Union.
The young girl, who was almost “killed” by the stunning music of Komitas Vardapet on a beautiful spring day in Tbilisi, was Margarit Babayan, a 28-year-old mezzo-soprano, who later would become a renowned singer and a vocal teacher across Europe, and be remembered as the beloved friend and muse of Komitas Vardapet.
The 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident was considered the worst nuclear disaster in history. It exposed hundreds of thousands of people to high levels of radiation, killing dozens and affecting millions across Europe. Experts from all over the Soviet Union were sent to “liquidate” the effects of the radiation. Among them were several thousand Armenians.