Knyaz Mheryan and Marlen
Azatyan are duduk players who play at the Tokmakh cemetery. The two met each
other in the 1950s while serving in the army. They have been friends since
then. For over twenty years, Knyaz has worked as an equilibrist. In 1964, he
has performed at the Kreml(Russia) convention. Nikita Khrushchov was also
present during the performance. “Brezhnev was also there,” recalls Knyaz.
Mheryan has starred in many Armenian films such as Dzori Miron”(Miron from the
Canyon), “Garnan Yerkar Orer”(Long Days of Spring), “Anush” film-opera, etc. Marlen,
on the other hand, is from a family of duduk players. Marlen’s ancestor was the
first duduk player in the family. After participating and winning a prize in
the 1960 duduk players’ contest, Marlen leaves Vaik for the city. In 1986, he
played at the theatre named after Sundukyan. As he passes by Mamikon Manukyan’s
grave, he stops: “This man heard me play for only two minutes and immediately
hired me to work at Sundukyan’s theatre.”
“168 hours” weekly asked the
dudukist to play around the graves of Sipan Shiraz, Minas Avetisyan and Tigran
Levonyan.