Meltha Magazine Online

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1995, Volume 1, No3-4, pages7-8

OUR INTELLECTUALS

ISAAC (KHUNO) TEIMURAZOV

The cultural traditions that flourished in the Assyrian community of Tbilisi before the First World War took deep roots with the time. Furthermore, despite all.. kinds of restriction and prohibition, persecution and terror Assyrians were able to preserve their basic feature that is to love their own culture and tradition.

In 1995 we celebrated the 70th anniversary of birth of Isaac Bezhanovich TeimuTazov (born 25th of October 1925, died 23rd of May 1991 ), one of the most prominent figures in the Assyrian culture. Actually he was better known in Tbilisi as Khuno. This name was closely attributed to the restoration of the Assyrian drama theatre in 1.950s.

In 1931 Isaac Teimurazov entered the Assyrian school in Tbilisi. At the time Assyrians still enjoyed attending their own Church, school, and musical theatre. They could read the Assyrian newspaper as well. Despite the mass communist propaganda Assyrian children at school largely were educated in the line with their national ideals and traditions as well as within the natural pride in the great past of their nation and its creative potential Obviously this generation of people wh9 eye witnessed purges and abolition of all national hearths in the USSR in late 1930s would come to restore the national Assyrian drama theatre in 1950s.

In 1942 when fascist Germany took over in Europe largely a 17 -year old, Teimurazov prematurely went to join the army. As a commander of the intelligence group in the 18th army 83rd air borne troop he took part in the most ferocious fights with fascists in the Crimea. .

Actually he was twice wounded there. In , the end Isaac Teimurazov was as a heroic warrior decorated with the first degree war time honor order, the second degree honor order as well as many other medals like "For Courage", "For Best Service" and "For ( Victory over Germany":

By 1955 many Assyrians among others had been rehabilitated in public esteem and started to return ,from, Siberia and Kazakhstan" to their native places. The long time imprisonment and exile never shattered them at all. Like it was before they turned to warm up in their own national cultural roots. This is the point where Khuno or Isaac Teimurazov was coming forward to make best use of his human and creative potential and to bring out all of his energy, heart, soul and love to his very small and yet very dear nation. The cultural life in' the Assyrian community in Tbilisi began to get off the ground bringing about various artistic performances in the national language including folklore and drama acts, shows, and festivals. Among the top of the bills was a traditional ensemble who was an All Union festival prize winner at the time. Eventually some leading cultural activists \ like the assistant producer of the Assyrian drama theatre Isaac Teimurazov were awarded with honors from the state in 1957. From 1971 till the end, Isaac Teimurazov worked as the stage producer for the national Assyrian drama theatre where he put on many interesting performances. By the way some of the drama materials he used Were translated by him from the Georgian or Russian languages.

Among others were the stage cover version of the Georgian playwright A. Tsagarelli's pieces like IIKhanuma" and "Those were the days" as well as the sketch "Who is to Blame?" by A. Ghelovani and T .Chantladze. Isaac Teimurazov restored the partially lost Russian text of the historical novel Sacrifice" by the famous Assyrian poet Semeon Shakhbazov and then translated it into the Assyrian language. His special love and devotion to the nation and their native land of ancestors he expressed in his beautiful poems like II Mometi D'Diyi" (my oath), "Bruni D'Vatan" (sons of the land), "Ka Milat" (for the sake of the nation), "Vatani Katakh II (for you my motherland), "Milati Khlyita" (my beloved people), "Ya Vatan Khlyita" (my fairy land), Ninvi" (Nineveh) and many others. The poems by Isaac Teimurazov on more than one occasion were recited from stage winning the big applause of the audience indeed.

Besides, Khuno was known as a very good actor who was largely engaged including the parts in different plays like B. Arsanis' "Mirza Badal and Marona", M.Lermontov's "Ashig Kerib", U.Ghadzhibekov's "Arshin Mal-Alan", N. Gogol's "The Marriage", A. Tsagarelli's "Those were the days", etc. His brilliant acting performances were critically acclaimed, and later he was taken on the job as a casting actor of the Georgia national drama theatre where he happened to do one of the most prominent parts in the piece "Kartlis Chirakhdani" (Thc Lights of Georgia) in the Georgian lanuage.

Isaac Teimurazov tried to instill his love and devotion to his native land and cultural traditions into his own children as well. His daughter Tamara who is the announcer with the Moscow radio broadcasting program "Kala Atturaya" and his grandson Ephrem who is the manager and art director of the Assyrian children's dancing group in Moscow. Needless to say that this is to the best memory of the beautiful man and patriot alike.