Catalog
100 Dram Hovhannes Aivazovsky
| Issuer | Central Bank of Armenia |
|---|---|
| Year | 2006 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse of this rectangular silver piece depicts, in high relief, a scene from Aivazovsky's celebrated maritime painting 'The Battle of Chesme,' showing sailing warships engaged in turbulent seas rendered across the right portion of the field. To the left, a large portrait bust of the Armenian-Russian marine painter Hovhannes Aivazovsky is shown facing slightly right, with flowing hair and beard rendered in fine detail. Along the lower exergue, in incuse lettering against a dark background, the Latin legend '1817-1900 HOVHANNES AIVAZOVSKY' records the artist's lifespan and name. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Hovhannes Aivazovsky was born Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky in Feodosia, Crimea in 1817 to an Armenian family — the Armenianized form of his name was adopted later in life and is the form officially recognized by Armenia. He spent the bulk of his career in Feodosia rather than any major imperial capital, which was itself a political statement of sorts. Armenia's claim on him as a national figure is legitimate but contested: Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia have all found reasons to count him among their own.
The 2006 issue falls within a sustained Armenian program of silver commemoratives honoring diaspora cultural figures, launched in the mid-1990s as the newly independent republic worked to consolidate a national cultural identity distinct from Soviet framing.