IVAN AĬVAZOVSKIĬ E LA SIMBIOSI CULTURALE ARMENO-RUSSA

This article takes into consideration the multicultural character of the famous painter Ivan Aĭvazovskiĭ (1817-1900), who was born into an Armenian family of Crimea and played a remarkable role in Russian art. Therefore, he can be considered a particularly interesting case study of the “differentiated integration” and “polyvalent identity” model identified by Levon Boghos Zekiyan as a specific dimension of the Armenian colonies in many countries of the world.1 Aĭvazovskiĭ’s life and work are indeed an excellent example of this model, which allowed the preservation of the Armenian identity while avoiding dynamics of closure and isolation.