YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Armine Grigoryan, director of the Aram Khachaturyan House Museum, is disclosing the museum legend about a meeting between the Armenian composer Aram Khachaturyan and Spanish painter, sculptor Salvador Dali – such a meeting didn’t actually take place.

In an interview with ARMENPRESS, Grigoryan presented several facts refuting the story’s accuracy, and the probable reasons for making it up.

“Usually some hoaxes are linked with the lives and activities of famous people. One of these hoaxes relates to maestro Khachaturyan’s name. The story of the meeting between Aram Khachaturyan and Salvador Dali by Russian writer Mikhail Weller is being circulated for many years. However, facts prove that no such meeting actually took place”, she said.

According to the story, Khachaturyan said he wanted to meet Dali in Spain. The painter is delighted to accept the offer and invites the composer to his home. Khachaturyan is then said to have waited for Dali for several hours. Suddenly, Khachatryan’s Sabre Dance is loudly played, and Dali makes an entrance, entirely naked, with sabres above his head. The music stops, Dali disappeared behind doors, and the maid tells Khachaturyan that the meeting is over.

The first fact denying this story is that Spain is not among the countries where Khachaturyan has made a visit. The director of the house museum has also discussed this issue with the composer’s son, who also denied it ever happened.

In addition, there are no mentions about this meeting neither in the press, nor in his personal letters.

Several years ago the Salvador Dali museum from Spain contacted the Aram Khachaturyan museum to check the truthfulness of the story.

“A possible counter argument of the story is also that there is no information or fact in the Dali museum also. As the story mentions, the meeting was covered by press later. However, if such information existed, the Dali museum would be informed from the Spanish press”, she said.

And the most important fact which denies the story, is that the author of the story, the Russian writer, has personally denied it, saying it was a hoax.

According to Grigoryan, a possible reason of circulating the hoax could’ve been unfriendly relations with Khachaturyan or disrupting a possible interview with the composer.

“Perhaps Weller wanted to have an interview with Khachaturyan, but for some reason it didn’t take place, and he decided to make up this story. Weller simply had a bright imagination, and I believe he wanted to draw attention on himself”, she said.

The museum denies the story of a meeting between the Armenian composer and the Spanish painter.