The book is a picture album of Shmavon Shmavonyan's paintings of Mount Ararat and the surrounding scenery of the Araratian valley, created in 1993-2013. Each painting is accompanied by verses by Armenian and non-Armenian poets devoted to Ararat, which has been a source of inspiration for many artists, painters, poets, and representatives of other artistic spheres.

Mount Ararat (by Levon Zohrabyan)

One of the most beautiful mountains in the world – the snow-white, massive Ararat, or Masis, proudly towers in the south of the Araratian Valley in front of the capital, Yerevan. This is the highest mountain of the Armenian Highland. This sky-scrape mountain is 5165 metres above sea level and 4300 metres above the Araratian Valley; it is the highest mountain in the world, counting from the foot.

Masis or Ararat is a sacred mount for the Armenians. 

Today, Ararat is on the Armenian-Turkish border; in the territory of Turkey, but it is in the heart of every Armenian and is part and parcel of the Armenian people and their history. And the Armenians still cherish the hope of regaining their Mount.

The Araratian valley is spread at the foot of Ararat. The river Arax silvers gently in the middle of the valley. Three regions of Armenia - Ararat, Aragatsotn, and Armavir, with their beautiful and prosperous towns and villages, are situated in the Araratian valley. The Araratian valley with its Big and Small Masises, high poplars, and white-feathered storks on their branches, is magnificent scenery. 

About the painter (by Arthur Gharagyozyan)

In my view, the painter’s tranquil and soothing landscape, the harmonious combination and dynamics of colours originate and come out of his inner world, essence, and character. In Shmavon’s studio, smelling of paintings, I feel myself in a luminous temple he has created. And it is no coincidence that the paintings of the great and delicate artist and aesthete Shmavon Shmavonyan are not only exhibited in many famous art galleries and involved in many collections, but also some of them decorate the walls of the US Capitol and the State Government office of California, and elsewhere.

Painter Shmavon Shmavonyan’s works have been exhibited in many countries of the world, in Istanbul (1989), France (1995), Beirut, England (1996), Kuwait (1997), and the USA (1999), in the largest hospitals of the USA within the framework of the “Mind, body and soul” program. Artist Shmavon Shmavonyan has been awarded the gold medal of the RA Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs, the Fridtjof Nansen gold medal, “Mesrop Mashtots” medal of Matenadaran. The International Informatization Academy headquarters in Montreal, Canada, in General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, has conferred the honorary title of an academician on the painter. In 2001, the painter was bestowed with the title of Honoured Artist of the Republic of Armenia.