Gayane (ballet) - Plot

Plot

Many elements of interethnic love, betrayal and friendship interact in an Armenian setting. The central character is a young woman named Gayane, who works in a kolkhoz in a mountainous district near the national border.

Act 1

In the kolkhoz, farmers are busy reaping cotton. Among them are heroine Gayane, her father Ovanes, brother Armen and younger sister Nune. They are all models of hard work with the only exception of Gayaneh's husband Giko, a lazy drunkard. She admonishes Giko for his misconduct, and this escalates into a quarrel. Then arrives Kazhakov, commander of the Soviet frontier guard, and a dance of welcome begins. Seeing Gayane present a bouquet to Kazhakov, Giko violently snatches the bouquet from her and ignoring everybody's reproach, disappears.

Act 2

Gayane's home. Everyone is consoling Gayaneh who is deploring her husband's misconduct. The singing voices of carpet weavers is heard. As Giko returns, all go out. Gayane sings her child Ripsime to sleep. Three smugglers come to see Giko. They conspire to share the public money they have embezzled, to set fire to the cotton warehouse and to flee abroad. Overhearing their conspiracy, Gayane admonishes her husband, but he thrusts her into another room and locks her up.

Act 3

Kurd's settlement in a mountainous area near the kolkhoz. Many people are there, including Gayane's brother Armen, a Kurdish girl Aishe, and a Kurdish young man Izmail who loves her. Then appear Giko and the three smugglers, who ask Armen their way. Wondering what they are after, he sends some Kurdish youths to fetch Kazhakov. Noticing this, Giko and his gang try to kill Armen, but Kazhakov arrives just in time, and arrests the three smugglers. However, Giko escapes and sets fire to the cotton warehouse. Trying to flee in the confusion of the moment, Giko is found by Gayane, who has managed to break out of the room in which she was imprisoned. Giko threatens Gayane that he will drop their child Ripsime from a cliff. As Gayane does not yield, Giko stabs her with a dagger. Hearing her shriek, Kazhakov rushes in and arrests Giko, who will be brought to justice. Kazhakov tends Gayane devotedly and she recovers. Love grows between the two.

Act 4

The kolkhoz a year later. It is the day of the dedication ceremony of the reconstructed warehouse and the weddings of three couples - Gayane and Kazhakov, Armen and Aishe, Karen and Nune. Folk dances rich in local color are performed one after another, and the ballet ends amid blessings by all.