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Profile of the Month |
Taniel Varoujan
1884-1915)
One of the insurmountable peaks in the Armenian poetry.
He was born in the village of Prknig in Sepasdia, in 1884. In 1896 he attended the Mkhitarian Schol in Constantinople. In 1902 he moved to Venice’s Mourad-Raphaelian School, from which he graduates in 1905. He studies political and social sciences at the University of Gant (Belgium.) In 1909 he returns to Constantinople, where he dedicates himself to teaching.
A lyrical and epic-writing poet, Varoujan has resonated the love and glories of Armenia, its nature, the agony of the people, the Armenian revolution and its fighters. The characteristics of his rich poetry are the power and sequences of impressive imagery. His volumes titled “Sarsourner,” “Tseghin sirde,” “Hetanos yerker,” and “Hatsin yerke” are some of Armenian poetry’s masterpieces.
Varoujan was killed August 23, 1915, during the Armenian Genocide.
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Areg Lucinyan
Areg Lucinyan was born in 1935. He graduated from the Romanos Music Institute in 1956. In 1961 he graduated from “Gomitas” state conservatory.
In 1966 he was accepted as a member of musicians in both Armenia and the former Soviet Republic. Between 1962-1964 he was a lecturer at the Katchadour Apovian Educational University since 1971 and in 2005 he was given the title “professor” in the same institute.
Areg Lucinyan has a vast amount of musical creations-here we mention only a few.
-Musical compositions Number 1 and musical composition “Requiem”.
-“Always with you” opera.
-Vocal-symphonic creations.
-Musical creation “Nazankov Bar” solely created for dual pianos.
-“Yeridasartagan Bar”, “Pokrig Badgerner”, “Grges”, “Ashkharhi Joghovourtnerou Barer”.
Areg Lucinyan has also many musical compositions and adaptations of songs to be played on the piano.
Lucinian has created songs, duets as well as hymns and works of nationalistic nature. He has written a multitude of songs solely for school children. His operas for young children such as “The lambs” and “The Sky is Falling Down” are famous.
Areg Lucinyan has composed many songs especially for “Varanta” and “Gargach” choirs.
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Dr. Hrant Markarian
Hrant Markarian is a scientist, playwright, poet, theater specialist, literary critic, director and actor. He was born in Basra, Iraq, in 1938. He received his elementary education at the Armenian National School in Margile, and afterward attended a public high school. He graduated from the Baghdad Science College and in 1962 moved to the United States, where he earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. in chemistry, as well as a master’ss degree in the management of technology. He has been a research scientist and later on, a professor of chemistry at State University of New York. Parallel to earning his Ph. D., he received a theatrical education at the Circle in the Square, New York University, and the Schreiber Studio.
He appeared onstage in 1956, in Margil, Basra, Iraq, performing the role of the poet in “The Honorary Beggars,” by Hagop Baronian. He directed his first play in 1958 at the Armenian Boys’ and Girls’ Youth Union of Baghdad; carnival sketches he had himself written. Markarian’s theatrical activities further developed in the United States.
In 1967, he founded the Massis Theater Group, which was later renamed the Theater of Hamazkayin. In 2005, he founded the Youth Theater Group of Hamazkayin in New Jersey. From 1985 to 1995, Markarian occupied the position of the editor of the “Varak” periodical. Since 2006, he is a member of the editorial group of the “Pakin” periodical of Hamazkayin.
Since 1967 and for 43 years, he has been the director of the New York Theater Group of Hamazkayin. He is the author of 27 plays, 24 of them in Armenian, two in English, and one, in English and Armenian. He has staged 55 theatrical shows. He has performed the roles of 55 characters, one of which in the movie “Assignment Berlin.” He has published seven plays, a book of poetry titled “Crashed by the subconscious,” and “Stone voiced liturgy,” on the occasion of a pilgrimage to Western Armenia. In 2006, following an invitation by the Writers’ Union of Armenia, he prepared for publication the book, “The playwrights of Armenia,” in English. His plays have been performed in the United States, Canada, Armenia, Lebanon, Syria, Greece, and England.
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Rubina Peroomian, Ph.D.
A lecturer of Armenian language and literature, is currently a Research Associate at UCLA. She is the author of several books, textbooks, chapters in books, and research articles in scholarly journals on Armenian Question and the Armenian Genocide.
Her major publications include Literary Responses to Catastrophe: A Comparison of the Armenian and the Jewish Experience (1993), Armenia in the Sphere of Relations between the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and the Bolsheviks, 1917-1921 (1997) in the Armenian language (translated and published in Russian), The Armenian Question, a series of textbooks in Armenian for grades 10-12 (1990-1999), and a comprehensive textbook of the History of the Armenian Question for high schools in Armenia (2000). And Those Who Continued Living in Turkey after 1915 (2008) is her most recent publication.
She has lectured widely, participated in international symposia. She has received Lifetime Achievement Award by the Armenian Educational Foundation and the Mesrob Mashtots Medal with an encyclical by His Holiness Aram I Catholicos of Cilicia.
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Roupen Hakhverdyan
Roupen Hakhverdyan was born in 1950, in Yerevan. He worked at the Yerevan Television Station as assistant to the director. In 1975, he graduated from Yerevan Theater University, specializing in theater and television directing.
Through his own efforts, he mastered poetry and music, thus becoming a songwriter and creating a new genre of Armenian songs, auteur songs. He is considered the father of the Armenian auteur songs and soon had many who followed in his style. He as also nurtured by the political and folk songs of 1960s. He was the author and director of several musicals, the most popular of which is “Sadanayi chraghatse.” He also wrote hundreds of songs, among which are several songs written for children’s cartoons.
Until 1988, Roupen’s songs were officially forbidden in Soviet Armenia, however, his songs and work had a major impact, particularly in the struggle for freedom in Nagorno Karabagh, when Armenian freedom fighters were heading toward the front lines. Roupen encouraged the Armenian youth with his guitar and his songs, sang for the freedom of the fatherland, criticized the authorities, and called for the liberation of political prisoners.
Roupen Hakhverdyan has also released on CD his complete children’s songs, thus preserving his art for new generations.
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Sos Sargsyan
Sos Artashesi Sargsyan was born October 24, 1929 in Stepanavan. His acting skills were apparent as early as during his school days with the theater group at the local A. Pushkin School. The then-future-prominent actor took his very first serious acting steps at the drama theater in Stepanavan. In 1948, under the sponsorship of prominent theater director Hrachia Ghaplanian, he was invited to join the Theater of the Junior Audience in Yerevan, where he played around a dozen roles. In 1950, he enrolled at the Arts and Theater Institute, in the art studio of the famous Vardan Ajemyan. Following to his graduation from the Institute, in 1954 he was invited to join the State National Academic Theater of G. Soundoukian, where he worked until 1991. While there he magnificently created dozens of classical, as well as contemporary dramatic characters. In 1991, he formed the Theater of Hamazkayin, where, to this date, he is the artistic director.
Since 1998, he has been the rector of the State Institute of Theater and Cinema.
In 1968, he was awarded the title, Honored Artist of Armenia, and in 1972, the title of People’s Artist, as well as to the title of USSR People’s Artist in 1985. He has been twice honored with state awards.
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Axel Pagounts
(1899-1937)
Born in Koris, he received his elementary education in his birthplace, and afterward at the Kevorkian Seminary, from which he graduated. At the age of 17, he severely criticized the negative aspects of his birthplace. During this period he served as a teacher in the village of Lor. The experiences of being a teacher have played an important role in his life and later in his literature.
He graduated from Seminary at the beginning of 1918. He officially became a writer after Armenia became part of the Soviet Union. In 1924 he became a member of the communist party. With the provincial series of letters published in “Mardagoch,” he demonstrated the great skills of a journalist, as well as the talent of a satirist, which primarily are expressed in the monographs dedicated to his birthplace. Afterwards, he contributed to the Soviet Armenian press and published several volumes of short stories.
During political persecutions from 1937-1938 in Armenia, Pagounts too had to share the tragic fate of many other Armenian writers, who were shot dead solely for being guilty of their party unorthodoxy.
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Marie Rose Abusefian
Acclaimed actress, director, prominent publicist, poet, and the founder of a unique mono-theater, Marie Rose Abusefian, has become the interpreter and representative of Armenian culture in various parts of the world, including in the United States, Canada, the Middle East, Europe, Australia, and from stages in Armenian communities worldwide.
Ms. Abusefian is the first Armenian actress to stage a monologue, while simultaneously being the author-performer, director, and actress of her works. She herself writes and develops all her unique performances, composes the music score, and performs it herself. Among her works are “This evening with Vahan Derian,” “From Gars to Troy,” “Forget the Genocide?” “The bride of Dadrakom,” “Gosdan Zarian,” “The madman,” “The broken pot,” “The ever-chiming bell tower,” “It happened on that year,” “Rendezvous with love,” “The big love of Sevag,” and others. She is the first and the only actress who performed 21 different roles as monologues from the famous novel of Frantz Werfel, “The forty days of Musa Dagh.”
With her philanthropic shows, the actress supports Hamazkayin, Armenian Relief Society, and the prosperity of the Armenian cause.
Ms. Abusefian received her theatrical education at the Arts and Theater Institute of Yerevan. She is one of the founders of the Arshalouis Innovative Theater. Later, for many years, she worked at the Ghaplanyan Theater, now called the Dramatic Theater of Yerevan. She has performed numerous roles in television and radio literary-theatrical shows, has been filmed in productions by Hyefilm. Since 1983, she has lived in San Francisco (USA) where she has contributed to the cause of promoting Armenian theater in the diaspora.
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Hovhannes Toumanian
(1869-1923)
Hovhannes Toumanian was born in 1869, in the village of Tsegh (which is now called Toumanian) in the region of Lori. He attended, but did not graduate from the Nersisian School in Tbilisi. As a teenager he started writing poetry. He tried several jobs, but could not persist in any one field. In 1988 he was married and had a big family. After that he completely devoted his capacities to writing poetry. In addition to his writing, he was a publisher. He made great contributions to children’s literature, and is in fact one of the great masters of the genre.
Among his works are: “Sassountsi Tavit,” “Anoush,” “Tmpgaperti aroume,” “Tebi anhoune,” “Shounn ou gadoun,” “Gatil m meghr,” “Parvana.”
Toumanian is the most loved poet among Eastern-Armenians. The main themes of his literature include the motherland’s nature, its people, its lifestyle, and its traditions. With his creations and with his emotions, Toumanian is a genuine Armenian poet: the people’s poet.
Toumanian died in 1923.
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Ruben Hosvepian
Prose writer Ruben Hosvepian was born in 1939 in Yerevan. He graduated from the Geological Faculty of Yerevan State University, as well as the Highest Training of Screenwriters and Film Directors in Moscow. As a geologist, he worked in Turkmenistan and in Armenia. He is the author of many books. His novel, “Vordan Karmir,” published in 1980, received the Derenik Demirjian Award. The novel, “Under the apricot trees,” received the RA Presidential Award in 2006. In 2009, he received the Movses Khorenatsi award and the title of Honorary Citizen of Armavir City.
Hovsepian’s books and short stories have been translated into many languages. He has written the scripts for the films “Hndzan,” “Khntsori aikin,” “Garod,” “Abril,” “Amenadak yerkire.” He has translated the novels “One hundred years of solitude” and “The autumn of the patriarch,” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez into Armenian, as well as the first two parts of the trilogy titled “Childhood, Adolescence, Youth,” by Leo Tolstoy.
Ruben Hovsepian has been a Member of Parliament of the second and third Assemblies of the RA National Assembly. Presently, he is the editor-in-chief of the ARF organ, “Droshak,” and the director of “Nork” literary publication.
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Simon Abkarian
Simon Abkarian was born Simone Abkarian on March 5, 1962, in Gonesse, a northeastern suburb of Paris, France, into a French - Armenian family.
From 1971 to 1977 young Abkarian lived with his mother and father in Lebanon. There he attended Armenian school and also studied French and English. In 1977 Abkarian moved back to Paris. A few years later he moved to New York and continued his studies of dancing and acting at the Antranik company in New York, then moved to Los Angeles, California. In 1983-1985 he studied acting and joined the Armenian Theatre Company Artavadzt of the AGBU under the leadership of director Gerald Papazian. In 1984, he joined the workshop at renown Theatre du Soleil on tour in Los Angeles during the Olympics Art Festival. In 1985 Abkarian returned to Paris, France. There he resumed a successful stage acting career, and had an eight-year-long collaboration with Ariane Mnouchkine, the legendary director of Théâtre du Soleil. He also directed several stage plays in Paris. In 2001 Abkarian won the highest award in French theatre for an actor - the Prix Molière, for his performance in 'Une Bête Sur La Lune' (aka.. Beast on the Moon). Since 1993, Abkarian and his actress-director wife, Catherine Schaub, started their own theatre T.E.R.A. (Theatre Espace Recherche Acteur) in Paris. There he has been playing and directing classical and contemporary plays.
Abkarian made his film debut in 1989. During his early film career, Abkarian enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with Cédric Klapisch in 6 French films, becoming noticed in the award winning Chacun cherche son chat (1996). He earned critical acclaim for his portrayal of painter Archil Gorky in Atom Egoyan's award winning epic Ararat (2002). Simon Abkarian won awards for his performance as Eliahou in 'To Take a Wife (2004) by director Ronit Elkabetz. He made a step forward in his film career with the supporting role as Alex Dimitros in Casino Royale (2006), playing in several powerful scenes opposite Daniel Craig.
Simon Abkarian has been generously involved in the humanitarian causes of the Armenian people across the world. He has been a frequent participant, host and presenter at numerous charitable events and ceremonies related to the Armenian causes. He was also a member of French President Jacque Chirac's delegation to Armenia in October of 2006.
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Krikor Shahinian
(1930-2009)
Krikor Shahinian was born in Beirut. He graduated from the Djemaran of Hamazkayin, and afterwards continued his education at the Free University of Brussels, where he was specialized in education and literature and he received a bachelor of arts degree, and later, in 1956, the degree of educator. He presented a thesis studying the literary creations of Shahan Shahnour in Paris in 1979, at the Faculty of Literature at the University of Sorbonne, and later in 1994, at the State University of Yerevan.
Starting in 1950 and for many years afterward he has taught at Djemaran, and also taught at the School of Frères, at the Haigazian College, and the Zarehian Seminary. From 1970-1994, he also taught French Literature at the Lebanese University. Starting in the 1990s, he lectured about Western Armenian Literature at Yerevan State University, at the State University of Nagorno Karabagh, as well as at the American University of Armenia. He also lectured on Armenian language at the Venice Summer School. In 1987, he founded the Khacher Kaloudian Pedagogical Center at Antelias, which he directed until 2007.
He has contributed to many armenian dailies Aand periodicals. In 1966, he founded and directed the “Ahegan” cultural publication.
He published numerous literary articles. He is the author of several monographic essays dedicated to the literature of Levon Shant, Kourken Mahari, Shahan Shahnour, and Hamasdegh, as well as “Panorama de la literature armenienne” and “Oeuvres vives de la literature armenienne,” featuring Armenian literature in French, as well as several memoirs titled “Verakagh.”
He was an active member of Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Association. During his tenure as director of the Regional Committee and due to his efforts, the Levon Shant Cultural Center was established.
Krikor Shahinian passed away in Beirut, on February 15, 2009, following a brief illness.
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Father Gomidas
(1869-1935)
He was born in 1869, in the town of Kutina in Asia Minor. His mother died when he was only a year old, followed in 1880 by the death of his father, Kevork Soghomonian.
In 1880, Father Gomidas went to the Gevorgian Seminary of Ejmiadzin, and graduated in 1893. In 1895, he was ordained a priest. In 1896 he went to Berlin, to specialize in music.
For three years he studied with musician Richard Schmidt, simultaneously taking courses in philosophy at the university. In 1899, after returning to Ejmiadzin, he was appointed musician of the Holly See and the choir master.
For years Father Gomidas recorded, studied, and analyzed Armenian folk and clerical songs with the flair of an expert.
He toured in the Caucasus and the great centers of Europe, where he gave concerts, as well as lectures about Armenian music and songs.
In 1909, he went to Constantinople, where he lived until 1915.
The Armenian Genocide ended Gomidas’ creative life. The agony of witnessing the massacre of the Armenian people left a deep trace upon his soul and his mind. From 1919 until his death, he lived in a mental hospital in Paris.
He died in 1935. In 1936, his remains were transported to Yerevan and with exceptional ceremony were buried in the open air pantheon of the Gomidas Park.
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Misak Medzarents
(1886-1908)
Misak Medzadourian was born in the Pingian village of Agn. In 1894, he moved with his family to Sepasdia, where he attended the Aramian School. Until 1902, he attended the Anatolia Boarding School in Marzvan. From 1902-1905, he attended the Central School in Constantinople. However, tuberculosis forced him to leave his education. The poor poet died July 4, 1908. At the age of 22, the very young poet enriched Armenian poetry with his lyrical and genuine masterpieces.
In spite of his sad fate, Misak Medzarents managed to publish in his lifetime two volumes of poetry: “Dziadzan” (1907) and “Nor dagher” (1907.)
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Moushegh Kalshoyan
(1933-1980)
He is born in 1933, in Talin, in the village of Gatnagbiour. He completed his higher education in Yerevan, at the Institute of Agriculture, completing his studies in 1957.
He dedicated himself to social and political writing and literature. He became part of the editorial staff of several newspapers and publications, the last of which was “Garoun.”
From 1969-71 he took courses in literature in Moscow. At the same time, he began publishing his books: “Groong,” (1969,) “Dzaghgadz karer” (1973,) and “Bovdoun” (state award, 1974.)
From 1975 on, he retained a senior position in Armenia’s state publishing house.
He passed away in 1980.
Following his death, his “Marouta sari ambere” received a state award.
Among his other books are “Dzori Miro” and “Undzayagir.”
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NIGOL AGHPALIAN
1875-1947
Nigol Aghpalian was born in Tbilisi, in 1875. He received his education at the Nersisian School of Tbilisi, and at the Gevorgian Seminary in Echmiatsin. From a very young age he started teaching, as well as contributing critical literary articles to the “Mourj Monthly” published in Tbilisi.
He also took several classes in universities in Moscow, Paris, and Lausanne. In 1909-1912 he was the principal of the Armenian national school in Teheran. As a party activist, he participated in general assemblies, and was a member of the National Council and the organizing committee of the volunteer corps. Later on, he was a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia and the Minister of Public Education. It is due to his efforts that the University of Armenia was established on January 31, 1920 in Alexandrapole, Gyumri. In 1923, he was invited to Alexandria, where he serves as the principal of the Armenian national school until 1928. In that year, he became one of the founders of the Armenian Educational and Publishing Hamazkayin (Pan Armenian) Association, and soon after, together with Levon Shant, was one of the founders of the Djemaran of Hamazkayin in Beirut.
Until his death Nigol Aghpalian was Levon Shant’s close collaborator . He taught Armenian literature, Armenian history, and archaic Armenian, at the same time contributing to the Armenian press with his philological and critical literary articles.
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LEVON SHANT
1869-1951
Levon Shant, whose real name was Levon Seghposian (Nahashbedian), was born in Istanbul in 1896. He completed primary education at the Kevorkian Seminary of Echmiadzin, and higher education in Germany and Switzerland. He was a teacher and an educator for many years, and active in both public and political life in Armenia and various communities in the diaspora. He was the vice chairperson of the Parliament of the First Republic of Armenia, as well as one of the founders of Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Association, and one of the chief founders of the Lyceum (Djemaran) of Hamazkayin in Beirut. For 20 years he was the principle of Djemaran, where at the same time he also taught education and psychology. He passed away November 29, 1951.
One of the greatest Armenian playwrights of the 20th century, Levon Shant wrote several plays, including “Oshin Bail,” “Ingadz perti ishkhanouhin” (“Princess of the fallen fortress”,) “Hin Asdvadzner” (“Ancient gods”,) “Gaiser,” (“Caesar”,) and “Shghtayvadze” (“The enchained”.) He is also the author of sociological and political studies. Levon Shant lived a life full of valuable creations.
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William Saroyan
William Saroyan (1908-1981) was born in Fresno, California into an immigrant family from Bitlis. He lived in poverty throughout his childhood and adolescence and was largely self-educated.
Although his first language was Armenian, Saroyan wrote in English, starting 1933.
Until the 1970s, Saroyan produced a large number of literary works, including short stories, novels, and plays, thus securing for himself an honorable place in American literature. "My name is Aram," "Human comedy," "Boys and girls," "My heart is in the highlands," "Time of your life" are just a few of his many volumes.
Certain Armenian elements, as well as Armenian questions are sometimes present in Saroyan's work.
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