The international scientific conference dedicated to the 150th birth anniversary of the writer and national statesman Avedis Aharonian, organized by the Ministry of Diaspora in Armenia, Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society, and Yerevan State University, took place on December 15, 2016, in the Philology Faculty hall of Yerevan State University.
Yerevan State University President, Aram Simonian and Chair of the Central Executive Board of Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society, Meguerditch Meguerditchian made the opening speeches. Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan's welcoming speech was read to the participants of the Conference. "A. Aharonian is one of those national figures who perpetuated the Armenian people. He symbolizes our huge national potentialities, but unfortunately, the circumstances have always kept him far from his people's life. The important mission of this conference is to ensure the national figure’s complete return to his people", said the minister.
Armenia's Minister of Education and Science Levon Mkrtchyan’s message was also presented to the participants of the conference.
The speakers of the conference were scientists from Armenia and the Diaspora. The first session started with the report of Serzh Srapionian, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Deputy Minister of Diaspora. In the report entitled ″Avedis Aharonian as Person, Citizen and Writer", the author thoroughly gave the great Armenian's human characteristics and described his civic personality. In his speech, Professor also offered to publish Avedis Aharonian's complete collection of works and name a school in Yerevan after his name.
Doctor of Philological Sciences Vardan Devrikian's report was entitled "Folk Legends in Avedis Aharonian's Stories". He noted that Aharonian's hometown Surmalu province is situated between the two of our greatest symbols - the Araks river and Ararat Mountain, which predestined the writer's political and social worldview.
Doctor of Philological Sciences Krikor Beledian (France) presented an interesting report entitled "Avedis Aharonian’s Meditative Personality″. Speaking about the symbols, he said that by saying silence Aharonian meant the silence of Maeterlinck.
Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Edik Minasyan spoke about "Avedis Aharonian’s Diplomatic Activities", quoting the French statesperson and diplomat Aristide Briand’s words, "A nation having Aharonians can never be lost."
The second session started with Petros Demirchian’s report about "Avedis Aharonian’s Personality", followed by Hovhannes Krikorian’s ″Avedis Aharonian; Documents of ARF's Trial in 1912 ". Then, Anahit Hakobyan presented her "Avedis Aharonian’s Autobiographical Narrative's Intra-Genre Value" report.
Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor Suren Danielyan made a report entitled "Avedis Aharonian and his Creative Work's Critical Assessment". He welcomed the organization of the conference as a wonderful initiative for literary pardon and for evaluating and revaluating Aharonian’s works. Candidate of Philological Sciences, Astghik Bekmezian, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Petros Demirchian, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Hovhannes Grigoryan, Doctor of Philological Sciences, and Professor Diana Hambardzumyan made very interesting reports about Aharonian’s creations, his political and diplomatic activities.
Master of Philosophy Haroutiun Kurkjian (Greece) presented the topic "Aharonian as an artist-ethnographer-historian of All Armenians," mentioning that the Armenians of Diaspora consider him as such.
Candidate of Philological Sciences, Seyran Grigoryan’s report was entitled "Yeghishe Charents and Avedis Aharonian".
″M. and H. Arslanian″ Djemaran's former director Tigran Djinbashian (Lebanon) presented his "Notes on Avedis Aharonian’s Public and National Activities".
Doctor of Philological Sciences, Margaret Khachatrian, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Hamo Sukiasyan, Candidate of Philological Sciences, and Knarik Abrahamian also made notable reports.
The report "Avedis Aharonian’s Political Dictionary", made by Candidate of Historical Sciences, Hovhannes Zatikian, concluded the conference. In this report, the author declared Aharonian as the forerunner of Armenian diplomacy. According to Zatikian, Avedis Aharonian’s letters to the Catholicos of All Armenians should be studied separately.
At the end, Q&A section started. The purpose of the conference was to appreciate Avedis Aharonian once again as a person, writer, poet, political and public figure, and diplomat, to introduce him to his people, and praise the first advocate of independence in Armenia.
