This year, the Hamazkayin “Vahe Setian” Publishing House and Printing Press marks its 95th anniversary. In 1931, three years after the founding of the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society, the foundation of Hamazkayin’s publishing work was laid through the efforts of Nigol Aghpalian. This represents an uninterrupted journey of 95 years. With a constant presence in the fields of Western Armenian and diaspora literature, Hamazkayin Publishing—through its thousands of volumes of children’s, youth, literary, historical, cultural, and artistic books, as well as thousands of textbooks—has shaped diaspora life and supported the vital mission of forming the Armenian identity of generations.
On this occasion, with deep feelings of gratitude, we remember the hundreds of employees who served in this institution as directors, editors, administrative officers, accountants, secretaries, typesetters, artistic designers, bookstore and distribution managers, printers, binders, and maintenance staff, who treated the Armenian book as their own child and lived the labor and birth of each volume with enthusiasm and pride. Many of them have departed from this life forever, but their efforts remain imprinted within the institution.
Initiatives for the 95th anniversary are not merely ceremonial; the press is on a clear mission, stemming from our current priorities and challenges, to open a new horizon of interest in Armenian books. We are confident that every member and friend of Hamazkayin will support our program.
Below we present an outline of 95th-anniversary programs:
- Establishment of the Hamazkayin Publishing House Armenian Book Club. Through this club, an environment for discussion between writers and bibliophiles will be created with the aim of expanding the audience for Armenian books.
- The presentation of the three-volume book-album “Artsakh: Endangered Heritage” from the “Artsakh: Unfinished War” series, sponsored by the Hamazkayin Central Executive Board, during which an exhibition of contemporary artists from Artsakh will also take place.
- Official 95th anniversary dinner under the high patronage and in the presence of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia.
- Exhibition of Hamazkayin publications in Armenia.
- On the Feast of the Holy Translators, a pan-Armenian exhibition and public celebration of the 95th anniversary in Lebanon; additionally, during the same period, in cooperation with Hamazkayin regional executive boards, exhibitions of Hamazkayin publications in other regions, where possible.
- An evening of gratitude for the organizations and authors that have cooperated with Hamazkayin over the last 30 years.
- Establishment of the Hamazkayin 95th Anniversary Book Series, and through that—again in cooperation with the worldwide structure of Hamazkayin—the publication of ten volumes. Following the completion of these volumes, a presentation of the “95th Anniversary Harvest” will take place.
- Inter-school book reading competition. This event is intended for students in Lebanon and, where possible, in other communities.
- Preparation of a bibliographic catalog-volume for the Hamazkayin Publishing House, which will be released on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Hamazkayin. Garo Hovhannesian has undertaken this work.
- A tribute event for the institution’s former director (1965–98), Yervant Monofarian.
Other publishing programs and exhibitions are also planned throughout the year.
We will periodically update our public on the details and timeline of each program. We are confident that through collective effort, we will succeed in creating an atmosphere permeated by the Armenian letter and literature for the sake of the preservation, distribution, and strengthening of our spiritual and intellectual values.
Behold, 95 years of service to the Mesrobian script, the Armenian language, Armenian literature, Armenian culture, and Armenian history. And the journey continues.
HAMAZKAYIN “VAHE SETIAN” PUBLISHING HOUSE