Zabel Yessayan (1878-1943)
Zabel Yessayan was born in Sgyudar, Constantinople in 1878. She received her primary education at the Armenian school of her birthplace. In 1895 she went to Paris and pursued her higher education in literature at the Sorbonne. While in Paris, she contributed to the French press, including “Mercury de France” and “Humanite’” among others. In 1908 Ms. Yessayian returned to Constantinople and became involved in the local Armenian literary life. In 1909, after the massacres of Cilicia, she went to Adana and studied the consequences of the tragedy and after returning to Constantinople, published the volume “Averagnerou mech” (“In the ruins.”) She survived the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and escaped to Bulgaria and then the Caucasus. Ms. Yessayan traveled to Persia, Vienna and other places. In 1927 she visited Soviet Armenia and after returning to France published “Prometey azadakrvadz” (“Prometheus unchained.”) In 1933 she was invited to Soviet Armenia by the Soviet lovernment and lectured on literature of Western Europe at the Yerevan State University. In 1937 Ms. Yessayan was sent into exile where she died in 1943. Ms. Yessayan is the author of “Geghdz hanjarner” (“Fake geniuses,”) “Sgyudari verchalouisner” (“Sgyudar twilights,”) “Shnorhkov martig” (“Graceful people,”) “Sbasman srahin mech” (“In the waiting room,”) “Antsgoutian jammer” (“Anxiety hours,”) “Verchin pajag” (“The last cup,”) “Hokis Aksorial” (“My exiled soul,”) “Yerp ailevs chen sirer” (“When they no longer do love,”) to mention some of her works.