Siamanto (1878-1915)
Siamanto’s original name is Atom Yarjanian. The talented Armenian poet was born on January 1, 1878, in the town of Agn. He got his primary education in the local Nersessian College. In 1891, he moved with his father to Constantinople and studied at Gum Gabu Mirichanian and Skiutar Berberian Schools. In 1895, when the bloody Hamidian massacres started, he left for Cairo. Later In 1897, he moved to Paris and enrolled in literature at the prestigious Sorbonne University, as a free listener. Siamanto developed close connections with the “European Armenian Students’ Association” and with the national parties. His world-view, literary and artistic inclinations were formed in that very atmosphere. From Paris he moved to Geneva in Switzerland. After the Young Turks’ Revolution and the July Constitution, to check the political climate in the country, Siamanto, in 1908, returned to Constantinople where he created his series of poems “Bloody News from My Friend” called an “elegy of genius” by Daniel Varuzhan. To study the Armenian refugees’ life, Siamanto left for America in 1909. There he wrote the series of his poetic letters “Homeland’s Invitation” about his yearn for his country, encouraging the Armenian people living abroad to return to their native land. In 1913, he visited Tbilisi, Baku and Etchmiadzin and returned to Constantinople in 1914. In 1915, the Turks murdered Siamanto together with the Western Armenian intellectuals. His literary creations are the poetry anthology “Heroically” (Tuitsaznoren), poetic three-part series “Hayordiner” (Armenian Children, 1902 – 1908), lyrical writings “Torches of Agony and Hope” (1904-1907), the series of poetic letters “Homeland’s Invitation” (1909), Bloody News from My Friend”(1909) and “Saint Mesrop”(1913).
Some series of his poems are translated into Russian, French, English and German.