Avetis Aharonian
YEREVAN—The Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Association and Yerevan State University (YSU), in cooperation with Armenia’s Ministry of Diaspora, are organizing an international conference dedicated to the famed Armenian politician, writer, public figure, and revolutionary Avetis Aharonian on Dec. 15.
The conference aims to comprehensively examine and evaluate Aharonian’s literary heritage and national activities and is open for experts from Armenia and the Diaspora. Details can be found below.
Aharonian was born in 1866 in Surmali, Erivan Governorate, Russian Empire (today Igdir, Turkey). Growing up, he was influenced by the natural features of his birthplace, such as the Araks River and Mount Ararat, both of which were located near Surmali.
After completing elementary education at the village’s school, he was sent to Echmiadzin’s Gevorkian Seminary, from where he graduated. After teaching for a few years, Aharonian went to Switzerland’s University of Lausanne to study history and philosophy. During his time there, he met Kristapor Mikaelian, one of the founding members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) and chief editor of Droshak. In 1901, upon graduation, he went to study literature at the Sorbonne.
In 1902, he returned to the Caucasus and became the headmaster of the Nersisian School in Tiflis and the chief editor of Mourj (Hammer). Thus, in 1909, he was captured by the Tsarist government and imprisoned in Metekhi’s prison, where he fell ill. Two years later, he fled to Europe.
He returned to the Caucasus in 1917, and chaired the Armenian National Council, which proclaimed the independence of First Republic of Armenia on May 28, 1918. He signed the Treaty of Batum with the Ottoman Empire.
In 1919, he was the head the Armenian delegation at the Paris Peace Conference with Boghos Nubar, where he signed the Treaty of Sèvres.
He suffered a stroke in 1934 and lived for the last fourteen years of his life totally incapacitated. Aharonian died in Marseille in 1948.
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Deadline to submit reports and theses is Dec. 1.
Applications can be submitted at:
Hamazkayin Yerevan Office,
37/14 Mashtots Avenue
Tel. + (374) 10 53 39 49
E-mail: hayastan@hamazkayin.com
or
YSU Faculty of Armenian Philology,
52a Abovian Street
Tel. + (374) 60 71 06 24
E-mail: armphilology@ysu.am
Conference Organizing Committee
- Aram Simonian – YSU Rector
- Nare Mikayelyan- Executive Director at Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Foundation
- Serzh Srapionian – Deputy Minister of Diaspora
- Garo Hovhannesian- publicist, critic, teacher (Beirut)
- Artsrun Avagian – YSU, Dean of Faculty of Armenian Philology
- Edik Minasian- Dean of the Faculty of History, YSU
- Vazgen Gabrielian- Head of Chair of the Contemporary Armenian Literature, Professor, YSU
- Arman Yeghiazaryan – Head of Chair of Diaspora, YSU
Source: Armenian Weekly
Link: International Conference Dedicated to Avedis Aharonian to Take Place in Yerevan