Summary
Karolina M. Sahakyan
In the given review we refer to the eighth volume of the “Family Chronicle” by Yeremia Tevkants (Ter-Sargsyants), published by the Institute of History of the NAS RA in 2018, with the elaboration of senior researcher Hakob Muradyan. This is one of the best examples of the genre of memoirs and includes the 1868-1872 history of a long period of Armenian history, written by one of the most literate and knowledgeable theologians of the time, who was the witness and participant of the events and happenings described.
This work consists of an introduction, 71 chapters, a vocabulary and an index of personal names and toponyms. In each of the chapters, the author discusses his travels and activities, providing exclusive information about the places he visited, the people he met and the people he worked with.
The exact chronology of the events is preserved in the work, as well as the sources used, in which correspondence, such as letters, telegrams, etc., is of particular value.
The most valuable part of the reviewed work, perhaps, can be considered the “Bulletin of Provincial Oppressions”, which was prepared by the “Commission of Inquiry into the Oppressions of Armenia” in 1892 and submitted to the Sublime Porte. It was the first time that the National Assembly of Constantinople exercised its constitutional right to formally apply to the government to end the illegalities and atrocities committed in Western Armenia. This document, prepared on the factual basis of numerous petitions received from the cantons by the Patriarchate for about 20 years, formulated the issue of the Western Armenians, which became the Armenian Question and after the 1877-1878 Russian-Turkish war, it entered the phase of internationalization, becoming the subject of diplomatic relations and discussions.
“Family Chronicle” by Yeremia Tevkants put into scientific circulation by the efforts of Hakob Muradyan, besides being of great historical value is also an important source of demographics, ethnography, everyday life, religious, intrachurch and inter-church relations, as well as from the perspective of the study of the history of separate dioceses.