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THE GREAT TRAGEDY OF HOVHANNES KAJAZNUNI – 2016-4

Part one. From smenovekhov distortions to Stalin’s persecution

Summary

Ararat M. Hakobyan

Keywords – smenovekhovstvo, N. Ustrialov, NEP, H. Kajaznuni, Armenian Question, reconstruction, national inclination, ARF Dashnaktsutyun, Kh. Mughdusi, A. Ghazaryan, pro-Soviet position, backstroke.

Hovhannes Kajaznuni’s name in Armenian political history is sometimes identified not with his position of the first Prime Minister of the First Republic of Armenia, but with the brochure “ARF has nothing to do”, published in Bucharest in 1923, which, together with the added word “else” of the Bolshevik propaganda machine has been used as a kind of anti-Dashnak “manifesto” for 70 years.

At critical moments of history, even the most confident politicians may be in despair, it’s quite common in world history and in the history of Armenia as well. This is evidenced by the desire of reconciliation and acceptance of the Soviet regime in the 1920s. Hovhannes Kajaznuni and some other figures fell in this trap, expressing desire to get away from the ARF Dashnaktsutyun, to return home and take an active part in its reconstruction. It was an expression of the ideology of reconciliation with Bolshevism typical for Smenovekhovtsy – Russian émigré circles in the Armenian reality.

Hovh. Kajaznuni thought that in the new conditions the ARF Dashnaktsutyun should leave the political arena and the main role should be given to the Armenian Communist Party, so that the country was restored with the help of the Soviet state and the Armenian issue was resolved. But A. Ghazaryan, who saw the salvation of the Armenian people only by Russia, supports the view that ARF Dashnaktsutyun has much to do to rebuild the country, solving the issue of refugees and other issues. The book by Kajaznuni was an attempt to review the vibrant and fruitful activity of ARF Dashnaktsutyun in 1914-1923, followed by his controversial assessments and conclusions. Most of Kajaznuni’s judgments about historical events were based on assumptions. In fact, to return home and rejoin his family he needed a “political pass”, and the Bolsheviks that were preparing the “self-destruction” of ARF Dashnaktsutyun, needed this book entitled “ARF Dashnaktsutyun has nothing to do”.

k entitled “ARF Dashnaktsutyun has nothing to do”. However, since his arrival in Armenia the public security organs closely followed Kajaznuni, even his daily personal life. Dark clouds gradually deepened overhead Kajaznuni, especially in the 1930s.

On July 28, 1937 People’s Commissar of Internal Affairs Kh. Mughdusi signed a warrant for the search of Kajaznuni apartment and his arrest. On December 5, 1937 the NKVD troika ASSR signed the death sentence against Kajaznuni, the former prime minister and an active member of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun, with the confiscation of personal property. But on the advice of the prison doctor, who diagnosed tuberculosis, the execution of the sentence was postponed. A short time later, on January 15, 1938 Hovh. Kajaznuni, the first Prime Minister of the First Republic of Armenia died in the prison hospital at the age of 70 years.

As a result of the application of well-known methods of Soviet intelligence, many political opponents were affected by smenovekhovstvo’s ideology and gave speeches and wrote books in favor of reconciliation with the Bolsheviks, among them Snar Snaryan (Narinyan), Sahak Chitchyan, Arshak Ghazaryan, Gerasim Atajanian Harutyun Budaghyan, Sahak Torosian and others, most of which subsequently suffered the tragic fate of Hovh. Kajaznuni.

THE LEGAL STATUS OF ARMENIANS IN FRESNO COUNTY (1880-1920) – 2016-4

Summary

Hasmik M. Yesayan

Key words – discrimination, nativism, restrictive covenants, immigration policy, natives, “undesirables”, racial classification, citizenship.

This article makes an attempt to investigate the legal status of the Armenians settled in Fresno, California in the 1880-1920s in the context of national policies of the United States. The Nativism, an Anglo-Saxon influential movement, formed in 19th century was aimed at maintaining racial purity, and the United States government adopted a variety of different laws for that purpose. The most essential of these laws was the law on refugee citizenship, which was accompanied by discussions about the ethnic origins and the refugees deprived of the rights came across serious obstacles in all of the legal and social fields and the immigration restricting laws of 1921-1924s, which resulted in significant reduction of the Armenian immigration to the United States, including California, Fresno.

The article discusses the origin and the reasons of the national discrimination against the Armenians in Fresno County, caused by nativism, as well as the inter-ethnic relations between the Armenians and the natives. It reveals the restrictive covenants, which were aimed at «undesirables», including Armenians. These laws created complications and obstacles for the Armenians in their new homeland, Fresno.

ALEXANDER GRIBOYEDOV AND THE IMMIGRATION OF PERSIAN ARMENIANS IN 1828-1829 – 2016-4

As a subject of Azeri and Russian historical-fictional workouts

Summary 

Vahram R. Simonyan

Keywords – Nikita Mikhalkov, Azerbaijani falsifications, Turkmanchai agreement, A. Griboyedov, Heraclius II, P. Tsitsianov, relocation, Russian Cossacks, Nerses Ashtaraketsi, E. Lazaryan, Immigration Committee, I. Paskevich.

The article examines the policy of the Russian government, regarding the relocation of Persian Armenians due to Turkmenchay agreement and the involvement of the Russian writer Alexander Griboyedov. The author shows that the relocation of the Persian Armenians is their return to their historic homeland from which they were deported during the reign of Shah Abbas in the early 17th century.

During the Russian­Persian war of 1826­1828, after the failure of the policy of resettlement of 80,000 Little­Russian Cossacks, the Russian government accepts the proposals of the Armenian figures (Lazarevs) and organizes the resettlement of the Persian Armenians.

We’ve presented the efforts and huge practical and advocacy contribution in this process of Georgian Armenians eparch ­ Nerses Ashtaraketsi, colonel E. Lazaryan, M. Argutyan­Dolgorukiy and others. The efforts of the above­mentioned figures have not received a proper assessment by the commander of the Caucasian Corps I. Paskevich, because of the machinations of which Alexander Griboyedov was among the officials carrying out thorough inspection of E. Lazaryan, the head of the Committee for the resettlement of the Persian Armenians.

As it is well­known, in the Soviet historiography in the research process of Persian Armenians’ migration a great importance was attached to the role of Alexander Griboyedov. But historical facts show that A. Griboyedov was only the executor of the will of central government and had little sympathy for the Armenians. Meanwhile Soviet mythmaking made Griboyedov the savior of longsuffering people. Modern Azerbaijani historiography, which is based on the ridiculous concept of Armenians «being newcomers» in Eastern Armenia, seeks to use Soviet mythmaking about Griboyedov­armenofile for their own purposes. Another manifestation of it is the attempt to win over to his side the famous Russian director N. Mikhalkov and remove the serial film about Griboyedov. The aim of this venture is the justification of the invented concept of «Western Azerbaijan», whose demographic face was contorted by the resettlement of Armenians from Persia and the Ottoman Empire.

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF RAFFY SARKISSIAN’S ARTWORKS – 2016-4

Summary

Shushanik G. Zohrabyan

Key words – Raffy Sarkissian, national roots, sculptures, perception, artistic language, letters, symbols.

To understand Raffi Sarkisian’s art it is important to consider the matters connected with national thinking and expression of artistic language. The titles of his works remind the meaning of thoughts and emotions invested in them. There are key themes in Sarkissian’s artworks: the individual and society, human being and nature, the Armenian Genocide. Bronze sculptures reveal a very spiritual and emotional depth. Branches of trees, plants, roots, leaves, frequently used typical characteristic elements, symbols that help the revelation of image, making an inseparable part of his artistic language. Deeply national sculptures represent the language of the world art, and are a part of this family.

HISTORICAL-PHILOSOPHICAL AND POLITICAL VIEWS OF VAHRAM RABUNI – 2016-4

Summary

Seyran A. Zakaryan

Kay words – Vahram Rabuni, Historiography of Middle Ages, History of Philosophy, History of Armenia, Church, Historical Memory, Godliness, Legitimacy of State, Inheritance law.

This article demonstrates that the central idea of historical-philosophical and political views of the 13th century outstanding philosopher and politicalstate actor Vahram Rabuni is the fortification and strengthening of the Armenian statehood of Cilicia. Rabuni “revolutionizes” the structures of historical memory and national identity and puts both historical investigation and the understanding of events of his time for the increase of legitimacy and social authority of the state and not the church. He stresses the importance of preconditions of statehood perseverance (legitimacy, godliness, and wise application of authority), moreover he highlights the creation of a united front of Christian churches, solidarity of all social classes and activities contributing to improvement of statehood. Unlike many Medieval thinkers, Rabuni subordinates spiritual power to worldly power by ascribing ancillary function to the religious class and requiring that the church pay taxes to the state.

TEXT VARIANTS AND RUSSELL’S PARADOX – 2016-4

Summary

Ashot S. Abrahamyan

Key words – Text, variant, interpretation, space, author, reader, abridgment, addition, sequence, set.

Alongside with a multitude of merely semantic interpretations, the text’s space characteristics – volume and sequence of the read text parts, act as important factors favoring the emergence of alternative versions of the text. Abridgement and addition are the two main text volume changes. Replacement is not an elementary procedure; it is a local combination of abridgement and addition. Additions can be classified by a number of criteria: by their author, level of their closeness to the original text and by their content correlation with it. The author’s text bears the opportunity of creating an infinite number of reader variants. Hence, it can be characterized as a macrotext, on the basis of which individual manifestations – reader microtexts can be formed. The text appears as a variety of diverse texts, and thus can be called polytext. There arises a situation like the one in Russell’s paradox. However, if the logical and mathematical solutions to Russell’s paradox lead to its elimination, the theory of text can take a different approach, recognizing the text’s paradoxicality as one of its characteristic features.

CHARACTERS OF BIBLICAL WOMEN IN WORLD LITERATURE – 2016-4

N. Mailer, J. Saramago, A. Burgess, N. Kazantzakis

Summary

Haykanush A. Sharuryan

Key words – Virgin, Mary Magdalene, Salome, Jesus, prototype, medieval, Bible, Norman Mailer, José Saramago, Anthony Burgess, Nikos Kazantzakis, Carl Jung, gnostic, character, symbol.

The presented article is devoted to the comparative study of novels by world- known four authors – American novelist Norman Mailer, English writer Anthony Burgess, Portuguese author José Saramago and Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis: all novels have biblical themes (“The Gospel According to the Son”, “Man of Nazareth”, “The Gospel According to Jesus”, “The Last Temptation of Jesus”). Here are mainly presented unique literary personification and deeply humane nature of three heroines – Virgin, Mary Magdalene and partially Salome.

HIS OTHER – 2016-4

 About Charents’ attitude towards Stalin

Summary

Ashot V. Voskanyan

Key words – poet, political power, totalitarism, Charents, Stalin, anti-stalinism, Charents’ last manuscrupts.

The analysis of Yeghishe Charents’ last manuscripts (“There was a naive poet…” and “Ode”) reveals the poet’s ambivalent attitude towards Joseph Stalin – almighty leader of Bolshevik Empire. External pressure of totalitarian system metamorphoses into the subconscious controlling instance similar to the Freudian “super-ego”. The ambiguous alloy of fear and reverence, loathing and love manifests in the ambiguity of poetical texts.

LETTERS BY ARSHAK CHOPANYAN TO ARPIAR ARPIARYAN – 2015-3

Concerning the capture of the Ottoman Bank and its consequences

Summary

Hovik B. Grigoryan

Key words – liberation struggle, unpublished documents, capture of the Ottoman Bank, Western Armenian writer, Reorganized Hnchakyan party, Western Armenian intellectual, the Armenian issue, Young Turk figures, Paris.

The operation of Ottoman Bank’s capture became the most significant event among offensive tactics of ARF Dashnaktsutyun in 1896-1898, which received a wide response in the international arena, and in inner circles. By publishing three letters of Arshak Chopanyana addressed to Arpiar Arpiaryan, which he wrote under fresh impressions, and without any political intention, we want to present the immediate impact that this operation has made on the international community and some Western Armenian intellectuals who were settled in France at that time. As the whole three letters by A. Chopanyan were written under the immediate impression of capture of Ottoman Bank, they are three parts of a whole in terms of content and continue each other. They are significant also because they reflect the optimism of A. Chopanyan concerning the capture of the Ottoman Bank, who at the time was also in Europe and was close to the reorganized Hnchakyan party.

HISTORICAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC IMAGE OF WESTERN ARMENIA ON THE EVE OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE – 2016-3

Part six: The northern, eastern and western provinces of Bitlis vilayet

Summary

Gegham M. Badalyan

Key words – Bulanukh, St. Daniel Monastery, Liz melikate, Yondzhalu melikate, Manazkert, Vardo, Datvan-Rahva, Genji, Chapaghdzhur, self-defense of the Upper Bulanukh.

We would like to present to the reader’s attention the following districts of 3 sanjaks of Bitlis Vilayet – Bulanukh, Manazkert, Vardo (Mush sanjak), Khlat or Akhlat with a small district – Datvan Rahva (Bitlis central sanjak), Genji, Chapaghdzhur (Genji sanjak). These administrative units occupied the northern, eastern and western parts of the vilayet. Among the most Armenian-populated areas of Western Armenia were Bulanukh and Khlat (with Datvan). In these administrative units the Armenian population was overwhelming until 1915, particularly in the first two districts – 65-68%, and in the group of Datvan villages – 90%. The number of the Armenian population in other districts has declined due to well-known circumstances, although here, too, on the eve of the First World War one could still find many “islands” of the Armenian population. Genji and Chapaghdzhur sanjaks and Vardo village especially suffered from ethnic cleansing resulting from regular devastating battles that were motivated by Kurdish elders in the 18-19 centuries and were accompanied by mass penetration of new tribes. In the 30-40-ies of the 19th century the Turkish government was deliberately populating by Kurds most of the land abandoned by the Armenians, and the 60-70-ies of the same century they were joined by the Caucasian mountaineers and some Turkic-speaking ethnic groups. As a result of such a policy at the end of the 19th century the districts of Manazkert, Vardo, Genji and Chapaghdzhur significantly lost their national character, becoming areas mainly populated by alien tribes.