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CIVILIZATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AND NARRATIVE ART – 2016-2

Hrant Matevosyan and Sergei Dovlatov

Summary

David V. Petrosyan

Key words – civilization environment, bells lettres, H. Matevosyan, S. Dovlatov, totalitarianism, literature, freedom to create, author, narrator, F. Braudel, archetypal symbol.

Based on the novels “Hangover” by H. Matevosyan and “Reserve” by S. Dovlatov, the article discusses the relations of political environment and narrative art, which develop in a very interesting way in parallel to the creation of the text. The comparative study was conducted in the context of civilizational time. Both stories are built around the principle of fragmentation, full of events (in a short period of time) that lead the story to the impasse. H. Matevosyan and S. Dovlatov overcome this problem by means of metaphysical self-contemplation: the narrative ends with the help of the archetypal symbols in the territory of a long civilizational duration.

The subject of the relation of civilizational environment and narrative art, represented by H. Matevosyan and S. Dovlatov, also has the possibility of other hypertext analysis that can lead the researcher towards new discoveries.

THE METAMORPHOSIS OF THE FOOL IN THE PROSE OF HRANT MATEVOSYAN – 2016-2

The story of “Our Clan of the Fools” in parallel with the novel “The Lord”

Summary

Ala A. Kharatyan

Keywords – Hrant Matevosyan, M. Bakhtin, “Our Clan of the Fools”, fool, trickster, master, essence, collective memory, metaphor, discourse, text, metatext.

The article explores the development of the metaphor of the Fool in Hrant Matevosyan’s works. The metaphor of the Fool is interpreted as self-identity in “Our Clan of the Fools”. The article observes the transformation of the Fool into a cultural hero, in the context of the self-identity, which has brought to the perception of the character as the trickster mythologeme. The article has scrupulously shown that the carnival image, provided to the public, is only a surface of the Fool character. Another novel by the writer, “The Lord”, is analyzed as the sequel of “Our Clan of the Fools”, where the hero’s personality makes efforts to transform into master. According to Hr. Matevosyan’s concept, the Fool expresses the collective identity, he is a king player, the inverted king, not the king or the authority or the lord, but the artist. The peasant embodies the identity of “we” and the longing to become a king always makes the base of the existence of the Fool, who would never become a King or a Lord. The author comes to a conclusion that “Our Clan of the Fools”, as the recreated image of the history, is Hr. Matevosyan’s discourse about the history, where two different invisible formations and times are compared.

PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY OF HRANT MATEVOSYAN – 2016-2

Summary

Vazgen H. Safaryan

Keywords – time-space, the ratio of strength and weakness, nation-state and imperialism, local and universal civilizations, cultural unity and continuity.

With the perception of history as a chronological unity, Hrant Matevosyan views the artistic completeness of the human image in the general dynamics of national characteristics and its development. In this context some personal features such as strength and vulnerability are being exposed, which relates to the nature of the civilizations, its political-military and cultural essence and in the context of the complexity of assertion of Armenian identity. The historical philosophy acquires artistic qualities in the depictions of the wanderings of blind King Trdat, the mythology of continuous extermination of the enemy by Gayl Vahan, the symbol of political-military failures and the equivocality of cultural eternity which is observed in the characteristics of Bagratuni tiger and the city of Ani, as well as in the strivings of stableman Mesrop for understanding the history. In this respect the history obtains educational role despite the subjectivity of the fact-text qualitative transition, where the issue of statehood and national ideology as well as the connections with empire civilization and primary cultural place of Armenians acquire significant role. In his ethnological pursuits and the movement from the past to the future Hrant Matevosyan, like his predecessors, observes the obscurity always striving to discover the historical– cultural foundation of national existence.

THE ETIQUETTE OF SPEECH – 2016-2

Summary

Liana S. Sargsyan

Key words – manners, speech, surroundings, situation, speech forms, communication, language means, addressing forms, intonation, extralinguistic factor.

In this article characteristic features of the etiquette are discussed. The extralinguistic factors of the speech are presented briefly. This factors are surroundings, social role, behavior a specific area, traditions, facial expression, movement, etc. The main focus is on the nutreal situations of communication. In some cases conditions connected to the speech process such as those that can have a direct influence on that process also taken into consideration. Then specific situations are given separately (acquaintances, phone call conversations, greetings, farewell) and the corresponding speech forms.

HISTORICAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC IMAGE OF WESTERN ARMENIA ON THE EVE OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE – 2016-1

Part four: eastern and southern provinces of Erzurum vilayet

Summary

Gegham M. Badalyan

Keywords – Basen,Tortum,Nariman,Hınıs,Kehi,sanjakofBayazet,Bayazetcity,Artsap,Bagavan,Karakilisa,Alashkert,Dutagh-Antab.

Continuing the series devoted to historical geography and demography of Western Armenia, we present to the reader the eastern and southern provinces of Erzurum vilayet – Basen, Tortum, Nariman or Mamrvan, Hınıs, Kehi (all in the central sanjak of Erzurum), as well as the town of Bayazet and the homonymous province, Diadin, Karakilisa , Alashkert and Dutah or Antab (all as part of the 3rd sanjak of the province – Bajazet). Armenians were driven away from some of the aforementioned provinces almost entirely. The persecution of the Armenian population began during the Ottoman-Persian wars in the 16-17 centuries. Only Shah Abbas I organized in 1604-1605 the migration of Armenians in many eastern provinces of Western Armenia, including in all administrative units, which are discussed in this article: About 60,000 people were expelled in the Ararat region, and then driven away to the depth of the Persian Empire. This process continued in the 18th century and in the first 30 years of the 19th century. Nevertheless, the process of the expulsion of Armenians from their historical homeland has reached truly catastrophic levels after the conquest of the Eastern Armenia from the Russian Empire. All three Russian-Turkish wars of the 19th century (18281829, 1854-1856 and 1877-1878) have had terrible consequences for those regions. Among these violent expulsions stands out particularly the big migration of Western Armenians in the period of 1829-1830, when only from sanjak Bajazet more than 2,500 families have been displaced mainly in Sevan basin, as well as in Surmalu, in eastern Chirac and other eastern provinces, as a result of which, Bajazet and many other villages and settlements were emptied. The demographic situation has changed to the detriment of Armenians also in Basen, Tekman (at the beginning of the 20th century was the northern part of the province Ķinis) in Tortum and Nariman-Mamrvan. It is in those times that ethno-demographic picture of Central Armenia was completely distorted. Immediately after the forced relocation of Armenians, Kurdish tribes began to settle in areas, which was strongly encouraged by the Turkish authorities and marked the beginning of a gradual “kurdization” of Western Armenia. As a result of such relocations, the Armenians, and, naturally, their ratio has been declining. In addition, in 1877 the city of Bajazet and many villages of the sanjak have been attacked by Kurdish brigands of fanatical Sheikh Jalaleddin, who was supported by the Turkish military authorities. During the robbery, the local Armenian population was almost completely destroyed (number of victims exceeded 2200). In fact, this should be considered as a precedent of the Armenian Genocide committed in 1890 by the bloody Sultan Abdul-Hamid II. However, among those provinces there are also some, where in spite of the Turkish policy of destruction, Armenian population could preserve their ethnic Armenian territory and numerical superiority until the Genocide. We are talking primarily about Hınıs and Kehi. The Armenian population of Basen was also quite significant

Albert A. Kharatyan, Western-Armenian press at the end of its history (1900-1922), Yerevan, Institute of History of NAS RA, 2015, 533 p. – 2016-1

Summary

Mariam H. Gevorkyan

Keywords – Western Armenian press, Constantinople, Smyrna, Hamid censorship, Young Turks, the official newspaper “Azatamart”, newspaper “Verjin lur” (“Latest News”), weekly “Aragats”, newspaper “Arevelyan Mamul” (“Oriental Press” ).

The following valuable work of Albert A. Kharatyan (Corresponding Member of NAS RA) called “Western-Armenian press at the end of its history (1900-1922)” summarizes a very important period of development of the Armenian periodical press – the history of Western Armenian press in the first quarter of the 20th century. The author summed up and presented a certain period of the history of Western-Armenian press in a consistent and systematic way, defining at the same time the role and the importance of a number of leading periodicals.

The significance of the work consists also of the fact that it considers the periodic press that has not previously been the subject of systematic research. There were only a few references, comments concerning a particular periodical or editor.

The work by A. Kharatyan gives a full and deep understanding of WesternArmenian public opinion, national issues, political and cultural realities of the first quarter of the 20th century, creating some serious information basis for further study and research of media and political thought.

THE LAST GREAT THINKER OF EUROPE – 2016-1

In memory of Umberto Eco

Summary

Hasmik A. Yeghiazaryan

Key words – U.Eco, Middle Ages, postmodernism, intertextuality, irony, mass media, bestseller

The article deals with the scientific and literary activity of the highly admired Italian philosopher, linguist, medievalist and writer Umberto Eco who passed away recently. His literary and scientific works discuss a large number of issues that include not only such disciplines as philosophy, history or aesthetics but also mass media, comics, etc. The appearance of his books such as “The open work”, “The role of the reader, Lector in Fabula” or novels like “The Name of the Rose”, “The Foucault pendulum” marked a new era not only in the Italian but also in the world postmodern literature and human sciences.

FRENCH LITERATURE ON THE PAGES OF “ARARAT” JOURNAL – 2016-1

Summary

Greta Y. Nikoghosyan

Keywords – Armenian literature, translations from the French, the second half of the XIX century, journal «Ararat», French Armenologists, French literature of classical period.

At the end of the 19th century the number of translations of European and especially French authors into Armenian greatly increased, respectively, the Armenian press of these years began to publish translations of foreign authors, in addition to original works. The magazine turned to the works of such great French authors like Antoine Jean de Saint-Martin, Blaise Pascal, Francois Rene de Chateaubriand, Jean de La Fontaine, Victor Hugo, Jacques Delille, Jacques Elisee Reclus and others. The works of French authors left some great influence on the Armenian language, literature and scientific thought in general, and the journal «Ararat» undoubtedly contributed to this process.

BATTLE OF SURMALU – 2016-1

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of death of Commander Drastamat Kanayan

Summary

Hamlet M. Gevorgyan, Arthur S. Ghazaryan

Keywords – Drastamat Kanayan, battle of Surmalu, Republic of Armenia, front of Kars, Ararat valley, Karo of Sasun, Kurd, Koghb, Kazim Karabekir Pasha, Caracalla, Yerevan, Vahe Artsruni, A. Aharonyan, Igdir, Kuro Tarkhanyan, Martiros Abrahamyan.

The battle of Surmalu led by Drastamat Kanayan was the last battle of the Armenian-Turkish war of 1920, when the Armenian army won a decisive victory. But this fact did not receive due attention among Armenian historiography and society. Although the Government of Armenia and the army’s high command believed that the main front was the one of Kars, but Surmalu was not at all inferior to Kars due to its geographical position and tactical importance. The front of Surmalu was closer to Yerevan and to the most densely populated region – the Ararat valley, besides, compared to Kars front there were no sufficient troops and weapons. The victory of the Armenian armed forces in the battle of Surmalu saved Armenians of Ararat valley from being slaughtered.

Thus, the victory of the Armenian troops in the battle of Surmalu during the Turkish-Armenian War of 1920 was crucial to the future survival of Armenia, and Dro has once again proved that he deserved the name of the invincible commander.

THE AREA OF THE TEXT – 2016-1

Types of mutual relations of text and context

Summary

Slavi-Avik M. Harutyunyan

Key words – text, context, cinema text, Yuri Lotman, Mikhail Bakhtin, artwork, specular reflection, Eden, text level, metatext, semiotics, text in text

The importance of the context and text and their influence on the creation of the meaning are thoroughly analyzed in this article. The author researches different levels of inner context and concretizes them on the example of movie, fictional and picturesque text, and also other possible variations. In interrelation with the text, the context transforms into a subsystem, and the change of context brings the change of the text meaning. In case of complex texts several contexts or different levels of contexts are viewed, that is horizontal and vertical levels each of them forming the meaning of the text in its own way. From the perspective of semiotics the phenomenon “text in text” is interpreted on different layers, which complicates the structure of text. Besides, not only the interpenetration of art into the similar type of texts is analyzed, but also the essence of interpenetration of different types of art one into another.