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DIVISION OF THE PROVINCE (GAVAR) ZANGEZUR IN 1921 – 2014-4

From the history of the formation of the interstate border between Soviet Armenia and Soviet Azerbaijan

Summary

Hamo K. Sukiasyan

On the basis of the Armenian-Russian agreement signed on December 2, 1920 in Yerevan, Soviet Russia recognized the province of Zangezur of Yelizavetpol province as part of Soviet Armenia. Previously, on November 30, 1920 the Revolutionary Committee of Azerbaijan also declared Zangezur property of Soviet Armenia.

On August 31, 1921 People‘s Commissars of ASSR took the decision „about the formation of the province of Zangezur“, which meant only the territory under the guidance of Njdeh (western part of the province). Thus, although the leaders of the ASSR were pretending that Zangezur joined the Soviet Armenia, it concerned only the western part of the province.

On October 12-13,1921 at the meeting with the participation of 43 „responsible figures“ from Armenia and Azerbaijan, it was decided to hold a temporary border between the two states. Accordingly, the territories where in April 1921 they held the elections for local councils, were considered part of the territory of Azerbaijan, and those areas which were under the rule of G. Nzhdeh until July 1921 were attached to Armenia. A similar decision was taken just the day before during the meeting of the provincial Revolutionary Committee of Zangezur.

In fact, on the basis of an agreement signed in Yerevan on December 2, 1920, the province of Zangezur, which was part of the Soviet Armenia, now was implicitly divided between Soviet Armenia and Soviet Azerbaijan.

CULTUROLOGICAL ASPECT OF GENRE STUDIES – 2014-4

According to M. Bakhtin’s and Yu. Tinyanov’s research

Summary

Slavi-Avik Harutyunyan 

The main aspects of the theory of genre studies by Yu. Tinyanov and M. Bakhtin are analyzed in the  article. The conclusions concerning the genre made by the two great theorists are considered to be an acquisition of new literary criticism, comparing with traditional literary criticism and existing theoretical traditional views on genre as such.

A special interpretation is given to primary and secondary genres advanced by M. Bakhtin. The first ones are considered as primary genres, which exist since ancient times and the secondary ones as relatively new phenomena. The concept of chronotope is particularly analyzed within these differentiations as an essential relationship of temporal and spatial relations, which are artistically developed in the literature. The author concludes that the key novelty of Bakhtin is to describe the adventure chronotope in the transformation of space and time and opportunity to move them in space. Considering the theoretical views of Tinyanov about the genre, the author focuses on the two most important factors that are put forward by them in understanding the genre: the historicity and the evolutionism, through which the genre is considered to be a moving phenomenon.

RESULTS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS OF THE SELIM CARAVANSERAI – 2014-4

Summary

Astghik A. Babajanyan, Artavazd S. Zaqyan

The complex of Selim caravanserai was built in 1332 by prince Chesar Orbelyan according to the bilingual inscription. It consists of the main three-nave hall, the antechamber and the building adjacent to the antechamber.

In 2012 the joint expedition group of the Institute of archaeology and ethnography NAS RA and “The Service for the protection Historical Environment and Cultural Museums Reservation” Non Commercial State Organization of the RA Ministry of Culture carried out excavations in the territory of the Selim caravanserai. The aim of the excavations was to ascertain the functional role of the building adjecent to the east of antechamber as well as to check the durability of building foundation.

The excavations disproved the identity of the adjacent building as a chapel (which had been known in extant literature), and likewise disproved the presence of the door in the south side as it was marked in past measurements. The entry was found in the west side of the building, which is connected with the antechamber.

The majority of the found artifacts are pottery of the XIII-XIV c. which has parallels in ceramic production of simultaneous monuments of Armenia. A collection of metal artifacts was found, consisting of a large needle, fragments of a door lock, shoes for oxen and stone working tools, as well as a fragment of an obsidian knife blade.

As the results of excavations several versions were raised regarding the functional meaning of the adjacent building (refectory, staff apartments, hall for commercial exchanges, guardhouse) which will be supported or contradicted by further excavations. The new excavations revealed various previously unknown facts, enriching the historical-cultural description of the Selim caravanserai.

FROM THE QUESTION OF ARCHE TO THE IDEA OF SALVATION OF SOUL – 2014-4

Following Kuno Fischer’s Reconstruction of Ontologico- Gnosiological Problems of Ancient Greek Philosophy

Summary

Hakob S. Madoyan

The article discusses Kuno Fischer’s reconstruction of Ancient Greek philosophy, which is presented in the “Introduction” to his “History of New Philosophy”. Preserving formulations of main problems and the course of reconstruction proposed by Fischer, the development of ontologico-gnosiological problems of Ancient Greek philosophy is briefly traced on the basis of slightly different factual material with a grater accent on pre-Socratics and stressing some ideas, which are more topical from the viewpoint of modernity. An attempt is made to answer some possible criticism towards such reconstruction, as well as to discern some characteristics of Ancient Greek thought and Western thought in general.

SHAH ABBAS AND ARMENIANS OF NOR JUGHA – 2014-4

in Elgin Groseclose’s novel “The Carmelite”

Summary

Svetlana R. Tumanyan

The Carmelite by Elgin Groseclose is a historical novel that depicts the Persian mission of discaled carmelites in the reign of Abbas the first, dispatched by Pope Clement VIII. Trying to phylosophically evaluate the political, diplomatic and religious aspects of the mission, the American novelist also presents the complicated relations of the Shah with the Armenian colony, forcefully established in Julfa. In part 4, entitled Affairs of Empire, the Armenian religious holiday, the Khatchaturan, commemorating both the Lord’s baptism and His manifestation to the Jews, is portrayed in all detail, based on historical facts. The letters of the Carmelites edited, translated and published by Herbert Chick in A Chro¬nicle of the Carmelites in Persia and the Papal Mission of the XVIIth and XVIIIth Centuries (1939) provided authentic material for the historical events described in the novel. Fray Juan Thaddeus, the protagonist of the novel, was a historical person as all the other characters in the novel, who was so well revered by the Armenian community of Julfa, that when he left Persia, Armenians sent a letter to the Pope beseeching Him to send the Carmelite back as the Bishop of an Armenian Church in Julfa.

INTERPRETATION OF CANTO OF GR. NAREKATSI ENTITLED «RESURRECTION” – 2014-4

Summary

Haykazun. S. Alvrtsyan

The canto “Resurrection” (begins with the line “The cart was going down the mountain Masis”) by Gregory of Narek is his only writing that he did not include in Gandzatetr, later it was not included in Gandzaran (Treasury) too. The question arises – why? The answer to the question is important because the resolution of this issue is going to contribute to the interpretation of the content expressed with help of some spiritual allegory. Many linguists, literary scholars and translators have tried to interpret this canto, but there is still no single, final and complete interpretation, which would respond to all the answers. Taking into account the previous interpretations, the author tried to reinterpret and answer to the above question by analyzing this sample of exceptionally reasonable speech (covenant) basing upon spiritual interpretation, and especially upon the system of interpretation of Gregory of Narek.

THE EPOCH OF ASHOT THE IRON – 2014-4

Part I: The Issue of Preservation of the Armenian Kingdom

Summary

Arman S. Yeghiazaryan

Ashot the Iron is one of the greatest figures in the history of Armenia. The period of his reign (914-929) has an epochal importance for the history of Armenia, because he managed to both save the Armenian kingdom from collapse, and restore the state system, which was destroyed during the prolonged invasion of the Atropatene ruler troops.

Ashot the Iron was declared as the heir to the throne in 903. In 910 he headed the Armenian army against the troops of Atropatene in Dzknavadjar battle, where his army was defeated.

After Smbat I the Armenian king (891-914) was captured, in 913 Ashot the Iron led the war against Atropatene and managed to liberate the central and north-eastern parts of the Armenian kingdom.

In 914 he was crowned and declared as the king of Armenia.

Soon he faced a number of serious difficulties, which forced him to appeal to the Byzantine emperor for help. In 915 he left for Constantinople, where he was received with honors. There he got the information about the new attacks of the ruler of Atropatene and hurriedly returned to Armenia. The Byzantine emperor sent troops to assist him against the enemy.

ABOUT THE ANCIENT CHARIOTS AND CHARIOTEERS OF THE ARMENIAN HIGHLAND – 2014-4

Summary

Sargis G. Petrosyan

Ancient vehicles of the Armenian Highland were massive four-wheel, with wheels without spokes. Hittite vehicles tiiarit =*diiaret were also of such kind. This word has probably not “Hurrian” but Indo-European-Armenian origin. The first component of the word corresponds to an arm. ti “big” (<I.-E. *dei- “shine”), and the second component – from ancient Arm. *aret (*a-ret<I.-E. *ret(h) “slide, spins, rotate”: cmp. ancient Hindu rոtha “vehicle, chariot”, Latin rota “wheel, circle” and so on. Chariots are known from the III millennium BC. by Sumerian images, but the center of the creation of wheeled vehicles were northern mountainous regions, with strong wood forests, where existed also metallurgy of bronze. These were the regions of the Armenian (Eastern) Taurus.

In the Hittite code of the laws of XIV century B.C. the tribes Manda and Sala were mentioned as the Hittite citizens, earlier exempt from duties. The representatives of these tribes are presented as fighters. The descendants of these tribes are the representatives of ancient Armenian naharar dynasty Mandakuni and Salkuni. Together they are also mentioned in the “History of Armenia” by Khorenatsi (II, 8), in ancient Armenian “Gahnamak” (47th and 48th) and “Zoranamak” (14 th and 15 th). So their possessions were in the neighborhood: nakharars (overlords) Mandakuni were the owners of gavar (province) Arshamunik, and Salkuni once lived in the south Arshamunik, in gavar (province) Taron. Hence, the ancestors of these nakharars (overlords) lived in the neighborhood in this area (in the north-west of Lake Van). Ethnonyms of the tribes manda and sala are of particular interest, because they etymologized from Indo-European-Armenian base. According to Khorenatsi, during the Trojan War Armenian commander Zarmayr together with the Ethiopian army went to the aid of the Trojans of Priam, though he was serving to the Assyrian king Tevtamos (I, 20; I, 32). In Greek sources of Khorenatsi originally it was not about the country of Assyria, but about the country Assuwa in the northwest of Asia Minor, as the name of Tevtamos is of Indo-European (Asia Minor, the Balkans) origin.

As for the “Ethiopian army” of Zarmayr, it is likely that there here too were originally mentioned the soldiers of Armenian origin. In our opinion, there was initially no ethnonym Ethiop, but the little-known archaic Armenian word * eti-iop “horse-drawn carriage”> “chariot”.

IDEA OF HISTORY FROM JOHANN DROYSEN TO ROBIN COLLINGWOOD – 2014-4

Part Two. Ernst Bernheim and psychophysical principle of causality

Summary 

Gevorg S. Khudinyan

Ernst Bernheim (1850-1942) is one of the most original figures of European historiography of the late 19th and early 20th century. By means of published books, he formed a specific system of knowledge concerning the theoretical problems of history. He continued and deepened the best traditions of anthropocentric knowledge of the history of Jo. Droysen, also resorting to the help of the principle of psychophysical causality, which was proposed by B. Spinoza and specified by H. Lotze. The particularity of Bernheim’s study of the relationship and interdependence of the two forms of psychophysical causation – mental and physical, as well as the three levels of their manifestation – single typical and collective, is to examine the history as a the development process. It was carried out in a number of double causality – the common causes and conditions and special conditions, including the fact surveyed as part of them.

Clarifying for himself the ratio of pair units of psychophysical causation, E. Bernheim took as a basis the problem of the particular historical review of their capabilities of transformation into functional reasons of development in the historical process, the study of mutual relations and the definition of the functional role of each in different conditions.