Category: 2019

BY MATTHEW KARANIAN

Editor’s Note: Karanian’s book was launched on April 9, at Abril Bookstore. Story and photos reprinted with permission from ‘The Armenian Highland: Western Armenia and the First Armenian Republic of 1918’ by Matthew Karanian (Stone Garden Press, 2019). Available on from bookstores, directly from the publisher, and Amazon.

One century ago, on April 22, 1919, my grandfather placed a classified advertisement in the Hairenik, the leading Armenian language newspaper in the United States.

His message was simple, and it was direct.

I am from the Aygestan neighborhood of Van, my grandfather wrote. My father was a Vartabed (high priest) named Yeghishe Kheranyan. My brothers are Mrgdtich and Garabed Kheranyan. If you have any information about them, please write to me.

He wrote his message in Armenian, the language of the immigrants he hoped would read his plea. He printed his mailing address—a Post Office Box in New Britain, Conn. that he had opened in anticipation of a flood of replies—in English.

Grandpa’s mailbox never received any mail. No one replied to his advertisement.

My grandfather was Hovhannes Kheranyan (Karanian), and he was 24 years old when he penned this message. He had left his home in Van and had traveled to the US in 1912, shortly before the start of the Armenian Genocide. Now he was searching for any relatives who might have survived.

My grandfather’s method of searching for genocide survivors wasn’t uncommon.

In the years following both the Adana massacres of 1909 and the Armenian genocide of 1915, many of those who survived and who had taken refuge in other countries attempted to locate the lost members of their families by placing public notices in newspapers.

The Hairenik, an Armenian language newspaper that has been continuously published in the US since 1899, played a significant role in this effort in America. Armenian refugees in the US placed notices in the newspaper announcing that they had survived, and seeking to learn if anyone else in their family had, too.

The Hairenik was published daily from 1915 through 1991—it was issued weekly before 1915, and it’s a weekly once again today—and placing a public notice in this newspaper was perhaps the best way to reach a large audience of Armenians at the time.

My grandfather’s ad is one of thousands of similar ads that would eventually be printed in the aftermath of the genocide, by Armenians who were seeking to locate their families.

He, and the others, must have suspected that their families had been killed during the genocide. But still, they published the notices and they waited for news.

In 1912, seven years before this advertisement was published, my then-17 year old grandfather had left his home in Van and had traveled to New Britain, Conn. He had planned to stay in the US for a few years, earn a lot of money, and then bring it back to his family in the Old Country.

His plan was not uncommon among the young men in his hometown of Van, or in many other towns and villages on the Armenian Highland—a region that is more commonly known today as Western Armenia.

The genocide forced him to abandon his plan to return to Van, however. Many years later, he would eventually correspond with the few surviving members of his family who had escaped to Yerevan. But he never saw them again.

Hovhannes Kheranyan’s advertisement and many of the other advertisements seeking genocide survivors have been electronically preserved by the Armenian Immigration Project, which is operated by Mark B. Aslan. The project maintains a database of thousands of the missing person notices that appeared in the Hairenik during 1919 and 1920.

Official Stepanakert on Tuesday welcomed a meeting between foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Elmar Mammadyarov, in Moscow, where the two put forth a set of proposals that are aimed to reduce tensions along the Artsakh-Azerbaijan border.

Artskakh presidential spokesperson David Babayan told Armenpress that while Stepanakert welcomed and is positively assesses the meeting, some of the proposals that were discussed by Mnatsakanyan and Mammadyarov were presented by Artsakh officials as efforts to stabilize the region, but were rejected, or never acted upon by Azerbaijan.

“The agreements of this meeting were very interesting. Some of the ideas have been raised by official Stepanakert,” said Babayan. “Nearly 11 years ago official Stepanakert presented a package to the Co-chairs of key steps for the preservation of stability. They were highly assessed by the Co-chairs, but Azerbaijan took no steps. And it’s very interesting and very good that now, these specific ideas have been included in the proposals of the Co-chairs.”

The presidential spokesperson was referring to a proposed set of steps that include withdrawing snipers, avoiding ceasefire violations on holidays, as well as some humanitarian efforts, specifically a proposal to refrain from ceasefire violations during harvest season. He explained that in the past Azerbaijani forces not only opened fire on farmers, but also set fields on fire, destroying crops and threatening the civilian population. He added torching the field also damaged crops on the Azerbaijani side of the border, because winds would carry the blaze to nearby farms.

Babayan also expressed Stepanakert’s willingness to allow relatives of detained persons from both sides to visit them. The spokesperson said that Artsakh will adhere to the proposal, as long as it is reciprocated by Azerbaijan.

“There are only two Azerbaijanis detained on the territory of Artsakh. Both are terrorists and criminals. They are the members of the criminal group that penetrated into the territory of Artsakh years ago and killed people. But those people have the opportunity to have contact with their relatives periodically via Skype or other means. If it’s reciprocal, Artsakh is ready. We have nothing to be afraid of or hiding,” said Babayan.

“We have always welcomed these meetings underscoring their importance in terms of ensuring peace and stability in the region and the continuation of the negotiation process,” said Babayan who added that Stepanakert was encouraged but skeptical given Azerbaijan’s past record of not adhering to proposed agreements.

LA CRESCENTA, Calif.,—Vahan and Anoush Chamlian School hosted the sixth annual inter-school recitation contest, on Saturday, March 16. The event was organized by the Board of Regents of Prelacy Schools under the auspices of Western Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian. Fr. Ghevont Kirazian was in attendance, delivering the invocation and conveying the prelate’s blessings.

Over 100 students from the following schools participated: Rose and Alex Pilibos, Mesrobian, Ferrahian, Marie Cabayan, Chamlian, Ari Guiragos Minassian, AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian, AGBU Vatche and Tamar Manoukian, Sahag-Mesrob, Armenian Sisters Academy, and ARS Saturday Schools.

Remarks were delivered by Board of Regents Chair Lisa Gaboudian, Armenian Sisters Academy teacher Linda Kandilian, Chamlian Vice-Principal Rita Kaprielian, and Board of Regents member Lena Kortoshian. This year’s jury members were Grigor Ogaryan, Takouhi Arzoumanian, Sayat Baboumian, Kevork Bedikian, Maral Varjabedian, and Mgo Panossian.

The recitations were presented in three parts; 4th and 5th grades, 6th – 8th grades, and 9th – 12th grades. Students eloquently presented the works of literary masters such as Taniel Varoujan, Siamanto, Hamasdegh, Aram Haigaz, Moushegh Ishkhan, Hovhannes Shiraz, Yeghishe Charents, and Avedik Isahagian.

All participants received certificates of commendation from the Board of Regents and Diaspora ministry and mementos from the Prelacy.

The awards ceremony was held at the Prelacy’s “Dikran and Zarouhie Der Ghazarian” Hall, on Thursday, April 11. The event was chaired by Prelate Moushegh Mardirossian. In attendance were members of the Board of Regents and judging panel, principals, teachers, the winnings students and their parents.

The program opened with a prayer, after which Board of Regents Lisa Gaboudian delivered welcoming remarks. She gave thanks for the large number of participants, and expressed appreciation to judging panel members Grigor Ogaryan, Takouhi Arzoumanian, Sayat Baboumian, Kevork Bedikian, Maral Varjabedian, and Mgo Panossian for their patience and diligence, as well as to Mihran Toumajan for his continued efforts from the very first year.

Board of Regents member, and Master of Ceremonies, Sarkis Ourfalian thereafter introduced the winners from each category and invited them to the stage to receive their awards, which included personalized plaques and mementos of the Catholicosate in Antelias and the Genocide monument in Bikfaya. Mementos were also presented to the judging panel. The first place winners each recited their winning poem.

Below is a list of this year’s winners:

In the elementary division:

Lorig Artinian, 1st place (Mesrobian)
Lily Haytayan, 2nd place (Marie Cabayan)
Emily Semerjian, 3rd place (Chamlian)
Arpi Aivazian, 4th place (Ari Guiragos Minassian)

In the junior high division:

Karni Balian, 1st place (Ferrahian)
Hrag Khacherian, 2nd place (Chamlian)
Andre Giragossian, 3rd place (Chamlian)

In the high school division:

Alik Artinian, 1st place (Mesrobian)
Ara Yacoubian, 2nd place (Pilibos)
Jbid Melkonian, 3rd place (Pilibos)
Shant Hovagimian, 4th place (AGBU Manoukian)

On behalf of the judging panel, Mgo Panossian congratulated the students, encouraged them to continue speaking and reciting in their mother tongue, and read them his latest poem— dedicated to Armenian youth. Mihran Toumajan also encouraged students to participate in the pan-Armenian poetry festival in Shushi over the summer.

In his closing message, the Prelate expressed his pride and joy at the students’ talents and wished for the number of participants to continue to grow each year. He blessed and commended the Board of Regents, judging panel, principals, and teachers. He especially thanked the parents for their sacrifice and devotion in instilling love and reverence for our language and heritage in the hearts of our youth, and wished for the public to be invited the following year to enjoy and applaud our students’ efforts.

The event was brought to an end with the Armenian National Anthem.