Within the wide array of podcasts, books, Hollywood movies, Academy Award film nominees and humanitarian initiatives, there are very few accounts of Armenians publicly recognized across the board. Aurora Mardiganian’s harrowing story is one of the few.  

Storytelling of her traumatic life has existed for over a century, beginning in 1918 with the publication of the book Ravished Armenia: The Story of Aurora Mardiganian, The Christian Girl Who Survived the Great Massacres. Just over 100 years later, Aurora’s Sunrise, an animated film about her life, premiered in 2022 and was Armenia’s entry to the Academy Awards for 2023. Also in 2023, Uncovering Roots launched a three-part podcast series titled, The Lost Voice – Aurora Mardiganian. 

Aurora Mardiganian

Born Arshaluys (Aurora) Mardiganian in 1901 to a prosperous Armenian family in Chmshgatsak in the Ottoman Empire, she miraculously survived the 1915 Armenian Genocide but witnessed the tragic deaths of her family members. Like many Armenians of the time, she endured a harrowing march of thousands of miles, subjected to unspeakable cruelties by Turkish gendarmes.

Sold into slavery for a mere 85 cents to a tribal leader’s harem, Mardiganian escaped multiple abductions. Finding refuge in an American mission home in Diyarbakir, her courage was kept alive with caring visits from Armenian General Andranik. He referred to her as his “little girl” and restored her spirit by allowing her to care for other girls liberated from harems. Strengthened, she was aided by General Andranik in reaching New York City with the support of the Near East Foundation, holding onto hope of finding her brother who reportedly escaped to America.

As a parting gesture, General Andranik gave her a ring that had belonged to his father and grandfather. He implored her, “When you reach that beloved land, tell its people that Armenia is prostrate, torn and bleeding, but it will rise again – if America will only help us – send food for the starving and money to take them back home when the war concludes.”

Mardiganian answered the call. Boarding the ship without a place to call home, she carried her strong Christian faith that God would guide her in fulfilling the mission she had pledged to her hero, General Antranik. Broken, traumatized and fearful, Mardiganian was hopeful that she was sailing toward a safer life. 

But that hope didn’t last long.  She could never have imagined the horror that awaited her. 

Cover of 1918 book “Ravished Armenia” showing Aurora Mardiganian (Wikimedia Commons)

Once in America, Mardiganian shared her story with newspapers with the hope of finding her brother and fulfilling General Antranik’s mission. Her story caught the attention of screenwriter Harvey Gates and his wife, who did not have her best interests in mind. Gates convinced her to write Ravished Armenia, with promises that he and his wife would care for her. Unfortunately, without comprehending the contracts she signed naming them as legal guardians, Mardiganian unknowingly became the star of the 1919 silent film Auction of Souls, a cinematic portrayal of her traumatic experiences. Soon, she found herself reliving the most agonizing events of her life on a Hollywood film set. By all accounts, the movie was a blockbuster and broke box office records. Through high-society charity screenings nationally and internationally, the movie raised $30 million to rescue 60,000 Armenian orphans through Near East Relief. 

Forced to address audiences after each film premiere, Mardiganian’s traumatic past caught up with her, and she collapsed during a 1920 screening in Buffalo. This incident marked her final public appearance. With Mardiganian absent from the stage, both Hollywood and the world gradually lost interest, and her story faded into obscurity. Unfortunately, the book and film also vanished, with no known complete print of the movie.

In her later life, Mardiganian married and had a son, but the relationship was estranged after her husband’s death. She never located her brother and lived out the rest of her life haunted by memories, paranoia and in fear of danger lurking at her door and windows.

In light of the recent resurgence of remembering Mardiganian, I implore you to witness the astonishing story in mediums that are accessible and appealing to a broad range of listeners, viewers and readers.  

Listen, watch, read:

• The Lost Voice – Aurora Mardiginian; “Uncovering Roots” Podcast
  “Uncovering Roots” is characterized as an exploration into lesser-known narratives that deserve to be heard. For podcaster Max Saakyan, the story holds personal significance, living in the United Kingdom as an Armenian, a region where awareness of the Armenian Genocide is limited. Saakyan engages listeners with his compelling voice, incorporating oral testimonies and interviews with people who knew Mardiganian. The podcast is accessible on all major podcasting platforms.
• Aurora’s Sunrise  
  Armenian director Inna Sahakyan blends storybook adult animation, video testimony and rediscovered footage from Mardiganian’s lost silent epic and revives her forgotten story. The footage is brilliantly edited together with animation made using paper cutouts and characters who act out Mardiganian’s story. 
• “Ravished Armenia – The story of Aurora Mardiganian, the Christian girl who lived through the great massacres” by Aurora Mardiganian
  A grueling first-hand account from Mardiganian of her life before the United States. It is painful to read, but critically important to understand the depth of the horrors she experienced.  

Advertisement for the American drama film “Auction of Souls” (1919) with Aurora Mardiganian at the Royal Theater in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on page 51 of the August 2, 1919 Exhibitors Herald (Wikimedia Commons)

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, the Republic of Armenia chose to make Mardiganian the face of the “Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity,” an esteemed humanitarian initiative founded by visionary philanthropists Vartan Gregorian, Noubar Afeyan and Ruben Vardanyan, who have been joined by thousands of supporters and partners. Thousands of Armenian families like mine owe gratitude to Mardiganian for her efforts in raising funds for Near East Relief, which played a crucial role in rescuing orphans and reuniting them with their families, including my grandfather. 

While Mardiganian was once a Hollywood star, the screenplay of her full life does not have a storybook ending. I can only hope that when Mardiganian passed away in solitude in 1994, she wore General Antranik’s ring, a symbol of the promises kept from a bygone era.

Let’s continue to honor her legacy of resilience and deep commitment to God and to her Armenian people.

Enter a Diasporan Armenian home and you’ll likely come across these decor staples: a Mt. Ararat painting, a framed թռչնագիր (bird letter) alphabet, a blue glass evil eye, an Armenian carpet, a glass jar of dried apricots or pistachios. But some homes now have replaced their traditional flowery bird letters for graphic designer Alek Surenian’s more modern take. The refreshed look uses a “flat” graphic style and a muted, curated color palette. When explaining his process, Surenian noted, “I think it’s good to evolve what’s been done in the past and turn it into something new and fresh.”

Alek Surenian

Much of his work draws inspiration from the past – whether it’s old Armenian posters, illuminated manuscripts, carpets, architecture or family heirlooms. The Armenian rug tote bag he created, for example, was inspired by a doily his great grandmother made. “It’s pretty sacred to my family, since it’s one of the few items in our possession that was owned by her,” he said. “The doily has a circular composition, so I pulled patterns from that and a Persian rug in our home and combined them together.” 

Armenian rug tote inspired by Surenian’s great grandmother’s doily (Photo: Alek Surenian)

Surenian’s latest drop and fifth release, The Yeraz Collection, is inspired by William Saroyan’s The Armenian and the Armenian. Featuring a cap and T-shirt with custom typography – squiggly, cloud-like letters that spell out the word երազ (dream) – the collection is “an ode to the dreamers” and those “longing for a world where a ‘New Armenia’ can become a reality.” For all of the products Surenian sells, he also sets aside a portion of proceeds for an Armenian organization. “I’ve had the great pleasure to donate to organizations such as the ARS, With Our Soldiers, Tufenkian Foundation, and now, All For Armenia, with this recent collection,” Surenian explained. 

as.am “Yeraz” collection (Photo: Sepahn Chiloyan)

While as.am launched in 2021, many AYF members in the United States already owned some of Surenian’s designs, as he created designs for the organization’s branded merch for many years. “As a Junior growing up in Chicago, my first experiences doing product design began with designing t-shirts for local midwest AYF events,” Surenian said. Later, he served as a member of the AYF Central PR Council, during which he designed the swag for regional events. “Without these experiences, I wouldn’t be the designer I am today, and most importantly, I’ve learned new skills which I added to my ‘design tool box,’” Surenian noted.

Outside of his work for the AYF and his as.am brand, Surenian’s graphic design skills have shaped the aesthetic of the promotional materials and artwork for his two music projects: the Norkef Ensemble and Armadi Tsayn band. Since the Norkef Ensemble performs traditional kef music at dances, picnics and regional events like AYF Senior Olympics, the art draws inspiration from old album covers. Armadi Tsayn, on the other hand, is “more contemporary and artistic” so the visuals have a modern flavor; the logo is an outline of a sun peeking out over a minimalist Mt. Ararat, with an array of roots stretching into the ground. Though it’s a symbol representing a specific musical project, the logo is reflective of Surenian’s approach to art as a whole: shining light on a new future while still staying true to his origins. “I think that being Armenian is all about bringing the past into our future,” he said. “Our ability to preserve and find ways to evolve our culture from generation to generation is essential to the survival of our identity.”

Catch Surenian and folk band Armadi Tsayn at upcoming live performances in Boston on February 10, New York City on February 24, and Los Angeles on March 16. 

After the completion of long-awaited renovations, the permanent exhibition of renowned Armenian artist Ivan Aivazovsky (born Hovhannes Aivazian) has reopened at the National Gallery of Armenia in Yerevan. The exhibition is the marine artist’s most significant collection in terms of quantity and artistic worth, containing over 50 paintings and graphic works.

Born in Theodosia on the Crimean coast, Aivazovsky grew up by the sea, which sparked his inclination for arts from a young age. Aivazovsky studied at the Simferopol Gymnasium (1831-1833) and then at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg (1833-1839). 

Statue of Aivazovsky at the National Gallery of Armenia

In 1837, the Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts awarded Aivazovsky a gold medal and sent him to study abroad. In 1840, Aivazovksy set off to Italy and later traveled to England, the Netherlands and France. In 1868, Aivazovsky went to the Caucasus, and in 1869 he participated in the opening ceremony of the Suez Canal. When he was 75, he took the longest journey of his life and traveled to America by steamboat with his wife Anna Burnazian.

Aivazovsky’s works were admired everywhere, and he was elected a member of the academies of Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Florence and Stuttgart. He was also awarded the French Legion of Honour and received the highest rewards.

Haykuhi Sahakyan, art historian and curator of the exhibition, told the Weekly, “The collection of Hovhannes Aivazovsky of the National Gallery of Armenia is one of the richest collections of the world-famous sea painter and is extremely diverse both in terms of genre and exhibits.” Sahakyan added that a large number of the pieces from the collection were laid in the very first years of the museum’s foundation between 1924 and 1985. The first exhibits were transferred to the museum from the Armenian House of Culture in Moscow (former Lazarian Seminary). Throughout the years, the collection has grown rapidly through donations and acquisitions.

Aivazovsky’s artwork at the National Gallery of Armenia

The current Aivazovsky exhibition aims to introduce visitors to the museum’s collection and many of Aivazovsky’s masterpieces that demonstrate virtuosity. Consisting of four sections, the main element of the exhibition is light, which in its various manifestations is the main idea in many of Aivazovsky’s paintings. Aivazovsky used the technique of glazing, which is masterfully demonstrated in his paintings of sunrise and sunset scenes. 

“It is possible to single out the painting ‘Descent of Noah from Ararat’, painted by Aivazovsky in 1889. It symbolizes the beginning of a new life and seems to be imbued with biblical light,” Sahakyan said. Originally, the painting was exhibited in Paris, but later it was brought to Armenia through the efforts of Martiros Saryan. 

Aivazovsky’s artwork at the National Gallery of Armenia

Although consistent, Aivazovsky’s sea paintings are distinguished by a variety of genres and themes, and the stormy scenes especially reflect Aivazovsky’s temperament, according to Sahakyan. Contrary to many beliefs, Aivazovsky did not like working in the open air, as he believed that the elements of nature were constantly changing, and it was impossible to capture the wind, cloud movements and the sea. “He watched the sea for a long time, which, according to him, changed every second, and once he went back to his studio, he began to depict it in such a way that it seemed that the waves were moving in his canvases,” Sahakyan said.

The sea and the storm were Aivazovsky’s creative passions, especially depicting when the natural forces reach their maximum tension. The intense confrontation between humanity and the forces of nature is also a prominent theme in his artwork. In 1844, a ship sailing from England to Spain and struggling against a storm, with young Aivazovsky among its passengers, miraculously came ashore in the Bay of Biscay. “Fear was not able to suppress the ability to perceive that living picture and to imprint it in my memory,” Aivazovsky wrote. As a witness of the untamed elements of nature, Aivazovsky later created many works that conveyed his admiration for all things natural. “In his paintings, the ever-present ray of light, the symbol of hope and salvation, foreshadows an optimistic ending even for the most terrible storms,” as stated in the exhibit.

Aivazovsky’s artwork at the National Gallery of Armenia

The relationship between man and nature, optimism and humanism are the basis of Aivazovsky’s art, as evident in the exhibition. Aivazovsky loved to travel to different countries, paint new seashores and introduce his works to art lovers everywhere. The fourth and final section of the exhibition features nighttime seascapes, which convey the mystery and charm of moonlit seascapes typical of Romantic art. “Both Armenian and foreign visitors are always curious to discover new aspects of his art and leave the museum filled with the greatest admiration for Aivazovsky’s art,” Sahakyan said.