Life

Born in Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1861, Krikor Zohrab was one of the most prominent Armenians of the Ottoman Empire. An accomplished lawyer, Zohrab was also a strong community leader who was elected to the Ottoman Parliament in 1908. As a champion of Armenian rights and an advocate for Armenian unity and freedom, he faced much adversity from Ottoman authorities.

Krikor Zohrab married Clara Yazidjian in 1888 and together they had four children: Dolores, Herminé, Leon and Aram. One of the outstanding Armenian political leaders of his era, he was murdered by the Ottoman Turkish government in 1915, at the outset of the Genocide which culminated in the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians.

Works

Krikor Zohrab was an influential writer, whose voice was well-known in journalism and literature during his lifetime. He was perhaps best known for his short stories, most of which are collected in three volumes: Voices of Conscience Խղճմտանքի ձայներ (1909); Life As It Is Կեանքը ինչպէս որ է (1911); and Silent Griefs Լուռ ցաւեր (1911).

His first major novel was Lost Generation, which deals with the psychological conflicts and aspirations of the young. His other works include literary sketches, travel notes, and memoirs. Familiar Faces Ծանօթ դէմքեր consists of 17 articles on the prominent personalities of his time.  According to Zohrab, his Diary of a Traveler expresses his entire philosophy of life. This book, based on his time living in Europe from 1895 to 1908, was published posthumously in 1922.

Despite his acknowledged leadership in a totally dominated male culture, through his writings he had significant influence as a feminist, championing the liberation of women.