Collection Spotlight: Russian-Armenian Books at the Zohrab Center
Not very long ago, when Russian was the lingua franca of the Soviet Union, Sovetakan Grokh and other imprints regularly made available Armenian texts in Russian translation.
Although the member republics published books in their national languages, the number of volumes appearing in Russian more than doubled during the Soviet period (as compared with late pre-revolutionary Russia). The appearance of Armenian works in Russian translation—an effort that predates the Soviet era—also increased considerably in the middle decades of the last century.
Aside from underpinning the well-known policy of promoting Russification across the USSR, the availability of Armenian works in Russian helped to acquaint non-Armenians (and Armenians who lacked fluency in the Armenian language) with the rich literary heritage of the Armenian people.
The Zohrab Center has amassed a number of these volumes, and encourages Russian speakers to visit the center and browse the collection. Holdings include a compilation of works by Hovaness Toumanian, poetry by Nahapet Kuchak, and several volumes on Armenian history.
For more information, contact the Zohrab Center at (212) 686-0710.
DATE CHANGE: Book Launch at the Zohrab Center
Please join the Zohrab Information Center on Tuesday, September 27th at 6:30 PM to celebrate the translation of:
The Bois de Vincennes by Nigoghos Sarafian and translated by Christopher Atamian.
6:30: Readings by the translator
7:00: Book signing
7:30: Wine and cheese reception
Originally published in 1947 in Paris, The Bois de Vincennes explores the still very timely themes of exile and the future of the Armenian nation in Diaspora.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Taleen Babayan at (212) 686-0710.
Gain Access to Hundreds of Armenian Texts at ArmenianHouse.Org
ArmenianHouse.org is an online library featuring a large collection of Armenian literature, history and religion. This valuable website — which is a private, nonprofit project — provides the public with a wealth of information ranging from Armenian poetry to the Armenian Genocide. To visit the website, click here.
Updated Duplicate List of Books
As we had posted earlier in the summer, the Zohrab Center has hundreds of duplicate copies of books. The library is willing to donate these texts to individuals and/or organizations interested in enriching their collections. To request a copy of a book, please email zohrabcenter@gmail.com. Please click here for the duplicate list.
Digitized copy of “The Christian Literature and Fine Arts of the Armenians” available here
“The Christian Literature and the Fine Arts of the Armenians,” by Valerie Goekjian, is a valuable book that traces the history of Armenians through literature and art. The book contains information on religious and literary figures who contributed greatly to Armenian history and culture, including St. Gregory the Illuminator, St. Mesrop Mashdotz, Komitas Vartabed, Taniel Varoujan and Hovhaness Toumanian among many others. Armenian architecture and significant Armenian edifices such as Holy Etchmiadzin and Aghtamar are also discussed. To read the whole book, please click here.
Julliard Dean Ara Guzelimian to be Honored at Benefit Concert in October
Zohrab Center’s Book of the Week – Voice of Conscience by Krikor Zohrab
By Jennifer Manoukian
Voice of Conscience is a collection of seventeen short stories penned by Krikor Zohrab, the Zohrab Center’s namesake and the renowned Armenian politician and writer. Originally published in 1909 in Constantinople, this critical piece of Armenian literary history can now reach millions of new, potential readers thanks to Jack Antreassian’s skillful English rendering.
A true realist in style and form, Krikor Zohrab gives valuable, sometimes startling, insight into the daily lives of Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire at the end of the nineteenth century through the stories in his collection. This intriguing period of social and cultural renaissance, often overshadowed historically by the devastation that brought it to a sudden and irreparable end, produced exceptionally fertile ground for his literary imagination and an almost endless supply of conflict and paradoxes to explore.
The themes of this collection encompass a very wide range. Light-hearted tales of young love like Rehan are placed immediately after The Black Bag, a grim story of desperation that reveals the psychological toll of financial hardship and mere pages from Armenissa, a window into the seemingly intransigent religious divisions that afflicted the Armenian community at that time. Other stories in the collection address issues of class and religiosity as well as the pain of personal loss and the evolving role of women.
This striking variation in subject matter is a testament to the vitality of the Armenian community during this era and helps contemporary readers more accurately visualize the various facets of Armenian life during this vibrant, yet precarious, period in Armenian history.
The Zohrab Center currently has two copies of Voice of Conscience that it would be more than happy to give to enthusiastic readers. If interested, please stop by or contact the center at zohrabcenter@gmail.com.
A Glimpse of the Past; NY Daily News 1933
The Zohrab Center recently received a copy of the December 25, 1933 issue of the New York Daily News, which reports on the tragic assassination of Archbishop Ghevont Tourian at Holy Cross Church of Armenia in Washington Heights, NY during a Christmas Eve service there. The paper includes a news story and analysis of events surrounding the murder as well as photos.
This treasure was sent to the center by Carol Dabaghian, whose husband Bared’s parents — Vahan and Vergin Dabaghian — saved it for many years. To view the article, please click here.
A Symbolic Treasure: Khaghogh Orhnek
By Arthur Harutyun Ipek
In the month of August, Khaghogh Orhnek or the Blessing of the Grapes service is conducted in the Armenian Church as part of the celebration of the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God (Soorp Asdvadzadzin).
The blessing of the grapes traces its origins back to the Old Testament, to the time when the first produce of harvest (“first fruits”) was the grape. It later took on a new meaning, representing Jesus Christ, the first born and the “first fruit” of Mary.
As a choir member at the Armenian Church of Holy Martyrs, I celebrate Soorp Asdvadzadzin by singing special chants (sharagans) and observing the blessing of the grapes. When the grapes are blessed, each person receives a cluster, in order to feel blessed themselves, as well as refreshed.
Recently, I read a book called The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, where the protagonist saw Mary as a warrior fighting with her robust strength and ferocious figure, but also looked at Mary with her feminine beauty and warmth. The latter part reminded me of the church altar, where Mary is depicted with her son Jesus Christ, holding him with a magical touch.
