On Monday, April 15th at 4:00pm ET, authors Jesse S. Arlen and Matthew J. Sarkisian will discuss their new book, Odes of Saint Nersess the Graceful: Annotated Translation, in conversation with Prof. George Demacopoulos. The Zoom webinar is hosted by the Orthodox Christian Studies Center of Fordham University and co-sponsored by NAASR and the Zohrab Information Center.
A collection of hundreds of documents relating to the Armenian Cause including articles, letters, unpublished genocide survivor’s memoirs, exhibition catalogs, booklets, pamphlets, and ephemera has recently been processed and is now available for the interested public to view at the Zohrab Information Center. The materials in this collection relate first and foremost to the genocide of 1915, but also include materials related to the Soviet and post-Soviet Republic of Armenia, especially Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh). The collection was processed by Linda Smith, a graduate student at Simmons University, pursuing a degree in Archives Management, who is concurrently an archival intern at the Zohrab Center.
Photocopies of the first four pages of Yervant “Edward” Alexanian’s memoir Forced into Genocide: Memoirs of an Armenian Soldier in the Ottoman Turkish Army. Photocopies of the original materials were donated by his daughter and the memoir’s editor Adrienne Alexanian. This donation is held in boxes 6 and 7 of this collection.
The materials in the collection span over 100 years, originating from the end of the 19th century through 2022. These items were acquired and donated over the years by various individuals.
Panoramic view of Sivas, the Armenian quarter of Alexanian’s birthplaceAdrienne made notes like this one on several documents, so researchers can quickly gather details on a particular resource and its significance.
The collection’s first series is comprised of memoirs and accounts of survivors of the genocide. Most of these accounts are unpublished and unknown to both scholars and the general public, while some like Yervant Alexanian’s Forced into Genocide or Hagop Vartanian’s My Story were only published in English translation (while this collection at the Zohrab Center includes the handwritten Armenian original).
Alexanian at three different points in his military career. In the top photo, he is a new conscript in the Ottoman Turkish Army; in the middle photo, he is a new graduate of the Harbiye Military Academy; in the bottom photo, he is a second lieutenant.
Scans from the family history and diary of Hagop Vartanian, which was eventually translated and published in English by Dr. Roberta Ervine under the title My Story: Hagop Vartanian (1873–1950), Genocide: A Father’s Struggle from the United States.
These memoirs are handwritten (or, in one case, photocopies of handwritten and primary source documents) or typed on a typewriter/computer, with several survivors having pasted their own family photos within these materials.
A 1989 memoir entitled “My Name is Avak and I Survived The Armenian Holocaust of 1915: How a Young Boy, Avak Takeljian and His Family Became the Victims”.
This series in the collection provides precious new sources for genocide historians and the interested public alike, each one a testament both to the similarities in experiences of Armenian Genocide survivors while also highlighting the unique journeys of the various individuals and families during and after the tragedy.
Among those individuals is Zaven Seraidarian with his six bound volumes of handwritten notes, memories, poetry, drawings, and scrapbooked images.
“Left to Right: Zaven, Mari, Mihran Seraidarian. We are witness to 1915.”“Zaven Seraidarian – I was born in the Putania [Bithynia] region of western Asia Minor, Nicomedia, the town of Geyve, Kaylaplour [Wolf-Hill] or, in translation, the Turkish name Ghurtbalan or Kurtbelen, Turkey.”“Mihran – Zaven Seraidarian, two brothers, scions of a patriarchal family. We are witness to the two and a half million martyrs. Whoever reads this story of a bloody journey – we remain living in this world. Whoever does not read this story of a bloody journey – that is when we two brothers will be dead to this world.”“Springtime Teardrops – The world belongs to the powerful, may God take our vengeance upon our enemies – You must be sacred hearts in the world – H. T., M. M., Z. S.”“To the Armenian who speaks in a foreign language, always respond in Armenian.”
Seraidarian shares a mix of materials, including personal memories and emotions from his experiences of the First World War and the Armenian Genocide, expressed both in the contents of his writing and the various forms they take in the volumes.
He includes photographs of himself, as well as other images, and writes about the legacy of the Armenians of what is today the north-west of Turkey, historically known as Putania (Բիւթանիա) or Bithynia. Seraidarian was from an area by the town of Geyve near the major city of that region, Nicomedia (modern Izmit).
Seraidarian’s writings are repetitive, often dwelling on the horrors he witnessed and experienced, replete with longing for justice for himself and the Armenian people. Our current generation may assess his volumes as manifestations of journaling, or efforts to work through the traumas that so deeply afflicted his life.
The second series covers community and political activism, which includes documentation of worldwide efforts to raise awareness of the genocide, as well as more contemporary struggles involving Soviet Armenia, the Republic of Armenia, and Nagorno-Karabagh (Artsakh). This is the largest series, including articles, conference reports, and booklets. Materials from government subcommittees and from the House of Representatives and Senate show efforts to recognize April 24 as the National Day of Remembrance of Man’s Inhumanity to Man and hold Turkey accountable for its actions during and after the genocide.
An informational flyer that contains historic information about Armenia in general and the genocide.
The third series contains historical and informational documents. These are materials that provide background information about Armenia and the genocide, both from historical and contemporary points of view, often meant to influence public opinion, raise awareness, or educate younger generations.
A spread from a 1980 booklet entitled “Sauver ce qui peut encore être sauvé…les monuments arméniens de Turquie” (“Save what can still be saved…the Armenian monuments of Turkey”).
The final series contains materials from memorial events and exhibitions that took place in commemoration of the genocide. The booklets and articles in this series provide a comprehensive picture of how Armenians around the world have continued to remember and speak about the Armenian Genocide and its aftermath, as well as educate the general population through sharing stories and art.
A booklet for an art exhibition entitled “Absence Presence: The Artistic Memory of the Holocaust and Genocide”, which was held at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery at the University of Minnesota from January 7-February 25, 1999.
This collection brings together a wide array of mostly unpublished materials related to the Armenian Cause in general and the genocide in particular, including unpublished and previously unknown survivor accounts. This collection also highlights the efforts of Armenians and their allies the world over to remember the tragedy, honor the Armenian people, hold the Turkish government accountable, and share their experiences through the arts and community engagement.
A scan of H.R. 191, a bill passed in the Texas House of Representatives officially recognizing the Armenian Genocide. This resolution passed in 2017.
This collection is now available for visitors who want to research the genocide and learn more about past and present efforts related to genocide remembrance and activism for the Armenian Cause. A searchable finding aid of the collection is available to view here.
Luiza Ghazaryan, a Neuroscience undergraduate student at New York University (’26) and an intern at the Zohrab Information Center was featured as an NYU Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholars Program “scholar in service” for her work at the Zohrab Center.
Luiza was recently interviewed based on her work at the Zohrab Center. To read more about her involvement, click here or continue reading below:
How long have you been working with the organization?
My delightful work with the Zohrab Center started in the Summer of 2023 and since then I have been inseparable from the Armenian treasures in the library!
Why are you passionate about this organization and cause?
Located in the heart of New York City and among skyscrapers, the Zohrab Center is dedicated to preserving Armenian cultural knowledge through research and public programming, and holds a vast collection of books, manuscripts, archival materials, and masterpieces by Armenian intellectuals. I am grateful for this opportunity as I get to learn more about my culture and encounter remarkable stories of the 1915 Armenian Genocide survivors and their resilience. I believe that even by only cataloging the donated books in the online system, I become part of the vital mission to maintain Armenian history and contribute to the flourishing of my nation in the diaspora. Moreover, I relish the tranquility I feel when I am around the literature in this small but cosmic library, away from the cacophony of the city.
How should other Scholars get involved?
Follow the announcements on the ZIC website (or @zohrabcenter on Instagram) for new opportunities posted or literary events that you can attend!
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Thank you Luiza for your wonderful and impactful ongoing work at the Zohrab Center and for helping to promote Armenian culture at NYU!
The Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center cordially invites you to a public lecture by Dr. Nareg Seferian, entitled “”The Backbone of the Country” and “A Wedge Driven into the Turkic World”: Historical and Geographical Imaginations in Siunik after the Second Karabakh War.” The lecture will take place on Wednesday, April 3rd at 7:00pm in Guild Hall at the Diocesan Center.
Abstract: The Second Karabakh War of 2020 had far-reaching repurcusions in the South Caucasus. The province of Siunik (Syunik) in southern Armenia turned into a particularly sensitive area as a result. Almost overnight, the inhabitants of the province unexpecedly found themselves facing new borders with Azerbaijan. Spaces that had never been frontiers suddenly had to accommodate armed forces flying three flags while dealing with blocked transportation networks and disrupted economic activity. Those substantial material security challenges found their reflections in ideological discourses and narratives as well.
How do the Armenians of Siunik perceive their new geography? Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the province in the autumn of 2021, this talk presents local perceptions on the changing dynamics of Siunik and Armenia as they navigate through the trauma and shock of the Second Karabakh War, and the developments since.
Nareg Seferian received his PhD from the School of Public and International Affairs, Virginia Tech, in 2023. He served on the faculty of the American University of Armenia from 2013 to 2016 and also taught at Virginia Tech during and after his doctoral studies from 2019 to 2023. His published writings are available at naregseferian.com.
The Zohrab Information Center is pleased to announce the release of Odes of Saint Nersess the Graceful: Annotated Translation by Matthew J. Sarkisian and Jesse S. Arlen. The volume is the second in the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center’s series Sources from the Armenian Christian Tradition and is available to purchase on Amazon.
St. Nersess the Graceful (Nersēs Shnorhali, 1102–1173 A.D.), catholicos from 1166 until his death in 1173, was one of the great figures of the medieval Armenian Church. His most popular work is the prayer of twenty-four stanzas commonly known as “With Faith I Confess” (Havadov Khosdovanim), which has been translated into more than thirty languages. He was also a prolific author and composer of hymns and other poetic works, many of which remain little known today. This volume presents the Armenian text and an English translation of sixty of St. Nersess’s liturgical odes (tagh), fifty-eight of which have never been previously translated into English. These profound songs of praise were composed to enhance the celebration and reflect on the mystery of the various feasts and commemorations that make up the Christian liturgical year. The translation is accompanied by an introduction and extensive annotation, which brings to light the Biblical, theological, and poetic features of these literary treasures, making them accessible to the general reader in the twenty-first century.
Tarkmaneal Press was founded in 2024 by Matthew J. Sarkisian and Jesse S. Arlen with the goal of bringing bilingual editions of classical Armenian texts with annotated English translations available to a wide audience. Sarkisian is a self-taught translator of Classical Armenian who lives in the Binghamton, New York area. He previously collaborated with Jesse Arlen on an annotated translation of an Armenian prayer scroll (hmayil), published in 2022 by the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center. Arlen is the director of the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center at the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, and a postdoctoral research fellow at the Orthodox Christian Studies Center of Fordham University. He has published a number of studies on late antique and medieval Christian spirituality and monastic literature.
Praise for the Volume
“St. Nersess Shnorhali, Nersess the Graceful, belongs to the rank of those Church Fathers and Doctors who rightfully can be declared “the lyre of the Holy Spirit.” One of the earliest European Armenologists, the Jesuit Fr. Jacques Villote, admiring the sublime touches of heavenly inspiration emanating from Shnorhali’s verses, called his poetic masterpiece — named in Armenian Յիսուս, Որդի (Jesus, Son) from its incipit — “The Divine Elegy.” Nersess Shnorhali is one of the most exceptional figures in the history of the universal Church for more than one reason, but above all for his passionate search for the unity of the Church, and for his deep understanding, in the wake of St. Gregory of Narek, of the fragility, the conventionality, the inadequacy of human language in speaking of Divine mystery. The Odes in this volume, masterfully translated and commented upon by Matthew J. Sarkisian and Jesse S. Arlen, are among the most vibrant, genuine, and touching expressions of Shnorhali’s spirituality.”
— Abp. Levon Zekiyan, Emeritus Professor of Armenian Studies, Ca’ Foscari, Venice, and the Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome
“St. Nersess Shnorhali’s hymns are known for their literary beauty and spiritual sublimity. Sarkisian and Arlen convey both aspects in their mellifluous translation. The substantial annotation they provide further defines their mastery of the classical text.”
— Abraham Terian, Emeritus Professor of Armenian Patristics and Theology, St. Nersess Armenian Seminary
“Thanks to Jesse Arlen and Matthew Sarkisian for this carefully prepared labor of love and learning. They have curated for us a trove of lesser-known, spiritual gems from the vast storehouse of St. Nersess Shnorhali’s writings.”
— Roberta Ervine, Professor of Armenian Christian Studies, St. Nersess Armenian Seminary
A collection of about one hundred maps has recently been processed and is now available for the interested public to view at the Zohrab Information Center, along with related atlases and guidebooks. The collection was processed by Linda Smith, a graduate student at Simmons University, pursuing a degree in Archives Management, who is concurrently an archival intern at the Zohrab Center.
The collection includes materials that cover over 2800 years of Armenian cartographic history that were acquired and donated over the years by various individuals. The maps, atlases, and guidebooks in this collection were published as early as 1880 and as late as 2003.
Illustrated Guide-Map of Historical Architectural Monuments of Soviet Armenia (publication date unknown). This material is available in English, French, and Armenian.
The first three series of this collection include maps of Armenia and neighboring lands in the past. From consulting these maps, one can see the changes of Armenia’s borders and geographic features over time. There are maps that show its importance as part of the Bible lands, part of the Near East, and when it was in the Byzantine, Persian, Ottoman, and Turkish Empires and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)/Soviet Union.
There are several maps that show Armenia within empires and unions, including this political and administrative map of the USSR, published circa the 1960s or 1970s.
There are also detailed, illustrated reference maps that highlight specific things within the country, including birds native to different parts of the country, architectural and monument maps, and a style map showing traditional Armenian dress.
Style Map of the Armenian People (publication date unknown). This is one of many available reference maps that give greater detail about the peoples within Armenia.
Scans of the Birds of Armenia reference map, published in 1999. There are corresponding books available in the Zohrab Information Center catalog. A link in the finding aid will take a user directly to the catalog entries.
A treasured part of this collection includes maps of Havav Village in Palu, which were hand drawn from memory by Hareton Saksoorian after he escaped the massacres.
Maps of Havav Village in Palu (Բալու) by Hareton Saksoorian (Յարութիւն Ձախսուրեան), 1966. The first picture shows the Palu map drawn by Saksoorian; the second picture is another hand-drawn map showing part of Armenia in the Ortokid period of the 12th century; the third picture shows the border between Turkey and Armenia established by President Woodrow Wilson.
The fourth series includes historical atlases that compile several maps of Armenia over time in one book. One historical atlas in this collection can take someone through Armenia’s history and changing borders from 824 B.C. through 1964 A.D. Another is a road map of Armenia and neighboring countries.
Maps from the Hammond’s Historical Atlas. These depict Armenia as it was from 824 to 625 B.C., the sixth century B.C., and 1000 A.D.
Lastly, the fifth series contains guidebooks. These materials include text, photographs, or both of important and popular places in various Armenian locales. Most of the guidebooks are for the city of Yerevan, though there are some of Etchmiadzin, the island of San Lazzaro in the Venetian lagoon, and Armenian churches as well.
Maps and photos from a Yerevan guidebook published in 1982. There are multiple guidebooks in the collection of Armenia’s capital city.
This collection is a visual representation of changes throughout Armenian history due to different leaders and struggles with neighboring countries and former empires. These materials are an invaluable look into the geography and boundaries of this country as they have remained the same and changed at various points in history, as well as places of interest that can still be seen in Armenia today.
Images from an Etchmiadzin guidebook (publication date unknown).
This collection is now available for visitors looking to conduct research or consult maps and guidebooks to learn more about Armenia, its lands, and landmarks of the past and present. A searchable finding aid of the collection is available to view here.
Thursday, January 18, 6:00–8:00pm
at Atamian Hovsepian Gallery (227 East 24th Street)
To read a press release, in the Armenian Mirror-Spectator, click here.
Each event—held online—will feature a writer reading from their work, followed by a discussion with an interviewer and audience members.
Click here to read along with the series by purchasing titles from IALA’s online bookstore powered by Bookshop.
The series will kick off on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at 12:00pm ET with All the Ways We Lied, a novel by Tölölyan Literary Prize recipient Aida Zilelian, that explores the reality of love and loss in the everyday lives of a modern-day Armenian family. Click here to register for this event on the Zoom platform.
The Zohrab Center is pleased to invite you to Obscured Geographies, an art exhibition by Meghan Arlen (wife of Zohrab director Dr. Jesse Arlen), opening on January 18th, 6:00-8:00pm ET at the gallery of Atamian Hovsepian Curatorial Practice (227 E 24th St, New York, NY 10010). The exhibition will be on display from January 18–February 24, 2024.
The work that will be on exhibit (selections available to view hereor scroll down) was born out of the artist’s curiosity about land use and the monumental changes observed in the span of just one or two generations. Arlen was struck by the new and often surreal aerial geographies created by landscape alterations brought about by modern industrial agricultural farming, natural gas extraction, and large-scale residential developments. These changes of course are now visible to all simply by using Google Earth, or from the seat of a passenger airplane flying overhead. Arlen’s uneasiness about the large-scale processes that have produced these unnatural landscapes were at odds with the awe she felt about the eerily beautiful curves, colors, and compositions they created.
This collection of work—textural explorations of obscured aerial landforms—plays with movement and tactility. Obscured Geographies is also an ode to the medium of Venetian plaster and Arlen’s desire to use this material in new and creative ways. To observe the interplay of plaster with other materials, she incorporates charcoal, liquid iron, copper paint, gauze, fabric and other found textured and corrugated media. The results are beautifully intricate and wholly original.
Based in Brooklyn, Meghan Arlen (https://www.megarlenstudio.com/) studied fine arts as an undergraduate but has in recent years focused her energy on learning skilled trades. These include Venetian wall plaster application techniques, high-end interior design, specialty installation and fabrication, and building sculptural wood furniture. Beginning in 2015, Arlen apprenticed for several years under Justino Guerrero, a Los Angeles master Venetian plasterer. She concurrently worked for LA-based designer Andrea Michaelson, a savant in innovative material design, including metal, wood, glass, plaster, plastic, stingray skin, leather, and fabric. In 2021 Arlen moved to New York, where she undertook training in carpentry, learning to build sculptural, solid wood furniture from milling to finishing. She approaches her art practice as an artisan, submitting to the sometimes physically strenuous efforts that her material demands. Her recent work conveys her love for the historically two-dimensional medium of painting and a desire to explore its capabilities and create works where the wall plaster steps off the wall or canvas and becomes more relief than flat.
MEGHAN ARLEN Obscured Geographies
Opening reception: Thursday, January 18, 6-8pm
January 18-February 24, 2024
227 E 24th St, New York, NY 10010
The black crept in: somnambulance, 2021 Plaster and medium over gesso on raw canvas, 34″ x 42″Unrealized Utopias, 2023 Gesso and liquid copper on unprimed upcycled canvas (reclaimed dowel frame) 30″ x 24″Unearthed II, 2023 Plaster and Charcoal on canvas 36″ x 36″Y-Y Dyptich, 2021 Gesso and liquid copper on unprimed upcycled canvas (reclaimed dowel frame) 30″ x 24″
His Grace Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan will lead an ecumenical prayer service for Christian Unity at St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral on Thursday, January 25th at 6:30pm. All are warmly invited to attend. For details, see the flyer below.
