Shant and Nigol: “Unlike Twins" - "Հակադիր Երկուորեակներ"

"Unlike Twins - Հակադիր Երկուորեակներ": Nigol Aghpalian and Levon Shant

The attached, in five segments, is my abridged translation of the first chapter of Antranig Zarougian’s book titled “The Greats and the Others” ("ՄԵԾԵՐԸ ԵՒ ՄԻՒՍՆԵՐԸ» published in Beirut in 1992. 

The chapter is titled “Unlike Twins” (Հակադիր Երկուորեակներ) where Antranig Zarougian paints a student’s impression and a grown-up man’s appreciation of these two famed educators, Nigol Aghpalian and Levon Shant, who toiled side by side in the famed Jermaran of Beirut. The narration also gives a glimpse of the norms and values prevailing when these two educators pooled their knowhow and efforts in educating a cadre of Armenian students, naturally including Antranig Zarougian as one of their students, who would assume leadership roles in the post genocide Armenian community.

 Perhaps students are the best judge of the characters of their teachers. Zarougian reminisces episodes that reflect the characters of these two great educators, their pedagogical methods, their ideology and their devotion to education.

Vahe H. Apelian.

Segment 1: Levon Shant and Nigol Aghbalian: Contrasting Twins

http://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2019/12/levon-shant-and-nigol-aghpalian-no-1.html

Segment 2: Levon Shant and Nigol Aghpalian: Contrasting Twins

http://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2020/02/levon-shant-and-nigol-aghpalian-no-2.html

Segment 3: Levon Shant as an Educator

http://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2020/02/levon-shant-and-nigol-aghpalian-no-3.html

Segment 4: Levon Shant and Nigol Aghpalian: Anectordes

http://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2020/02/levon-shant-and-nigol-aghpalian.html

Segment 5: Levon Shant and Nigol Agphalian: Ideology

http://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2020/03/levon-shant-and-nigol-aghpalian-ideolgy.html