The remarkable achievement of the Kessab United Ousoumnasirats Djemaran.

Ազգային Ուսումնասիրաց Միացեալ Ճեմարան - Քեսապ

Vahe H. Apelian

 

KEA of Los Angeles Emblem designated by the late Soghomon Hekimian (Apelian)

First and foremost, let me state that there is no English equivalent word for “ousoumnasirats”, nor the word is present as a single word in the Armenian dictionaries. At least I could not find it listed in the Nairi dictionaries. “oursoumnasirats” is a complex word. The two root words are “ousoum’ (ուսում), which means:  study, institution, instruction, teaching, lesson, education. The other roots word is “sirel” (սիրել), which means: to love, to be fond of, to like, to have a passion for, to delight in, to have an affection for, to be in love with. Consequently, the complex word “ousoumnasirats” means those who love, or fond of, or like, or have a passion for, or delight in, or have an affection for, or are in love with study, instruction, education. “Djemaran means: Academy, seminary; lyceum, college, institute. 

I have not heard or seen “ousoumnasirats” used anywhere else other than among the Kessabtsis. But, I do not doubt that the word has been used elsewhere but it appears it's endemic of Kessab lexicon. Consequently, I will not attempt to find an equivalent word for it in English and will resort to calling that unique Kessab secondary school Kessab United Ousoumnasirats Djemaran. The word United is included in the naming of the school because of its historical evolution at is founding days. The secondary school came about by uniting the other existing schools into one single high school.

The school has an interesting story that also reflects the resilience of Kessabtsis and their quest for education. It begins over a century ago, in 1910.

1910 may have been the worst and the best of times for the Kessabtsis – people of Kessab. The year before, the massacre that started in the city of Adana – historically known as the Adana massacre - spread like a wild fire to the other cities of the historical Cilicia and in northern Syria. The pogrom reached Kessab in the latter part of April 1909. The ransack of Kessab and the pogrom of its inhabitants was followed by a bitter winter in Kessab adding to the misery of the survivors who had not been able to tend to their harvest due to the carnage, and they needed shelter and sustenance.

Garod Saghdejian

The Kessabtsis, however, responded to this tragedy by rebuilding their lives anew and embarked on an unprecedented program. In 1910, in the aftermath of the tragedy, instead of dwelling on despair, a group of young Kessabtsis envisioned to establish an educational association. They named it Ousoumnasirats. The goal of the association was not only to further the state of education in Kessab but also to render Kessab a college level educational center for the Armenians in the historical Cilicia. The Kessab Ousoumnasirats Association (KEA) was thus born. The founders however could not realize their aspiration. In a matter of a few years the Medz Yeghern befell on the Armenian people that forever altered their millennial way of life in their ancestral land, that is to say the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

Two thirds of the Kessabtsis perished during the genocide. In 1918 the surviving Kessabtsis started rebuilding their lives again. 

In spite of all the hardship Kessab Ousoumnasirats Association established in 1924 the Kessab United Ousoumnasirts Djemaran - High School. In a short period of time the high school achieved a remarkable academic success. The colonial French government in Syria recognized the high school and its graduates were accepted in institutions of higher learning in France and many did.

 However, the ensuing political situation put a damper on the academic progress. In 1938 Kessab lost considerable portion of its arable lands to Turkey and the subsequent economic hardship resulted in the great migration of many to Lebanon, America, Canada and Australia. In 1946 and 1947 the great repatriation took place and many Kessabtsis moved to Armenia further depopulating Kessab and curtailing the academic excellence of its schools. 

The Kessabtsi immigrants however did not let go of the mission of the Ousoumnasirats and established Kessab Educational Association branches in the cities they moved to, such as Beirut in 1951 and Los Angeles in 1957. In Beirut the Association ran an evening school that lasted until 1975 when it became a casualty of the Lebanese civil war. During a quarter of century service, the school, supported by the Kessab Educational Association of Beirut, offered free of charge educational to young Armenian men and women who had dropped out of school early on to pursue a trade. The KEA also continued and continues to this day supporting  the Kessab United Ousoumnasirts Djemaran.

Ardavast Terterian and Vazken Abdoulian

I became reflective because I read that this year three of its graduates achieved academic success. Garod Saghdejian graduated from Haigazian College with distinction in his line of specialty.  Ardavast Terterian and Vazken Abdoulian received their Master of Science in Computer and Information Science from the American University of Armenia. Among the founders of the AUA was Dr. Stepan Karamardian, who hailed from kessabtsi parents.

I wish the graduates of Kessab United Ousoumnasirts Djemaran much success in their future endeavors.

 

 

 

  

A Lone Voice from Kahramanmaras: You are all guilty

Vahe H. Apelian

 

M Ali Kir has been a Facebook friend who has taken interest in us and participated in sharing his views on the Armenian issues we discussed. He comes across as a concerned humanitarian. He resides in the historical city of Marash in Turkey.

Today I posted recently the following: “" ՅԱՂԹԵԼՈՒ ԵՆՔ":  During Second Artsakh war, Armenians resisted valiantly against forces we knew we could not defeat militarily. After 44 days of battle and at the cost of 4000 lives, we secured the November 9 agreement. But the opposition, in an out of Armenia, outright rejected the agreement Armenia had secured and labelled the PM a traitor and swore to bring him down. If the Armenians in Armenia, Diaspora and Artsakh had stood by what we achieved on November 9, 2020, instead of tearing it apart, we may not be in this situation. The Russians and the Azeris knew of the division within the Armenians over November 9. agreement and took full advantage of it and now do not honor it because they know Armenians were and are not united. Our loss is our doing, period. Sad, sad, and how sad for Artsakh and Armenia….”

M Ali Kir also commented to my post in Turkish. Thanks to Google translation, we have been able to exchange our views. I posted the Google translation  of his comment below. The original post in Turkish may be read on my page.

“Everyone thought Armenia would win, victory slogans were thrown, they said we won without war, they said we will win, they spoke for sure, everyone believed, everyone is behind Pashinyan, they said, "Go, you are the new king without a lion, they said, go, but when they were defeated in the war, Armenians blamed Pashinyan. Don't blame at all, if there is a guilty person, you are all guilty, don't blame anyone else, now Pashinyan says" He says that if you do not accept the conditions Armenia will disappear, in a way he is right, but there is no one to trust and stand behind Armenians, they used Armenians again and threw them away, so they accepted the agreement, and look from this direction, Armenia has fallen to the table of wolves, the Turkish world has been established, how can Armenia survive, it is the best to approach the Turks again find a life because Armenians in the world are falling apart and sinking each day. Support Pashinyan. I think he is being clever. Where are those who told Pashinyan to walk? They are the criminals now.

If Pashinyan had won, all the people would have been heroes. They would say he won because of us and they would say well done to Pashinyan.”r. 

In regard to his last sentence, we all agree that "success has many fathers but failure is an orphan." The one time before the second Artskah war slogan posted above proclaiming that Armenia, Diaspora, Artsakh is one nation with one struggle, has now fragmented to its core and is falling apart from its seams. its constituents are doing to each mother more than pointing finger at each other. 

M Ali Kir is a respectful participant in our online postings. Whatever your views are, address his massage and spare the messenger M Ali Kir. He has proven to be a concerned individual who has no interest other than goodwill and is a respected guest on my page as well as on my friends’ pages with whom he shares his views..

 

War Games: Madrid Principle - Lachin Corridor - Artsakh Status

Vahe H. Apelian

 

Bear with me as I state the obvious.

I am not an expert on warfare. But I will take the liberty saying that I was a championship chess player in my college years and was a member of the American University of Beirut’s chess club whose president was Artin Boghossian a math major who currently resides in Canada.

Chess is a war game. Playing the game is akin to strategizing a winning battle and a winning war. One of the greatest stumbling blocks in strategizing is the realization that the player failed to see the obvious move the opponent could make, and realizes it only after having the opponent make the move. That happens because the player gets so much engrossed in his thoughts and in his strategizing that the player fails to think like the opponent would. Maybe the greatest asset for a chess player is strategizing the game from the opponent’s perspective, as the player lays down his or her strategy.  

I felt the need to have the above two opening paragraphs noted lest I may be construed not having the best interest of Armenia in mind having attached the notes from my non-Armenian friend, whom I consider an expert in Armenian history and Armenian affairs as much as value him for being the Armenian he has chosen to be. 

The attached are what he wrote to me.

On Madrid Principle

I don't think there was an agreement, just principles proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group, which Armenia and Azerbaijan sometimes referenced during discussions.

On Lachin Corridor

As far as I know, in the late Soviet era (before the 1990 war) Aghavno and Lachin itself were Azerbaijani towns/villages that were part of the Azerbaijani SSR proper that were captured by Armenian forces during the 1990s war, destroyed and purged of their Azerbaijani populations, rebuilt by Armenians (I think with diaspora support in the case of Aghavno), resettled with Armenians (I think foreign Armenians in the case of Aghavno), and renamed with Armenian names.  The only reason these towns/villages did not go back to Azerbaijan under the 2020 ceasefire agreement is that Armenia needed a road to Stepanakert and these towns/villages were on/near the road.

The older history of the region is more complicated and I don't know all of it.  Certainly 300-500 years ago there was still a significant Armenian presence there.  Under Russian Empire control in the 19th century that whole area was part of Elizavetpol province and Armenia and Azerbaijan had competing claims during the independence era.  

 The Soviets awarded almost all of the province to the Azerbaijani SSR except modern Syunik (the east part of the Zangeur district of Elizavetpol province) was carved out to be part of the Armenian SSR since Armenians had established control of it during the independence-era wars (which is why Azerbaijani nationalists today claim that territory as East Zangezur).  

The eastern 1/3 of Zangezur was made a part of the Azerbaijani SSR, and it is this region where the Lachin corridor is today (along with Kalbajar, Zangilan, etc.).  As you know, the Soviets carved out Nagorno Karabakh as the Armenian part of Azerbaijani-controlled Karabakh and made it autonomous under Azerbaijani SSR administration.  In the early Soviet era I think this "East Zangeur" region was sparsely populated, mostly by semi-nomadic Shia Kurds.  I don't know when or how they became the majority there.  Over the next decades Moscow and Baku took bits of land away from Syunik and Nagorno Karabakh to expand their separation a bit, originally to establish a "Red Kurdistan".  But over time many of the Kurds were resettled and populated with Azerbaijanis.  There might have been some Armenian villages there (and there certainly are medieval and early modern era Armenian cultural heritage objects there), but by the time of the collapse of the USSR that region was recognized as an Azerbaijani and maybe Kurdish part of the Azerbaijani SSR proper (no special status).  That area was entirely ethnically-cleansed by ethnic Armenian forces during the 1990s war.

I think both Azerbaijanis and Armenians have their own ways of deluding themselves when it comes to the Karabakh region, such that the history in culture becomes "clearly Armenian" or "clearly Azerbaijani".  But there is a mixed record of settlement and political control over time, so everything is not so clear.  I would say there is a shared heritage, especially over the past 200-300 years.

On Artsakh Status

I don't think NKAO will get any status now.  From Azerbaijan's perspective, this whole conflict arose because NKAO got a special status in the USSR, so giving NKAO a special status will be like a time bomb ticking inside their country, a threat of a new independence movement.  The best NKAO Armenians can hope for is some sort of deal to protect their rights and security in Azerabaijan.  But after watching the events of the past 9 months or so, I think NKAO and Armenia itself will be lucky to avoid a new war.   I don't think NKAO Armenians are going to get any more protections than Aliyev's word unless one of the more powerful international community players (Russia, USA, EU, etc.) is willing and able to apply more leverage to Azerbaijan, or unless NKAO Armenians can convince Aliyev that they will fight and a new war will be too publicly messy to be worth it.  I'm not sure either is possible, but we'll see.  There are still more peace negotiations coming up.  I am concerned that NKAO will be forcefully ethnically-cleansed, or maybe just "softly" cleansed when living in Armenia starts to look better than living in NKAO as an integral part of Azerbaijan.

They were and are no more: Kessabtsis in Rostom Gomideh

Vahe H. Apelian

They were Kessabtsi compatriots who were members of the ARF Rosdom Gomideh in Los Angeles.

In 2007, on the occasion of celebrating the February uprising, the ARF Rosdom Gomideh of Los Angeles, honored the ungers who had served in the ranks for fifty plus years.  The Gomideh in turn, in the valley section of greater Los Angeles, celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding. 

The honorees were indicted in the ARF ranks even before the Rosdom Gomideh they belonged to was founded.  Among them was father who was the most senior member. He was bedridden in the nursing home but did not want to miss the occasion. I had to make special arrangements for medical transportation and an attendant for the nursing home to let him out, having assured his safety. I flew from Cincinnati to accompany him. The attached picture depicts him and I attending the occasion. He passed away a few months after that on July 27. That was my last picture with him.

 

The gomideh had issued a booklet celebrating the honorees. A good number of the honorees turned out to be Kessabtsis. They all have since passed away. Each had jotted down his remembrance joining the ARF ranks, who had witnessed the induction into the ranks, and who was the ARF leader who had influenced each the most.  

Regrettably I do not have a copy of the booklet to have a complete list of the honorees of that evening. But I had copied the Kessabtsi honorees. Attached are who they were and what each wrote.

Unger HOVHANNES APELIAN, my father (62 years in the ranks)

Had joined the ranks in 1945 in Beirut, witnessed by Unger Vahan Papazian.

He had assumed various responsibilities including khmpabed (group repesentative). Unger Simon Vratsian had been a member of his group

Unger Tro Ganayan was the leader who had influenced him the most. For a while they resided in the same building and dealt with each other.

Unger HAYGAZOUN TERTERIAN (57 years in the ranks)

Joined the ranks during 1950 in Kessab, witnessed by unger Paul Churukian.

He had assumed various responsibilities.

Unger Trasdamad Ganayan (Tro) was the leader who had influenced him most.

 

Unger GABRIEL INJEJIKIAN (57 years in the ranks)

(The pioneer of Armenian day school in the U.S.)

Had joined the ranks during 1947 in Kessab witnessed by Unger Hratch Papazian.

He had assumed various responsibilities and had chaired the ARF Zavarian Student Association.

Unger Roupen DerMinassian was the leader who had influenced him most, having met the one-time defense minister of the first republic of Armenia in Kessab during several summers.

Unger VARTKES TERTERIAN (55 years in the ranks)

Had joined the ranks during 1952 in Beirut, witnessed by Unger Trasdamad Ganayan (Tro).

He had assumed various responsibilities.

Ungers Tro, Shavarsh Missakian, Vahan Navasartian were the leaders who had influenced him the most.

 

Unger MESROB CHELEBIAN (60 years in the ranks)

Had joined the ranks during 1947 in Beirut, witnessed by unger Vahan Papazian.

He had assumed various responsibilities including khmpabed (group repesentative). 

Unger Roupen DerMinassian had been the leader who had influenced him the most.

Unger ARMEN HOVSEPIAN (56 years in the ranks)

Had joined the ranks during 1951 in Beirut, witnessed by unger Yetvart Daronian.

He had assumed various responsibilities including khmpabed (group leader).

Unger Simon Vratsian had been the leader who had influenced him the most. Both had lived in the same neighborhood and met each other often.

 

 

How I stood in these trying times?

Attached are my postings on my Facebook page pertaining to prime minister Nikol Pachinyan’s visit to Turkey to attend the inauguration of the newly elected president of Turkey, Erdogan. The PM’s visit was not a historic visit although in the age of social media it was earth shattering for the Armenian world. Was the visit a diplomatic necessity for the Republic of Armenia or was it not a diplomatic necessity and consequently a failure? That will be for the future historians to debate. Attached is how I stood. Vahe H. Apelian

Courtesy Garo Konyalian

June 3, 2023 

GODSPEED: I wish the prime minister of Armenia Godspeed as he embarks on his journey to Turkey.

***** 

June 4, 2023

MAY GOD HELP: God help the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pachinyan and give me him fortitude, courage in pain and in adversity, as he deals with powerful, arrogant, SOBs. Asdouatz hedt varchabed - Աստուած հետդ վարչապետ։

*****

June 5, 2023

WAS IT A DIPLOMATIC FAILURE? The PM’s visit was not a historic visit although in the age of social media it was earth shattering for the Armenian world.  

Was PM Pachinyans's visit a diplomatic necessity for the Republic of Armenia or was it not a diplomatic necessity? That will be for the historians to comment or debate. Nikol Pachinyan’s diplomatic venture lasted two days. The First Republic's diplomatic venture led by Avedis Aharonian, lasted six weeks, from June 13 to August 31, 1918. IF the PM Nikol Pachinyan’s visit led to one less border skirmish and one less Armenian soldier being killed, it was a diplomatic success in my book, although it’s an IF. 

But there is more that is going on here, much more than the PM’s diplomatic visit. IT also has nothing to do with the diplomatic visit for IT will be going on with the same pace or vigor, even if the PM had not paid a diplomatic visit. 

We are being tested as never before at least since 1915. We are in a process of change. I quote Anatole France: " All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of our-selves; we must die to one life before we can enter into another!" We are dying for one life to enter another and that life will be as good and as bad as we make it. We have to be cognizant of the necessity to confront and adapt to the inevitable change.

It may not have happened, but it profoundly rings true that when "When Winston Churchill was asked to cut arts funding in favor of the war effort, he simply replied, ‘then what are we fighting for?" It the end the Armenians are also fighting to safeguard their lives, honor, possession and culture. “Peace in the region” is a policy and like any other policy it will regretfully but likely excise lives, property loss.

There is no policy for us that does not have a cost to bear. 

Whatever is the cost of “peace in the region” Armenia’s policy, it cannot take our culture and dignity away if we do not give them away. Patronizing or sermon like, this may sound. but it remains true in my book that no one can take away your culture and dignity if you do not give them away.

 *****

 

June 6, 2023

WAR STRATEGY: “What king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.”—Luke 14:31-32. Thank you Hagop Toroyan Hagop Toroyan for alluding to this biblical passage. 

This time around the king of 3 million confronting the King of 80 million. In plain English “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace."

 *****

June 6, 2023

THEY FAILED US - In no uncertain terms the two heads of the Armenian Apostolic Church failed the Armenian people they are called upon to pastor during this existential period of the Armenian history. I was expecting that the two religious heads of the Apostolic church, would pray for the safety and security of the PM and ask God to grant him fortitude as he confronts the enemy on behalf of the people. In my view, in this historic junction, they miserably failed both as religious leaders and, in their quest, to also act as civic, if not political leaders in charge marshalling the destiny of their flock, the Armenian nation.

*****

June 6, 2023

THAT IS AN ECHO NOT AN ACT – Echo is defined as “a sound or series of sounds caused by the reflection of sound waves from a surface back to the listener.” A person's or an organization's, be it civic or religious, claim for the self determination of the Armenians of Artsakh is not an act on behalf of  or for the people of Artsakh. It is simply a sentimental echo.

  

How I stood in these trying times?

 N THESE TRYING TIMES: Attached are my postings on my Facebook page pertaining to prime minister Nikol Pachinyan’s visit to Turkey to attend the inauguration of the newly elected president of Turkey, Erdogan. The PM’s visit was not a historic visit although in the age of social media it was earth shattering for the Armenian world. Was the visit a diplomatic necessity for the Republic of Armenia or was it not a diplomatic necessity and consequently a failure? That will be for the future historians to debate. Attached is how I stood. Vahe H. Apelian

Courtesy Garo Konyalian

June 3, 2023 

GODSPEED: I wish the prime minister of Armenia Godspeed as he embarks on his journey to Turkey.

***** 

June 4, 2023

MAY GOD HELP: God help the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pachinyan and give me him fortitude, courage in pain and in adversity, as he deals with powerful, arrogant, SOBs. Asdouatz hedt varchabed - Աստուած հետդ վարչապետ։

*****

June 5, 2023

WAS IT A DIPLOMATIC FAILURE? The PM’s visit was not a historic visit although in the age of social media it was earth shattering for the Armenian world.  

Was PM Pachinyans's visit a diplomatic necessity for the Republic of Armenia or was it not a diplomatic necessity? That will be for the historians to comment or debate. Nikol Pachinyan’s diplomatic venture lasted two days. The First Republic's diplomatic venture led by Avedis Aharonian, lasted six weeks, from June 13 to August 31, 1918. IF the PM Nikol Pachinyan’s visit led to one less border skirmish and one less Armenian soldier being killed, it was a diplomatic success in my book, although it’s an IF. 

But there is more that is going on here, much more than the PM’s diplomatic visit. IT also has nothing to do with the diplomatic visit for IT will be going on with the same pace or vigor, even if the PM had not paid a diplomatic visit. 

We are being tested as never before at least since 1915. We are in a process of change. I quote Anatole France: " All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of our-selves; we must die to one life before we can enter into another!" We are dying for one life to enter another and that life will be as good and as bad as we make it. We have to be cognizant of the necessity to confront and adapt to the inevitable change.

It may not have happened, but it profoundly rings true that when "When Winston Churchill was asked to cut arts funding in favor of the war effort, he simply replied, ‘then what are we fighting for?" It the end the Armenians are also fighting to safeguard their lives, honor, possession and culture. “Peace in the region” is a policy and like any other policy it will regretfully but likely excise lives, property loss.

There is no policy for us that does not have a cost to bear. 

Whatever is the cost of “peace in the region” Armenia’s policy, it cannot take our culture and dignity away if we do not give them away. Patronizing or sermon like, this may sound. but it remains true in my book that no one can take away your culture and dignity if you do not give them away.

 *****

 

June 6, 2023

WAR STRATEGY: “What king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.”—Luke 14:31-32. Thank you Hagop Toroyan Hagop Toroyan for alluding to this biblical passage. 

This time around the king of 3 million confronting the King of 80 million. In plain English “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace."

 *****

June 6, 2023

THEY FAILED US - In no uncertain terms the two heads of the Armenian Apostolic Church failed the Armenian people they are called upon to pastor during this existential period of the Armenian history. I was expecting that the two religious heads of the Apostolic church, would pray for the safety and security of the PM and ask God to grant him fortitude as he confronts the enemy on behalf of the people. In my view, in this historic junction, they miserably failed both as religious leaders and, in their quest, to also act as civic, if not political leaders in charge marshalling the destiny of their flock, the Armenian nation.

*****

June 6, 2023

THAT IS AN ECHO NOT AN ACT – Echo is defined as “a sound or series of sounds caused by the reflection of sound waves from a surface back to the listener.” A person's or an organization's, be it civic or religious, claim for the self determination of the Armenians of Artsakh is not an act on behalf of the people of Artsakh. It is simply a sentimental echo.

Raffi, The Prophet From Payajuk By Murad A. Meneshian

Reviewed by Vahe H. Apelian PhD, 26 June 2012 

Raffi, the literary and the political Soul of 19th Century Armenian Renaissance 

The meticulously and painstakingly researched “Raffi, the Prophet from Payajuk” by Murad A. Meneshian is published by Mayreni Publishing, Monterrey, CA.

The bulk of the 360-page book (twenty-one chapters) features the evolution of Raffi, the most prominent and prolific of Armenian novelists. The epic biography is followed by "Raffi Remembered"--forty pages of appraisal of the novelist and his legacy by 40 individuals. It's followed by 15 pages of numerical annotations--483 of them! The seven-page index lists persons, places, newspaper and periodicals connected to the great novelist.

The appendix lists Raffi’s books and their first publication dates, including the foreign translations. The author lists 21 book titles written by Raffi. Some of Raffi’s novels have been translated into Russian (7), Georgian (6), German (2), French (3), Polish (1), English (6) and Spanish (1).

The five-page bibliography lists eighty authors, at times with more than one source referenced by the same author, along with a reference to Hairenik and to a centennial commemorative committee. The author spent a year in Armenia in quest of sources for his exhaustive work. Raffi (Hagop Melik Hagopian) was born in Payajuk, Persia in 1835. Universally loved by Armenians, the novelist passed away in Tblisi, Georgia on April 25, 1888.

I vaguely remember the lyrics of a popular '60s song which asked whether the situation made the man or the man made the situations. Raffi was the product of his times and his times were partly the product of his popular pen. It would be impossible to understand Raffi without thoroughly understanding the period he lived--a challenging endeavor that the author has accomplished and conveyed superbly.

I cannot fathom how Mr. Meneshian accomplished his immense task in a mere year spent in Armenia. In the introduction, he does not specify when he embarked on his scholarship of Raffi. It is obvious, however, that Raffi had been a pre-teen fascination. Like the author, I, too, was a Raffi fan in my adolescence. However, I read no other Raffi novels afterward. The novels are fascinating for a teenager but no more. It takes maturity to understand the depth and the reasons for his novels. In order to do that the teen needs to carry his fascination well into his youth and beyond. It is obvious that the author has done that. I quote Murad: “In the early 1970s I had the opportunity to order several of Raffi’s novels from Vienna Mkhitarist. I read the novels once again, and again I was fascinated by them”.

Mr. Meneshian was fascinated by the novels of Raffi as a teen and as an adult. However, as an adult he must have felt the need to understand the era Raffi lived in to better understand the man who stirred his enduring fascination. The author must have then engaged in collateral scholarship as well, for lack of a better description, in order to understand the social forces which were shaping Raffi’s times and often pinned one camp against the other. Raffi, an architect of the 19th century Eastern Armenian literary and political awakening, questioned the status quo and was not immune to these forces. The loyalty of his staunch followers, the indifference, if not outright animosity, of his opponents attest to that. This monumental work is nothing less than decades’ long labor whose finishing touches were made over a year--fittingly and out of necessity in Armenia.

Murad A. Menseshian is a retired Bell Laboratories research chemist. In his dedication, he says his father “followed the path set by Raffi.” He co-dedicates the book to his mother--Anush nee Gezurian “who dared to survive the Genocide.”

The book makes for a very pleasant reading. Raffi wrote in pre-Soviet Eastern Armenian and popularized the region. We have long given up discussing whether knowing how to read and write in Armenian are imperative to keep our national heritage. We have tacitly, if not overtly, accepted the inevitable and sad reality that fewer of us in the Diaspora read and write in Armenian and fewer will do so as time goes by. However, we cannot claim to uphold our national heritage while continuing to live in Diaspora--and not read in Armenian--if we do not read Armenian books in English or in French. This book is a must especially for all those who do not read Armenian but would like to maintain the umbilical cord with our colorful but often sad “modern” history. If we fail to do that we have no one to blame but ourselves to have been beaten on two fronts twice over, but this time of our choosing.

“The rain falling on the open casket had not altered Raffi’s gentle face” writes Murad in his concluding paragraph. “He seemed to be asleep. He appeared as if his thoughts glowed on his finely furrowed wide forehead. At the end of the interment services when the priest uttered his bidding prayers, the crowd spontaneously cried out “He lives! He Lives!” 

Indeed, he does. There are a few Armenian first names we make a mental connection with the most prominent person bearing the name. Among the latter prominently stands out the name Raffi, a name coined by no other than Raffi himself.

Murad Meneshian quotes the following from Raffi.

Will a day come, or a time,

To see a flag atop Massis

And emigre' Armenians from everywhere

Head toward their beautiful fatherland?

Serendipity or a divine tribute to the "Prophet from Payajuk" had that the person who raised the flag at the United Nations heralding Armenia’s entry onto the fold of sovereign nations is the grandson of Armenian emigres, born and raised in the Unites States of America, and is Raffi’s namesake–Raffi Hovannissian– Republic of Armenia’s first foreign minister.

Updated on June 2, 2023