Dr. Vartan Matiossian among winners of NAASR 2023 Dr. Sona Aronian Armenian Studies Book Prizes

The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) is pleased to announce the 2023 Dr. Sona Aronian Book Prizes for Excellence in Armenian Studies, jointly awarded to Dr. Vartan Matiossian for The Politics of Naming the Armenian Genocide: Language, History and ‘Medz Yeghern’ (I. B. Tauris, 2022), Dr. Henry Shapiro for The Rise of the Western Armenian Diaspora in the Early Modern Ottoman Empire (Edinburgh University Press, 2022) and to Dr. Gohar Muradyan for the English-language translation Ancient Greek Myths in Medieval Armenian Literature (Brill, 2022), a translation of Հին յունական առասպելների արձագանգները հայ միջնադարեան մատենագրութեան մէջ (2014). The 2023 awards are for books with a 2022 publication date.

Book on Dancer and Writer Armen Ohanian by Vartan Matiossian and Artsvi Bakhchinyan Published by Fresno State Armenian Series

The Armenian Series of The Press at California State University, Fresno announced the publication of its sixteenth volume, “A Woman of the World: Armen Ohanian, the “Dancer of Shamakha,” by Vartan Matiossian and Artsvi Bakhchinyan. 

I.B. Tauris Launches a New Book Series titled Armenians in the Modern and Early Modern World

I.B. Tauris (an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing) announced the launch of a new series titled Armenians in the Modern and Early Modern World. Prof. Bedross Der Matossian will serve as the series editor. Recent decades have seen the expansion of Armenian Studies from insular history to a broader, more interactive field within an inter-regional and global context. This series responds to this growth by promoting innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to Armenian history, politics, and culture in the period between 1500-2000. Focusing on the geographies of the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Contemporary Russia [Eastern Armenia], it directs specific attention to imperial and post-imperial frameworks: from the Ottoman Empire to Modern Turkey/Arab Middle East; the Safavid/Qajar Empires to Iran; and the Russian Empire to Soviet Union/Post-Soviet territories.

Reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the field, the series welcomes proposals from scholars in Ottoman/Turkish Studies, Iranian Studies, Slavic Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, Mediterranean Studies, and disciplines of History, Political Science, Anthropology, Literature and Sociology, among others. Topics and themes include, but are not limited to, the following areas: Trade and economy; Cultural Production; Political History; Gender; Intra and Inter-religious relations; Diaspora; Genocide; Nationalism and Identity formation; and Democratization.  The series will publish monographs and edited collections. All proposal and manuscripts are subject to rigorous peer review. Der Matossian commented: “It is an honor to serve as the editor of this exciting series. We have excellent books in the pipeline. With the support of a highly qualified Advisory Board, I am confident that we will be able to advance the field of Armenian Studies from an interdisciplinary perspective.”

The forthcoming books in the series include The Politics of Naming the Armenian Genocide: Language, History and ‘Medz Yeghern’ by Vartan Matiossian and Picturing the Ottoman Armenian World: Photography in Erzerum, Kharpert, Van and Beyond by David Low.  

New Classes at University of California-Irvine Aim to Advance Western Armenian

Talia Housik

When Houri Berberian became the Meghrouni Family Presidential Chair in Armenian Studies at UCI in 2016, she had a vision of what the School of Humanities program could become.

With the aid of donors (Southern California is home to the nation’s largest Armenian community), her vision is coming into focus with a comprehensive approach to Armenian history, including courses such as “Armenians and Armenia in Modern World History” and “Armenians and Armenia in Ancient to Early Modern World History.” But Berberian wanted to add more depth to the curriculum.

For her, that meant creating a language series in Western Armenian.

Armenian Studies Chairs and Directors Meet to Discuss the Future of the Field

On September 29, the majority of current Armenian Studies Chairs and Directors in the United States, along with representatives of the Society for Armenian Studies (SAS), National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), and Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation met for an “Armenian Studies Chairs and Directors Workshop: Current Challenges & Future Prospects” at the University of California – Irvine. The meeting which was the first of its kind in the west coast was organized by UCI’s Armenian Studies Program, the UCI Meghrouni Family Presidential Chair in Armenian Studies (Professor Houri Berberian), the UCLA Richard Hovannisian Endowed Chair in Modern Armenian History (Professor Sebouh Aslanian), and the Society for Armenian Studies (Professor Bedross Der Matossian, SAS President).

‘Feminist Interventions in Armenian Studies/Armenian Interventions in Feminist Studies’ Conference Takes Place at MIT

Throughout the last couple of decades, Feminist as well as Armenian Studies have developed to become two distinct fields of inquiry. Nevertheless, few efforts have been made to see them in juxtaposition and apply the theoretical insights of the one to the other. Among such attempts was the conference “Feminist Interventions in Armenian Studies/Armenian Interventions in Feminist Studies” organized by Lerna Ekmekcioglu (MIT) and Melissa Bilal (University of Chicago) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on April 7. With the participation of senior and junior scholars, all women, the conference purported to bring together experts in various fields and generate critical and theoretical debates regarding Armenian Studies and the contributions of feminist thought to it.

Scholar Erna Shirinian Delves into Armenian-Greek and Armenian-Byzantine Relations

Aram Arkun

Normally Dr. Erna Manea Shirinian spends the first half of her workday as a full professor of history at Yerevan State University and then goes in the afternoon to Yerevan’s Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts (“Matenadaran”), where she is head of the department concerned with researching and editing ancient Armenian texts. Fortunately for the Mirror, she was in Boston a few months ago, during the spring, and spoke a little about the state of scholarly affairs in Armenia as well as a conference she was organizing on Tayk.

Born in Akhalkalak, Georgia, Dr. Shirinian began her education in Armenia. Her father did not want her to leave the country, but as a good student, she was sent by her teacher to Russia to learn classical literature and translation. Most of the other students did not continue in academia. When she returned, she was told she could go to specialize in Byzantine Studies in Moscow.

NAASR to Transform its Headquarters Into a Global Center

The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) will be undertaking a $2.5 million, top-to-bottom renovation of its aging building in Belmont, Massachussetts, to transform it into a welcoming hub for scholars and Armenians and non-Armenians alike, as NAASR meets the challenges of best serving its mission in the future.  Since purchase in 1989, the NAASR headquarters building has served as a place where erudite scholars of Armenian Studies have come for support and research in NAASR’s unique library holdings, and for connection with members and the public over lectures and symposia. NAASR’s Mardigian Library has grown to become world-class as one of the top five libraries open to the public in the diaspora while its building has remained virtually unchanged and is in drastic need of repair.

Two Book Awards for Armenian Studies

Dr. Sona Aronian Book Prizes for Excellence in Armenian Studies (NAASR)

The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) recently announced the creation of the Dr. Sona Aronian Book Prizes for Excellence in Armenian Studies. The prizes will be awarded annually to an outstanding scholarly monograph in the English language in the field of Armenian studies and, in alternating years, to a translation from Armenian into English of a work of literature or of an academic book within the field of Armenian studies.

Interview with Fr. Vahan Hovagimian, Head of Vienna Mekhitarists

For nearly 250 years the Mekhitarist Monastery of Vienna has retained its status as one of the major spiritual and cultural pillars of the Armenian Diaspora.

It was established in 1773, after a group of monks separated from the mother Venice congregation and moved to Trieste. In 1810 the congregation moved again, this time to Vienna, when Emperor Francis I of Austria (1804-1835) provided them with refuge in an abandoned Capucine abbey in the St. Ulrich suburb of the city.

The monastery includes a church, museum, library, and school. The library has the largest and the oldest collection of Armenian newspapers: some 170,000 volumes. The museum has one of the most significant Armenian coin collections, the oldest dating from the 4^th century B.C. It also has ancient tapestries, ceramics, maps, a huge globe of the world, old Armenian silver works, Bibles, paintings by Naghash Hovnatan and Ivan Aivazovsky, and cartoons by Alexander Saroukhan. Its 2,600-illuminated manuscript collection is the third-largest after that of Armenia and Jerusalem. The library also has an estimated 500,000 books. The street where the monastery is located is called Mechitaristengasse. It’s in the 7th district of Vienna.

The congregation was founded by Mekhitar Sebastatsi in Constantinople in 1701. After being forced out of the country and a brief stay in the Peloponessus, the monks established themselves in the San Lazzaro island of Venice.

The following interview with Father Vahan Hovagimian, the head of the Vienna monastery, was conducted in late fall.

A Hub of Armenian History Makes its Mark

Lizzie Hedrick

 

Growing up in an Armenian community in Wisconsin, Richard Antaramian began wondering about his family’s history.

The answers he received didn’t adequately address his curiosity.

“It pushed me into more rigorous areas of inquiry, and ultimately I came out with a Ph.D. and a lifelong desire both to teach and research the rich history of the Armenian people,” said Antaramian, assistant professor of history and holder of the Turpanjian Early Career Chair in Contemporary Armenian Studies at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

He currently teaches two undergraduate courses on the Ottomans and World War I. In the spring he’ll teach a class on the Armenian diaspora.

Society for Armenian Studies Marks 40th Anniversary in Yerevan

Vartan Matiossian

On its fortieth anniversary, the Society for Armenian Studies (SAS) organized an unprecedented workshop from October 3-5, at the presidential hall of sessions of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, with forty-two scholars from Armenia and abroad who delivered papers in English or in Armenian. “Many of the presentations and discussions were indeed fascinating and thought-provoking,” noted Nareg Seferian, while Jennifer Manoukian remarked: “The most positive aspect of the conference was without a doubt getting the chance to mingle with scholars working on similar topics. Hearing about projects in the works and sharing resources to facilitate these projects would have been difficult to do without the face-to-face interaction that the conference provided.” Many participants expressed the hope that this workshop will become a regular feature.

Pope Francis Appoints Boghos Levon Zekiyan as Apostolic Administrator of Armenian Archieparchy of Istanbul

Pope Francis has appointed Archpriest Boghos Levon Zekiyan, emeritus lecturer at the Universita Ca’ Foscari, Venice, as apostolic administrator “sede plena” of the archieparchy of Istanbul of the Armenians, Turkey, elevating him to the dignity of Archbishop, the Vatican Information Service reports.

Armenian Studies Officially Accepted in Salzburg University (Austria)

Professor Jasmine Dum-Tragut from Salzburg University has recently informed that, starting from the academic year 2013-2014, the Center for the Studies of the Christian East in Salzburg has been officially accepted and opened as University Research Center for the Studies of the Christian East. The Department of Armenian Studies is now officially part of Salzburg University and, for the first time in the history of Austria, Armenian Studies becomes an accepted field of research and studies.

"Armenian Review" Appoints New Assistant Editor, Publishes Recent Issue

The Spring-Summer 2013 issue of the "Armenian Review" was published earlier this month. The most recent issue includes articles ranging from historic textual analysis to current political issues.

Distance Learning Program of Armenian Studies at Yerevan State University

The Distance Learning Laboratory at Yerevan State University (YSU) announced today the launch of DistanceLearning.am—a pioneering program of English-language courses, which can be taken by anyone with access to a computer.

Armenian Studies and Truth

Armenian studies, like all other scientific disciplines, should have as a starting point and as its aim disclosing truth. As a true reflection of the Armenian national image, Armenological truth demands a thorough approach to all topics and subjects that constitute the Armenian space. A holistic examination of topics and of various facets is needed.

Is There a Single Answer? Notes on Denial, Legitimacy, and the Tbilisi Conference

Vartan Matiossian

 

The Turkish Studies Program (TSP) at the University of Utah, directed by M. Hakan Yavuz,(*) organized a conference in Tbilisi (June 5-8, 2013), entitled "The Caucasus at Imperial Twilight: Nationalism, Ethnicity and Nation-Building (1870s-1920s)." As it is known, we owe to the Utah Series in Middle Studies (Yavuz himself is the Series Editor) the publication of three works with many disputable theses: Guenter Lewy's "The Armenian Massacres in the Ottoman Empire: A Disputed Genocide" (2005), the same author's "Essays on Genocide and Humanitarian Intervention" (2012), and Justin McCarthy et al.'s "The Armenian Rebellion at Van" (2006).

Interview with Jirair Libaridian about Turkish Conference in Tbilisi

Asbed BEDROSSIAN (GROONG): We have a sense of a brewing controversy related to a conference on Turkish studies in Georgia this month. We understand that you will be participating in that conference; indeed you will be the first keynote speaker. Can you tell us something about that conference?

Jirair LIBARIDIAN: Sure. This is the fourth conference of the University of Utah Turkish Studies Project. They have held others in different parts of the world before. This one will take place with the partnership of Tbilisi State University, in Tbilisi, early June. The theme of the conference is quite intriguing: "The Caucasus at Imperial Twilight: Nationalism, Ethnicity and Nation-Building (1870s-1920s)." There will be some 80 papers presented by known and upcoming scholars.

I was invited to participate in these series for the first time; after much thought, deliberation and consultation with some colleagues, I accepted the invitation.

Historians from Armenia Didn't Take Part in Conference Sponsored by Anti-Armenian Organization

Armenian historians did not find it necessary to take part in the conference sponsored by Turkish and Azerbaijani anti-Armenian organizations. The reason is the mismatch between the invitation sent earlier and format of the conference.