On November 1, at Beirut’s Haigazian University Center for Armenian Diaspora Studies and ANI Armenian Research Center organized a faculty evening, titled “Critical presentation of the Modern Armenian History”.
The event speaker was journalist, Civilitas Foundation expert and ANI center coordinator Tatul Hakobyan.
The evening was opened by director of the Center for Armenian Diaspora Studies at Haigazian University Antranik Dakessian. He underlined the importance of open and unconstrained discussion around controversial episodes of Armenian history.
Tatul Hakobyan briefly spoke about the activities of ANI Armenian Research Center, presented the Center’s publications, the last of which – valuable volume of the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Hovhannes Kajaznuni, Nation and Homeland, was republished a few days ago.
He presented Kajaznuni the architect, the writer, the political-state figure and the individual.
Kajaznuni was an architect by education: the Saint-Bartholomew-Thaddeus Cathedral in Baku was built by his design. One of the buildings in the center of Gyumri, Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Diocese, which survived the 1926 and 1988 earthquakes, is another remaining heritage from the architect Kajaznuni.
Returning to Soviet Armenia in 1924, he cooperated with Tamanian in planning and architectural work of the capital Yerevan.
Hakobyan presented Kajaznuni’s literary heritage, dwelling upon his works: The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Has Nothing To Do Any More, Nation and Homeland, Open letter to Z.
The speaker told the audience about Kajaznuni the political and state figure, who participated in crucial negotiations in the life of Armenian people, including the signing of the Armenian-Turkish pact of reconciliation and friendship in Batumi in 1918 with the Ottoman Empire.
Hakobyan presented the family tragedy of Kajaznuni the individual. One of his sons, 18-year-old Ashot, was killed in Armenian-Turkish battles of Gharaqilisa, during the days when the Armenian-Turkish negotiations were held in Batumi.
His eldest son, Aram, was killed during the Armenian-Tatar battles in Zangibasar, when Kajaznuni was in the US in 1920.
His third son, Ruben, was captured in 1920 during the fall of Kars and was released several months later, and the fourth son, Karen, was killed in 1941, during the Second World War.
The last part of the lecture was devoted to the question & answer and discussion. The participants directed a series of acute questions to the speaker.
Тhe event was attended by the Haigazian University President Dr. Paul Haidostian, the prelate of Greece, Archbishop Khoren Doghramadjian, Nation and Homeland volume benefactor Sargis Boudakian, ANI Center friend Melkon Hagobian, Lebanese Armenian intellectuals, national and political figures.
The event was followed by a reception and sale of the books.
ANI Armenian Research Center
