KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

 

The event was attended by Albert Isoyan, a literary critic, writer and publisher, the author of the book, Shavarsh Kocharyan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vladimir Barkhudaryan,  a member of the National Academy of Sciences, Petros Hovhannisyan, the editor of the book, Head of the Chair of Armenian History at Yerevan State University, ASPU Rector Rouben Mirzakhanyan, lecturers and students. 

 

In his addressing speech, Professor Rouben Mirzakhanyan stressed the importance of the book’s publication in foreign languages and said he was glad to host the presentation of the Russian-language edition at the ASPU. “In two years’ time we shall be commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. “Black Book” is unique in this sense. It has national significance. In the book, the foreign notabilities give their sincere and serious assessments to the greatest tragedy of our nation. I am convinced that the book’s publications in other languages, especially in Turkish and English, will enable the international community to once again reflect on and analyze our approaches and give a fair assessment of the Genocide,” said Mr Mirzakhanyan.

 

Speaking about publications and conferences [about the Genocide] held in Armenia and outside its boundaries, the ASPU Rector noted with regret, “Unfortunately, there are still people who are unaware of the crime. We should speak about the crime committed by the Ottoman Empire in a simple and affordable way, making it known to the entire world.”

 

 For his part, Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan stressed that the pain of the Armenian people is felt in every and each line of the book. “Modern-day Turkey continues to pursue Genocide denial and xenophobic policy. They continue to bear the ideology of the Ottoman Empire and reject the values of the modern world,” he said. 

 

The deputy FM assured the presentees that they would do everything possible to have the book issued in other languages, as well. 

 

The author of the book, Albert Isoyan, who is a graduate of Armenian State Pedagogical University, said the presentation of the book at the University was like a test for him. Referring to the background of the book, the author said that 34 new authors have been added in the Russian edition. The literary critic was glad to inform the attendees that the work will soon be published in Arabic, Spanish, and several other languages.  

 

 

 Professor Petros Hovhannisyan, the editor of the book, confesses that in the beginning he was skeptical as Albert Isoyan was doing the entire work alone. After assuming the

 duties of the editor, Hovhannisyan had to experience the sufferings and disaster of 1915 and look at the history of the Armenian people in a different light. He is glad to see that nowadays when people have become indifferent towards reading books are honoured at ASPU, moreover, they say book is a must; they just need to have authors. 

 

Aelita Dolukhanyan, a corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences, is confident that “Black Book,” which presents real facts and is void of exaggerations, reveals the motives behind the Armenian Genocide and gives its assessment to the massacres. 

 

The academician believes that the book, which is full of emotional, legal, chronological and historiographic documents and facts, takes the 1915 events to a legal domain which may become an important condition for resolving the Armenian Cause. “It is time that we present the historical past to the world in a correct way; the facts compiled in the book prove that a civilized nation with high morale was assassinated in 1915,” she said.

 

 A short film “Black Book” directed by Khachik Chalikyan, a lecturer at Armenian State Pedagogical University, was shown during the presentation of the book. 

 

“Black Book: Prominent Foreigners on Turkish Crimes and Armenian Genocide,” is dedicated to the centennial of the Armenian Genocide and presents papers, speeches, quotes and documents  related to the most tragic events in the Armenian history dating back to the period between 1894 and 1923. Most of the documents voice the views of foreign diplomats, politicians, statesmen, historians, writers and missionaries on the Turkish crimes and the Armenian Genocide. 

 

The book is published under the patronage of Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, who is a member of the ASPU Governing Council.