“Mekhitarist Congregation in Venice-300” international conference draws to an end

On October 25, the international conference entitled “Mekhitarist Congregation in Venice-300”, which was organized by the RA Ministry of Diaspora, the Armenian Studies and Social Sciences Section of the RA National Academy of Sciences (NAS RA), Yerevan State University, the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts-Matenadaran (MMIAMM) and the Mekhitarist Congregation in Venice with the support of the State Committee on Science at the RA Ministry of Education and Science, continued in the Institute of History of the NAS RA.

The conference featured panel sessions entitled “The Activities of the Mekhitarists in the Field of Historiography”, “The Contributions of the Mekhitarists to Philology” and “The Arts and Culture in the Activities of the Mekhitarists”.

The panel session entitled “The Activities of the Mekhitarists in the Field of Historiography” featured speeches by Hasmik Stepanyan (NAS RA, “Turkish-Language Publications of the Mekhitarist Congregation in Armenian Letters”); Gevorg Ayvazyan (NAS RA, “Localization of the Model of the Mekhitarists of Venice of Creating an Ideological Homeland in Alexandropol”); Seda Ohanyan (NAS RA, “Father Mikayel Chamchyan and his Activities in Basra in 1769-74 (Brief Background)”; Hamo Sukiasyan (NAS RA, “The Activities of Nerses Akinyan Under the Light of Documents Newly Discovered in Soviet Armenia”); Knar Harutyunyan (MMIAMM, “Manuscript Expert Fathers of St. Lazarus and their Manuscript Lists”); Arman Maloyan (RA Ministry of Education and Science, “The Contributions of the Mekhitarists to the Formation of Armenian Investigative Historiography”) and Avedis Aposhian (Yerevan State University, “History of the Construction of Schools by the Mekhitarist Congregation Around the World”).

Among the speakers during the panel session entitled “The Contributions of the Mekhitarists to Philology” were Suanna Hovhannisyan (NAS RA, “The Mekhitarists in the Context of the Literary and Historical Studies of Leo”); Davit Gasparyan (RA Ministry of Education and Science, “The Theoretical and Artistic Features of Armenian Classicism in the Theoretical and Fictional Literature of the Mekhitarists”); Kristine Melkumyan (NAS RA, “The Publications of Textbooks by the Mekhitarists in the 18th Century”); Siranush Margaryan (NAS RA, “Arsen Bagratuni’s Poem “Haik the Hero””); Avetik Isahakyan (NAS RA, “The Mekhitarist Congregation in Venice in the Memories of Vigen Isahakyan”); Eva Mnatsakanyan (NAS RA, “Hovhannes Tumanyan According to the Mekhitarists”); Lusine Vardanyan (NAS RA, “The Issue of Armenian Renaissance in the System of Division of Periods of Armenian Literature”); Hasmik Iritsyan (MMIAMM, “Gabriel Aivazyan the Member of the Mekhitarist Congregation”) and Lusine Avetisyan (NAS RA, “The Mekhitarists and Elements of Armenian Language and Philosophy”).

Among the speakers during the panel session entitled “The Arts and Culture in the Activities of the Mekhitarists” were Henrik Hovhannisyan (NAS RA, “The Plays of the Mekhitarists: From Sanctity to Classicism”); Lilit Artemyan (NAS RA, “Kristapor Kara-Murza and the Mekhitarist Congregation in Venice”); Artsvi Bakhchinyan (NAS RA, “The Mekhitarists of Venice and International Arts”); Ani Musheghyan (NAS RA, “Manifestations of the Musical and Theoretical Thinking of Europeans in the Works of Khachatur Erzrumetsi and Mekhitar Sebastatsi”); Khoren Grigoryan (RA Ministry of Culture, “Manuscript Books as a Source for Studying National Cuisine (Observations according to the Manuscripts of the Repository of the Mekhitarist Congregation in Venice”); Arpi Vardumyan (MMIAMM, “The Original Volume I of the Voluminous Book “Psalms of the Armenian Church” by Member of the Mekhitarist Congregation in Venice H. G. Tayan”); Marianna Tigranyan (NAS RA, “Father Ghevond Alishan Following the Traces of the Armenian Saints”) and Davit Nahatakyan (National Museum-Institute of Architecture, “The Architectures of Tayk and Gugark in the Works of the Congregates of the Mekhitarist Congregation”).

The international conference ended with a plenary session moderated by Doctor of Historical Sciences Gevorg Stepanyan.

The results of the panel session entitled “The Activities of the Mekhitarists in the Field of Historiography” were summed up by Doctor of Historical Sciences Gevorg Stepanyan and Candidate of Historical Sciences Armen Marukyan, while the results of the panel sessions “The Arts and Culture in the Activities of the Mekhitarists” and “The Contributions of the Mekhitarists to Philology” were summed up by Doctor of Arts Ararat Aghasyan and Candidate of Philological Sciences Heriknaz Vorskanyan, respectively.

Afterwards, Pontifical Delegate of the Mekhitarist Congregation, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Catholic Church in Turkey, Archbishop Levon Zekiyan gave a speech in which he expressed gratitude to the organizers of the conference and the authors of the more than 50 academic speeches. “This conference was truly a major contribution in the sense of presenting the activities of the Fathers of the Mekhitarist Congregation comprehensively. I believe it is not worth waiting for anniversaries to organize such conferences. Lusine Avetisyan delivered her speech wonderfully in grabar (classic Armenian). I would like for Armenian schools to teach Armenian children grabar so that they know Armenian perfectly,” Zekiyan particularly stated.

Archbishop Levon Zekiyan added that Mekhitar Sebastatsi and his loyal students were religious people before being scholars and art critics and that it was a great joy to see that this was not overlooked during the conference.

Director of the Institute of History of the NAS RA Ashot Melkonyan stated that Western Armenian lives and is flourishing thanks to Zekiyan and the Fathers of the Mekhitarist Congregation. “The Mekhitarist Congregation is one of the major centers for European civilization, and we take pride in the fact that its founder Mekhitar Sebastatsi and the Fathers of the Congregation are great Armenians. What is especially a joy is the fact that most of the speakers were young people, who talked about the Congregation as people who are the successors of the Congregation and will stand up for it. In reality, all centers for Armenian studies in Armenia and abroad have a lot to learn from the Mekhitarist Congregation,” Melkonyan stated.

At the end of the conference, on behalf of Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan, Deputy Minister of Diaspora Serzh Srapionyan expressed gratitude to the organizing institutions for the effective cooperation and stated the following: “We accept the proposal to name a street in Yerevan after the Mekhitarists and the idea that it is necessary to organize such conferences on a regular basis.”

The Deputy Minister of Diaspora added that the speeches of the conference will soon be printed in the special issue of the “Bazmavep” Journal of Armenian Studies.

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