Armenian Genocide Museum & Institute
RA, Yerevan 0028
Contact: Arevik Avetisyan
Tel: (374 10) 39 09 81
Fax: (374 10) 39 10 41
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http: //
PREES RELEASE
August 17, 2007
Online exhibition at
In occasion of the Forth Pan-Armenian games to be held in Yerevan in
August 18-26, 2007.
The history of Armenian sport and Armenian participation in the Olympic
games have deep roots. It’s known that in ancient Armenia were organized
Navasardian Games. Armenian kings Trdat and Varazdat from Arshakuni
dynasty where the first Armenians who participated in the Olympic games.
Despite the segregationist and discriminative nature of the Ottoman
governments Armenians played significant role in the social, economical
and cultural, as well as sport life of the empire.The tradition of sport
activity revived among the Ottoman Armenians especially in the beginning
of the 20th century, before the genocide plan of Young Turkish
government was implemented as a result of which the whole Armenian
nation on the territory of the Ottoman Turkey circa 1915 was eliminated.
For the first time in the history of Turkish Olympic games, two Armenian
athletes Vahram Papazyan and Mkrtich Mkryan had participated in the
fifth international Olympic games in Stockholm in 1912.
Many Armenian teams and individuals permanently scored victories and
records in the multinational and intercommoned competitions and
championships.
The reason of the participation of the Armenian sportsmen in the Olympic
games aimed to remind the world about the existence of Armenian nation
suffering under the Ottoman Turkey.
It’s interesting enough that from 1911 to 1914 four "Armenian Olympic
games" were organized with the participation of all Armenian sport
clubs. Winners of the competitions were awarded with silver medals.
Many Armenian sportsmen became victims of the first genocide of the 20th
century.