200TH ANNIVERSARY OF KHACHATUR ABOVIAN CELEBRATED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TARTU

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.10.2009 12:27 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The University of Tartu celebrated 200th anniversary
of the founder of new Armenian literature Khachatur Abovian . A
scientific conference dedicated to the life and work of Abovyan,
photo exhibition and a concert of the students of the Tartu-based
Armenian Sunday school, was held as part of the celebration.

The events were attended by the Armenian Ambassador to Estonia Ashot
Galoyan, as well as representatives of the Armenian community, press
office of the RA foreign ministry reports.

Khachatur Abovian – Armenian writer, educator, democrat-illuminator,
founder of the new Armenian literature and new literary language,
teacher, ethnographer. He was born in the village Kanaqer near Erivan
(Yerevan) in a noble but ruined family. He studied in Echmiadzin, then
in the Nersessian seminary in Tiflis (1824-1826). He graduated from the
Dorpat University (now Tartu) in 1836. Upon returning to his homeland
to devote himself to academic work, Abovian faced hostility of the
Armenian clergy and the royal bureaucracy, because he spoke out against
dogmatism and formalism in schooling. From 1837 was superintendent
of the Tiflis district school, in 1843 transferred to the same office
in Yerevan. On April 2 (14) 1848 Abovian left home and disappeared.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress