Armenian writer and ex-political prisoner Meruzhan Hovhannisyan dies at 82

panorama.am

Armenia – Jan 26 2022

Armenian writer, dissident and former political prisoner Meruzhan Hovhannisyan has died at the age of 82 after long illness, Aravot.am broke the news on Wednesday.

Meruzhan was sentenced to a total of 22 years in prison for anti-Soviet activity and spent 15 years in jail.

He served most of his sentence in inhumane conditions in the penal colonies of Vladimir and Norilsk.

In his memoirs "Vladimir Prison”, Meruzhan said famous opera singer Alexander Mirlas and physicist Vladimir Krauklis shared prison cell with him.

The publisher of his first collection of poems was Vahagn Davtyan, who was the first deputy chairman of the committee on the Diaspora affairs at the time.

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS