New Book Focuses on Gharadagh

Jora Manouchehrians, president of RAA/USA, on behalf of the Board of Directors, welcomed the guests and conveyed his appreciation to the committee members, as well as to the Armenian Society of Los Angeles, for their support.

He noted, “RAA has archived approximately 690,000 photographs and documents in digitized form, creating a truly unique collection of its kind.” He further added, “The RAA building, acquired and renovated in July 2023, includes a library named in honor of Samvel Karapetyan, housing more than 20,000 books. It also features an auditorium named after Armen Hakhnazarian. Currently, the RAA Museum is under development and will house letters of recognition, medals, artifacts collected during expedition trips, and other valuable materials.”

Later, a video was shown in which Emma Abrahamyan, speaking from Armenia, presented an overview of the book’s content. During her presentation, she expressed her gratitude to the sponsor and the staff involved in its preparation and highlighted RAA’s significant efforts.

Janet Mirzayan, who dedicated this publication to the memory of her parents, Armenoohi Aparian and Hovhanes Melik Ghassemian, sponsored its publication. She also shared her memories of Gharadagh, recalling her journey there from Tehran with her family.

Mirzayan shared several anecdotes drawn from her father’s stories as well as her own visit. A gifted storyteller, she captivated the audience, even highlighting relatives of some attendees. She noted, “Students from one village would travel to another to attend school, returning home during the summer.” She also spoke about how farmers worked to protect their land, yet at times the khans (feudal landowners) would seize their crops, bringing hardship and devastation to the people.

One of the most compelling stories that Mirzayan shared was about a relative who rescued a friend’s daughter and took her to Baku. “The khan, having set his eyes on the young woman, demanded that she be kidnapped. To save her, the relative came up with a plan: he pretended to be her husband, claiming she was his wife, and together they crossed the border under the pretense of attending a funeral.”