HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF ARMENIAN MODERN ART

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: UNDERSTANDING ARMENIAN DIASPORA IN THE LAST HUNDRED YEARS (1895-1994

Photo: Armenian Christian leaders hanged by the Turks without trial. The scene was regularly repeated several times a week.

To fully understand the essence and spirit of Armenian art in the homeland and Diaspora, a brief glance at the history of Diaspora in the last hundred year (1895-1994) is necessary. At the end of the 18th century and at the beginning of the 19th century the political and geographical role of the Russian Empire becomes more dominant and active in the internal affairs of Armenia. Russia won the 1804-1013 war against the Persian empire. Consequently, Russia gained many territories, and new lands, including the Caucasus, Gandzak khanates and Karabagh. In October 12, 1813 at the Artsakh fortress (Gullistant), Russia sealed the future fate of the region, including the whole Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Asia Minor and Armenia. This arrangement did not last long, for a new Persian-Russian war threatened the area, once again in 1827-1828. Fortunately, the war ended soon and the Turkmenchie Treaty was signed on February 18, 1828.

Photo: Homeless Armenian Christian children dead in the streets or intentionally left to die in the streets, because the Turkish troops have already killed their parents. Thousands of Armenian children became orphans and homeless. Almost 98% of them died of starvation. Those who survived were shot by the Turks. A very few number of those ill fated children survived and were rescued by Armenian families who later fled the country and sought refuge in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and surrounding areas.

This treaty dictated that Orbudad, Nakhichevan Khanates and Yerevan will be annexed to the Russian empire. In other words, the total eastern region, land and territories of Armenia were “given” to Russia. Once again, history is repeating itself by depriving the brave and desperate people of Armenia from their freedom and a patriotic autonomy. If Armenian internal affairs during the war years were chaotic and the state of mind of the Armenian people could not reach a state of tranquility and peace, ipso facto, ART could not develop and prosper. Armenian art resources, products, material and tools were limited. It is understood that political instability creates artistic instability, and this was exactly the case in Armenia during the Russian-Persian wars and the partition of its land among foreign hostile powers. By the end of 1829-1830, the whole eastern part of Armenia was lost to the Russians. To render the situation worse, in 1840, what’s left from Armenia in the eastern region was lost or given, once again to foreigners. In that year, the Russian empire created the Georgean-Emeret Gubernia , a geographico-politico division of Transcaucasia. The Georgean-Emeret Gubernia emerged in Tiflis, and the Caspian Gubernia emerged in Shemakh. Armenia was completed divided and partitioned. Political turmoil put art to rest. In December 9, 1867, the Russian empire divided Transcaucasia into 5 gubernias: Yerevan, Tiflis, Kutaisi, Baku and Yelizavetpol. The eastern part of Armenia became territorial part of Yerevan Gubernia until 1918. Between 1914 and 1918, Armenia lived in nightmares, for those years were the four bloody years of the domination of Armenia by the Turks who slaughtered more than one million Armenians in a systematical manner known to the world as the Armenian Genocide.

Continues on the next page.