Armenian Golgotha ( hy, Հայ Գողգոթան) is a memoir written by

Grigoris Balakian Grigoris Balakian ( hy, Գրիգորիս Պալագեան) 1875 – 8 October 1934), was a bishop of the Armenian Apostolic Church, in addition to being a survivor and memoirist of the Armenian genocide. Life Grigoris Balakian was born in Toka ...

about his eyewitness account of the

Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily through t ...

. The memoir was released in two volumes. Volume 1, about his life prior to and during the Armenian genocide, was released in 1922. Volume 2, about his life as a fugitive after the Genocide, was released in 1959. Originally published in

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

, the memoir was later published in various languages including an English translation by

Peter Balakian Peter Balakian, born June 13, 1951, is an American poet, prose writer, and scholar. He is the author of many books including the 2016 Pulitzer prize winning book of poems ''Ozone Journal'', the memoir ''Black Dog of Fate'', winner of the PEN/Alb ...

, Balakian's great-nephew, with Aris Sevag.

Reception

Upon the release of the English translation in 2009, many publications reviewed the account. ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'' referred to the account as "a fascinating first-hand testimony to a monumental crime." Elie Wiesel, the author best known for the memoir

Night Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends ...

, referred to the account as "heartbreaking" because he believes that the memory presented by Balakian "must remain a lesson for more than one generation". ''

The New Republic ''The New Republic'' is an American magazine of commentary on politics, contemporary culture, and the arts. Founded in 1914 by several leaders of the progressive movement, it attempted to find a balance between "a liberalism centered in hu ...

'' praised the account as "a powerful and important book" because "it takes place as one of the key first-hand sources for understanding the Armenian genocide". Writing for ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'',

Chris Bohjalian Chris A. Bohjalian ( hy, Քրիս Պոհճալեան) is an Armenian-American novelist and the author of 20 novels, including ''Midwives'' (1997), '' The Sandcastle Girls'' (2012), '' The Guest Room'' (2016), and ''The Flight Attendant'' (2018). ...

(a second-generation Armenian American) felt personally connected by understanding what happened to his great-grandparents. Bohjalian opined that Balakian's account was "rich with evidence of the Turkish government's complicity and its leaders' premeditation." Bohjalian also hoped that the account would be widely read.

References

1922 non-fiction books 1959 non-fiction books Armenian-language books Books published posthumously Non-fiction books about the Armenian genocide Memoirs {{Armenia-genocide-stub