Yervand Lalayan ( hy, Երվանդ Լալայան, 1864 – 24 February 1931) was an

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 ...

ethnographer, archaeologist, folklorist. He was also the founder and the first director of the

History Museum of Armenia The History Museum of Armenia (armenian: Հայաստանի պատմության թանգարան) is a museum in Armenia with departments of Archaeology, Numismatics, Ethnography, Modern History and Restoration. It has a national collection of 40 ...

from 1919 to 1927.

Biography

In 1885 he left

Tiflis Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million pe ...

Nersisian School Nersisian School ( hy, Ներսիսեան դպրոց, ''Nersisian Dprots''; ka, ნერსისიანის სემინარია, ; russian: Нерсесяновское училище, translit=Nersisyanovskoye učilišče) was an A ...

and worked in

Akhaltsikhe Akhaltsikhe ( ka, ახალციხე ), formerly known as Lomsia ( ka, ლომსია), is a small city in Georgia's southwestern region (''mkhare'') of Samtskhe–Javakheti. It is situated on both banks of a small river Potskhovi (a left ...

Akhalkalaki Akhalkalaki ( ka, ახალქალაქი, tr; hy, Ախալքալաք / Նոր-Քաղաք, translit=Axalk’alak’ / Nor-K’aġak’) is a town in Georgia's southern region of Samtskhe–Javakheti and the administrative centre of the Ak ...

, and

Alexandropol Gyumri ( hy, Գյումրի, ) is an urban municipal community and the second-largest city in Armenia, serving as the administrative center of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country. By the end of the 19th century, when the city w ...

as a teacher. In 1894 ending the faculty of

social sciences Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of soci ...

in the

University of Geneva The University of Geneva (French: ''Université de Genève'') is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin as a theological seminary. It remained focused on theology until the 17th centu ...

. Receiving the level of Candidate of sociological sciences, he worked for the Mkhitarians of Venice. Returning to Armenia, in 1895-1897 he worked in the diocesan school of

Shusha / hy, Շուշի , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = ShushaCollection2021.jpg , image_caption = Landmarks of Shusha, from top left:Ghazanchetsots Cathedral • Yukhari Govhar ...

. When here, and consulting with the notable scholars (

Manuk Abeghian Manuk Abeghian ( hy, Մանուկ Աբեղյան, , alternatively Manouk Abeghian, or Manuk Abeghyan, March 15, 1865 – September 26, 1944) was a scholar of Armenian literature and folklore. He is best remembered as the main designer of the refo ...

, T. Toramian,

Hrachia Acharian Hrachia Acharian ( hy, Հրաչեայ Աճառեան, reformed spelling: Հրաչյա Աճառյան ; 8 March 1876 – 16 April 1953) was an Armenian linguist, lexicographer, etymologist, and philologist. An Istanbul Armenian, Acharian stud ...

, Leo, Melikset bek, S. Lisitsyan, Kh. Samuelyan, S. Zelinski, etc., he founded the periodical '' Azgagrakan Handes'' ( hy, Ազգագագրական Հանդես, ''"Ethnographic Magazine"'') in 1896. On November 21, 1900 he founded the Armenian Ethnographic publishing house in

. And in 1906 the Armenian Ethnographic Society. The museum of the society was transferred from

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...

in 1921.

Works

Lalayan's works were regularly published in "Azgagrakan Handes" in 1897-1916. They included: *"Javakhk", *"Varanda", *"The Province of Zanguezur", *"The Province of Gandzak", *"The Province of Borchalu", *"Vayots Dzor", *"Nakhijevan or Nakhchavan Prefecture", *"The Province of Nor Bayazet or Gegharkunik", *"Ritual Rites among the Armenians", *"The Excavations of Burial Mounds in Soviet Armenia" (Yerevan, 1931) comprise only a part of his rich scientific heritage.

References

YERVAND LALAYAN
in the

: Notable Personalities of the Museum

''

Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia The ''Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia'' ( hy, Հայկական սովետական հանրագիտարան, ''Haykakan sovetakan hanragitaran''; ASE) publishing house was established in 1967 as a department of the Institute of History of the Armeni ...

'', volume 4, p. 475 {{DEFAULTSORT:Lalayan, Yervand 1864 births 1931 deaths Armenian scientists San Lazzaro degli Armeni alumni People from Gyumri University of Geneva alumni Soviet archaeologists Armenian archaeologists Armenian educators