Hovhannes Hovhannisyan ( hy, Հովհաննես Հովհաննիսյան, – 29 September 1929) 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 ...

poet, linguist, translator and educator. He was a key contributor to the Ashkharabar (Modern Armenian) literature movement and a promoter of literacy in Armenia. He has been called the founder of Classic Armenian poetry.

Biography

Hovhannisyan was born into a peasant family in

Vagharshapat Vagharshapat ( hy, Վաղարշապատ ) is the 4th-largest city in Armenia and the most populous municipal community of Armavir Province, located about west of the capital Yerevan, and north of the closed Turkish-Armenian border. It is com ...

, then within the

Erivan Governorate The Erivan Governorate was a province ('' guberniya'') of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, with its centеr in Erivan (present-day Yerevan). Its area was 27,830 sq. kilometеrs, roughly corresponding to what is now most of central A ...

of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

. He attended parochial school in Armenia before studying in Moscow at the Lazaryan Language Institute (1877–83) and

Moscow State University M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU; russian: Московский государственный университет имени М. В. Ломоносова) is a public research university in Moscow, Russia and the most prestigious ...

(1884-88). In 1889, he traveled around Europe visiting various cities, including Constantinople, London, Paris and Vienna. Hovhannisyan returned to Vagharshapat and began his teaching career at Gevorkian Seminary, lecturing on Greek and Russian languages and literature. He taught until 1912. Hovhannisyan greatly enriched

Modern Armenian Modern Armenian ( hy, աշխարհաբար, ''ashkharhabar'' or ''ašxarhabar'', literally the "secular/lay language") is the modern vernacular (vulgar) form of the Armenian language. Although it first appeared in the 14th century, it was not until ...

through his own work as well as translations. Together with Russian writer

Valery Bryusov Valery Yakovlevich Bryusov ( rus, Вале́рий Я́ковлевич Брю́сов, p=vɐˈlʲerʲɪj ˈjakəvlʲɪvʲɪdʑ ˈbrʲusəf, a=Valyeriy Yakovlyevich Bryusov.ru.vorb.oga; – 9 October 1924) was a Russian poet, prose writer, drama ...

, he became the first to translate ancient Armenian manuscripts into Modern Armenian. He also translated works from classic and then-contemporary writers, including

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tr ...

Hugo Hugo or HUGO may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Hugo'' (film), a 2011 film directed by Martin Scorsese * Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback * Hugo (franchise), a children's media franchise based on ...

, Ibsen, Nekrasov,

Pushkin Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (; rus, links=no, Александр Сергеевич ПушкинIn pre-Revolutionary script, his name was written ., r=Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈpuʂkʲɪn, ...

, and Schiller. He was a supporter of the 1917 Russian Revolution and the creation of the Soviet Union. In 1922, he worked in the

Council of People's Commissars The Councils of People's Commissars (SNK; russian: Совет народных комиссаров (СНК), ''Sovet narodnykh kommissarov''), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (Совнарком), were the highest executive authorities of ...

setting up the new Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. Hovhannisyan died in 1929 in

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

, aged 65. He was buried at the old Mler cemetery in the city, which was soon after developed into the

Komitas Pantheon __NOTOC__ Komitas Park and Pantheon ( hy, Կոմիտասի անվան զբոսայգի և պանթեոն) is located in Yerevan's Shengavit District, on the right side of the main Arshakunyats Avenue, in Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron off ...

, the resting place for many of Armenia's most prominent cultural icons.

Works

In 1883, Hovhannisyan had his first poem published, ''Spring''. His subjects included love and nature, as well as tragedy and the hard life of Armenia's peasantry. He eventually published three volumes of his works in 1887, 1908 and 1912.

Poetry

* ''Spring'' (), 1883 * (), 1884 * (), 1887 * (), 1885 * (), 1888 * (), 1883 * (), 1887 * (), 1887 * (), 1886 * (), 1886 * (), 1887 * (), 1901 * (), 1880 * (), 1896 * (), 1887 * (), 1897 * (), 1896 * (), 1887

Essays

* (), 1887 * (), 1904 * (), 1904

Legacy

In 1948, his daughter established the Hovhannes Hovhannisyan Museum at the house where he was born in central Vagharshapat, near the Holy Mother of God Cathedral and the mayor's office. In 2009, it was reported that the museum was in a dilapidated state, but that the mayor's office of Vagharshapat intended to see it repaired.

References

External links

* Works available on Wikisource
English translations of his work
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hovhannisyan, Hovhannes 1864 births 1929 deaths 19th-century Armenian poets Linguists from Armenia People from Vagharshapat 19th-century Armenian writers 20th-century Armenian writers Armenian translators Burials at the Komitas Pantheon Moscow State University alumni Armenian male poets 19th-century male writers 20th-century male writers 19th-century translators Armenian people from the Russian Empire