The ANIV Foundation, the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute and the Heritage and Progress Foundation have published a Russian translation of Karnig Panian’s (1910–1989) “Memories of Childhood and Orphanhood: Story of a Boy Who Survived the Genocide”.
The book presents a young child’s perspective on the genocide of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during the First World War. The narrative commences with a portrayal of the peaceful and creative life of the Panian family in their home village in Western Armenia. However, the serene existence of the family was disrupted by the outbreak of the First World War, after which Karnig’s father was mobilised (and probably killed) in the Ottoman army and, some time later, the rest of the family were forced by the authorities to leave their homeland. The memoirs offer a detailed account of the horrors of deportation, the death of most members of the Panian family (including Karnig’s mother, brother and sister) from starvation and disease in the Syrian desert. The author himself was subsequently placed in an orphanage in Antoura, Lebanon, where he remained for a period of four years. The text vividly illustrates the targeted abuse of the Armenian children in the orphanage, with the aim of forcing them to become Turkish and to lose all traces (down to their names) of their Armenian national identity. The author particularly emphasises the strength of spirit of the Armenian children who resisted this forced assimilation in the harsh conditions of the Ottoman educational (actually punitive) institution, preserving the Armenian language and adherence to the Armenian culture. The memoirs conclude with a detailed description of the circumstances surrounding the release of Karnig Panian and other orphans from Antoura, and their subsequent stay in Armenian orphanages in Aintab, Jebeil and Beirut between 1919 and 1920.
This book constitutes a scholarly edition, including a preface and commentary on the text. It also includes name and geographical indexes. A note by Stephen Trowbridge, an employee of Near East Relief, accompanies the text. Trowbridge’s personal observations of the consequences of the deportation of the Armenian families from Western Armenia and the forced Turkification of the Armenian children and adolescents are included. The text also contains articles on the peculiarities of Karnig Panian’s memoirs (Jaŭhien Hurynaŭ) and the Ottoman government’s policy towards the Armenian orphans during the genocide (Narine Margaryan). In addition, the book contains thematic photographs.
Karnig Panian’s memoirs are intended for both specialists and all those interested in the history of the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire.
In Armenia and Russia, the book can be ordered at the following website: https://www.wildberries.by/catalog/379326631/detail.aspx
orer.eu
