Avetis Aharonyan

Avetis Aharonyan (Lang-hy|Ավետիս Ահարոնյան, spelled before the 1920s: Աւետիս Ահարոնեան) (1866 - March 20, 1948) was an Armenian politician, writer, public figure and revolutionary, also part of the Armenian national movement.

Aharonyan was born in 1866 in Iğdır, Erivan Governorate, Russian Empire (today eastern Turkey). Growing up, he was influenced by the natural features of his birthplace, such as the Aras River and Mount Ararat, both of which were located near Iğdır.

His mother, Zardar, was a literate person, who was able to educate his child by teaching him how to read and write. After completing elementary education at the village's school, he was sent to Echmiadzin's Kevorkian school, and graduated from there. He became a teacher for a few years, after which he went to Switzerland's University of Lausanne to study history and philosophy. During this period of time, he met Kristapor Mikaelian, who was then the chief editor of the Troshag (Flag) newspaper. He then began to write for the paper. In 1901, upon graduation, he went to study literature at the Sorbonne.

In 1902, he returned to the Caucasus and became the headmaster of the Nersissian school and the chief editor of the Mourj (Hammer) newspaper. Thus, in 1909, he was captured by the Tsar's government and imprisoned in Metekhi's prison, where he fell ill. Two years later, after a generous donation of 20,000 rubles, he fled to Europe.

He returned to the Caucasus in 1917, and chaired the Armenian National Council, which proclaimed the independence of Democratic Republic of Armenia on May 28, 1918. He signed the Treaty of Batum with the Ottoman Empire.

In 1919, he was the head the Armenian delegation at the Paris Peace Conference with Boghos Nubar, where he signed the Treaty of Sèvres formulating the "Wilsonian Armenia" in direct collaboration with the Armenian Diaspora. In 1948, he died in Paris, a great friend of the French people.

References

*Translated from Armenian: N.A. Արդի հայական գրականութիւն Բ հատոր, [Modern Armenian literature Volume II] , 2004, pg. 245-246