Projects and Studies

CURRENT PROJECTS

GOMIDAS INSTITUTE ONLINE EVENTS

The Gomidas Institute is at the cutting edge of modern Armenian Studies. Its publications and ongoing projects are second to none. Join our new online presentations, meetings and discussions with scholars and academic activists who bring our field alive. Join our mailing list today.

Sunday, 26 March 2023 - London (7.pm) [Watch Recording]
Soghomon Tehlirian and the Assassination of Talaat Pasha: Notes from the German Archives. A Presentation by Osik Moses followed by a Panel Discussion with Carla Garapedian, Bedo Demirdjian, and Ara Sarafian.
A fascinating presentation on the complexities related to German records related to Talaat Pasha's assassination on 15 March, 1921. These include the machinations of German authorities to manage the police investigation that followed the assassination and to limit the scope of the trial that followed. The speaker showed the volume of extant police, judicial, and other records related to the case and suggested future avenues of research. This discussion also linked German records to the Gomidas Institute's publication of Tehlirian's memoir in English translation, Remembrances: The Assassination of Talaat Pasha.

Wednesday, 8 December 2021 - Sydney (21:30) Hong Kong (18:30)  Yerevan (14:30) [Watch Recording] [Publication link]
National Identity, Diaspora, and Space of Belonging. A presentation and discussion with Dr. Vahagn Vardanyan (Han Academy, Homg Kong), Simon Manoukian (Editor, Mioutun Magazine, Sydney) and Ara Sarafian (Gomidas Institute, London).

6 November 2021, Missak Khralian, PALAHOVID: AN ANCESTRAL MEMOIR, presented by Ara Sarafian. Sponsored by Ararat Eskijian Museum, Armenian Film Foundation and Gomidas Institute. [Closed event, no recording]

Saturday, 31 July 2021 - 8 pm (London), 3 pm (New York) [Watch Recording] [Publication link]
Bringing the Village Back to Life. A presentation and discussion with Gerard J. LibaridianHarry Parsekian and Ara Sarafian (discussant).
Following the Armenian Genocide, many survivors worked together to memorialize their lost communities in the Ottoman Empire with special publications or "compatriotic studies." Some of these works were several thousands of pages, covering history, geography, customs, culture, local dialects and more. They all aimed at preserving the memory of their lost communities for future generations. A Brief History of Nirze Village of Gesaria was probably the first of such studies. It was published in Boston, in 1918, while the Armenian Genocide was still in progress. This Armenian language publication has now been translated into English with critical annotations and an introduction by Gerard J. Libaridian. In this meeting, we will discuss A Brief History of Nirze within a broader context of issues surrounding such works. Gerard J. Libaridian is a renowned historian and retired diplomat. He was the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia (1993-94) and his numerous publications include Modern Armenia: People, Nation, State (Transaction Publishers).  Harry Parsekian is a retired Armenian professional with active links to the Kayseri region. 

Saturday, 17 July 2021 - 7 pm (London), 2 pm (New York) [Closed event, no recording] [Publication link]
My Dear Son Garabed, I Read Your Letter: I Cried, I Laughed - KOjaian Family Letters from Efkere/Kayseri to America (1912-1919) A presentation by H. Sukru Ilicak and Jonathan Varjabedian with Ara Sarafian (discussant).
This meeting focuses on the above publication, which was a collaborative venture between Jonathan Varjabedian and H. Sukru Ilicak, and reflected on history, politics and better Turkish-Armenian relations. In this meeting we will discuss some of the core issues and important nuances that went into the compilation of this book. We will also assess the impact of such publications in promoting better Turkish-Armenian relations. H. Sukru Ilicak is a historian born and raised in Ankara. His publications include A Radical Rethinking of Empire: Ottoman State and Society During the Greek War of Independence (1821-26) (Harvard University Press)Jonathan Varjabedian is a physician and historian focusing on his ancestral village of Efkere (www.efkere.com)

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COMPLETED PROJECTS

Armine, Sister

The Gomidas Institute (London) is working with Teatr Zar (Grotowski Institute, Wroslaw),  a leading theatre group, which is developing a special performance related to the memory of the Armenian Genocide. The performance, "Armine, Sister" has been highly acclaimed in Poland - where it has been presented with a series of complimentary lectures, exhibitions and concerts - and it now enjoys the support of the Polish Ministry of Culture. The first performance of "Armine, Sister" outside Poland will take place at the Battersea Arts Centre in London on October 3rd and it will continue for two weeks.

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A New Bridge Building Initiative

Remembering the Armenians of Bitlis - Bitlis Ermenileri

This was an exhibition the Gomidas Institute put together as part of a Building Bridges Initiative in June 2013. It aimed at directly engaging Turkish civil society activists and beginning meaningful relations with them regarding Armenian issues. The response from Bitlis was positive and received support in diaspora-Armenian circles, including the Armenians Studies Programme (CSU Fresno). The project is now well underway.

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Kharpert 1915: A Proposal to Turkish Colleagues for a Case Study on the Armenian Genocide

This project was a proposal to Turkish historians to focus on a single case study of the Armenian Genocide. The proposal was made by the Gomidas Institute and applauded by large sections of the Turkish press. Although the head of the Turkish Historical Society, Yusuf Halaçoğlu, agreed to work on such a project when asked by Turkish journalists, he soon pulled out, stating that the relevant Ottoman records that were supposed to exist in Turkish archives today did not actually exist. This was a bizarre statement that brought the proposed project to an end. The veteran Turkish journalist Mehmet Ali Birand stated that Halaçoğlu had scored an own goal.

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