Nationality Armenian Name Ghazaros Aghayan | Role Writer | |
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Born April 5, 1840
Bolnis-Khachen , Russian Empire (now in Georgia) ( 1840-04-05 ) Occupation writer, educator, folklorist, historian, linguist and public figure Died June 20, 1911, Tbilisi, Georgia Books Fables and Fairy Tales by Ghazaros Aghayan (Language: Armenian) | ||
Ghazaros Stepani Aghayan (Armenian: Ղազարոս Ստեփանի Աղայան, April 5, 1840 - June 20, 1911) was an Armenian writer, educator, folklorist, historian, linguist and public figure.
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Biography
Aghayan was born in Bolnis-Khachen, an Armenian village in the Russian Empire in what is now Georgia. He received his early education in Bolnis-Khachen, and at the age of thirteen he entered to the Nersisyan School in Tiflis. He left the school after one year because of his family's financial problems. Aghayan traveled between Tiflis, Moscow and Saint-Petersburg. In Moscow he cooperated with Hyusisapayl journal of Stepanos Nazarian, also worked as typesetter.
Throughout his life he pursued many careers and professions. He was a hunter, a factory worker and a farm labourer before he joined fellow writer Mikael Nalbandian in the Armenian cultural and intellectual revival of the 19th century.
In 1867 he returned to Caucasus, worked as the manager of Etchmiadzin publishing house, and as an editor of “Ararat” monthly (1869-1870) of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. In 1870 he returned to Tiflis and dedicated himself to teaching. He taught in Akhaltskha, Alexandropol, Yerevan and Shushi, and supervised Armenian parochial schools of Georgia. As a teacher he supported the democratization of education. Aghayan demanded clearing schools from the influence of clergy. He is an author of textbooks for Armenian schools and works on education. He also collaborated on "Aghbyur", an illustrated monthly for children.
He obtained great popularity in the sphere of children’s literature. Aghayan has translated works of Alexander Pushkin and Ivan Krylov.
He died in Tiflis at the age of 71.
He was maternal grandfather of Lazar Sarian and Anatoliy Eiramdzhan and father-in-law of the renowned painter Martiros Saryan.