DUTY OF SOUL N 6 1 PRINTING-HOUSES THROUGHOUT THE ARMENIAN HOMELAND Dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the first Armenian printed book by Emma Abrahamian “The invention of printing is the greatest event in The first work of this office was a Prayer Book of history. ...In its printed form, thought is more imper- 184 pages (“...that is called a spiritual guide-book”) ishable than ever; it is volatile, irresistible, indestructi- which was issued in the bolorgir and notrgir types as ble.” well as in capital letters engraved by Archbishop Victor Hugo. The Hunchback of Notre Dame, chap- Mkrtich of Shorot. It was illuminated with sculptured ter II apses (namely, apse-shaped designs composed of columns and arches and used to frame synoptic lists After the creation of the Armenian alphabet by which compare the contents of the Gospels), floral pat- Mesrop Mashtots, the printing of Armenian books is the second most important achievement in the cultural terns and ornamental writings the author of which was history of the Armenian nation. It goes back to 1512, Harutiun of Echmiatzin. The typesetters were Archi- when Hakob Meghapart published the first Armenian mandrite Hovsep and Deacon Yeprem; Grigor and book entitled Urbatagirk in Venice, Italy, several Manuk did the work of inking and printing respective- decades after the invention of printing by Johannes ly, and Sexton Khachatur “...disseminated the copies Gutenberg. of the book.” The Prayer Book was edited and proof- The printing of Armenian books began and devel- read by Isaac Geghamatsy, who became the manager of oped in the Armenian Diaspora, and it was only in the printing-house 3 years later.2 1771, 259 years after the first Armenian-language work The establishment, which was named after St. Gre- had gone off press, that it was introduced into the gory the Enlightener, was housed in a small building Armenian Homeland. Printing business particularly adjoining the winter residence of the Catholicos in the developed and acquired larger scale in the 19th centu- ry, when appropriate establishments were founded west. The following construction inscription was car- throughout Armenia. ved on its facade: ²ëïáõÍáí ѳëï³ï»ó³õ ïå³·ñ³ïáõÝë Ýáñ Ç VAGHARSHAPAT (ECHMIATZIN) ÝáñáÛ Ç ëáõñμ ²ÃáéáÛë ¾çÙdzÍÇÝ, ³Ù»Ý³ÛÝ å³- Printing-House of Holy Echmiatzin (Mother See ñ³·³ÛÇõùÝ Ñá·³μ³ñÓáõû³Ùμ ﻳéÝ êÇÙ¿ûÝ of Echmiatzin, Araratian Mother See of Holy ëñμ³½³Ý ϳÃáõÕÇÏáëÇÝ ºñ¨³ÝóõáÛ, ³ñ¹»³Ùμ Echmiatzin, Katoghike, Grigor Lusavorich). The æáõÕ³Û»óÇ Ç ÐÇݹ μݳϻ³É μ³ñ»å³ßïûÝ ¶ñÇ·áñ first printing-office in the ³Õ³ÛÇÝ Êáç³ç³Ý»³Ý, áñ ٳϳÝáõ³Ùμ â³ùÇ- territory of Armenia was established in 1771 Ï»Ýó ÏáãÇ Ç ÛÇß³ï³Ï Çõñ»³Ý »õ Çõñ Ç øñÇëïáë through the efforts of ѳݷáõó»³É ÍÝáÕ³óݪ ØÇù³Û¿ÉÇÝ ¨ سٳ˳Ãáõ- Catholicos Simeon of ÝÇÝ, Çõñ ϻݳÏÇó سïÉÇݳÛÇÝ ¨ í³Õ³Ã³é³Ù ØÇ- Yerevan (1763 to 1780) ù³Û¿É áñ¹õáÛÝ ¨ ù»ñóÝ ²Ý³Ù³ñdzÛÇÝ ¨ ¼ÇåÇï³- and with the financial ÛÇÝ, Ñûñ»Õμ³ñóݪ ºÕdz½³ñÇÝ, ê³ý³ñÇÝ ¨ ²Õ¿ù- assistance of one of the ë³Ý¹ñÇÝ, å³åáõݪ ¶ñ·áñÇÝ ¨ ϻݳÏÇó ³·áõÑ- inhabitants of the Arme- nian settlement of Mad- õáÛÝ ¨ Ñûñ³ù»éݪ ¼Çų½³ï³ÛÇÝ ¨ Ù»Í å³å Ú³- ras, Grigor Michaelian Ïáμç³ÝÇÝ ¨ Ñûñ»Õμûñ ¹ëï»ñ³óݪ ä¿Ï½³¹³ÛÇÝ ¨ Khojajaniants (Chakik- ¶ÇõÉݳμ³ÃÇÝ, ¨ ³ÛÉ ³Ù»Ý³ÛÝ ÑÇÝ ¨ Ýáñ ÝÝç»ó»- iants), who was from Nor ÉáóÝ ÝáñÇÝ: ²Ûëáõ å³Ûٳݳõª ½Ç Ç ï³ñÇÝ ´ ³Ý- Simeon of Yerevan, the founder of Jugha, Persia: “The mo- ·³Ù Ç ïûÝÇ Èáõë³õáñãÇÝ ¨ Ññ»ßï³Ï³å»ï³óÝ Ç the first printing-house in Armenia nastery has another print- ëáõñμ ²Ãáéáçë å³ï³ñ³· Ù³ïãÇóÇ Ñ³Ý¹Çë³õá- ing-house founded in the 1 times of Catholicos Simeon in 1771.” __________ __________ 2 Þ³Ñݳ½³ñÛ³Ý Þ., Üáñ ÝÛáõûñ г۳ëï³ÝÇ ³é³çÇÝ ïå³- 1 ê³ñ³ý»³Ý ¶., ¾çÙdzÍÝ³Û í³ÝùÁ, §ÎáãݳϦ, 1914, ¹ 33, ¿ç ñ³ÝÇ å³ïÙáõÃÛ³Ý í»ñ³μ»ñÛ³É, §ä³ïÙ³-μ³Ý³ëÇñ³Ï³Ý 778: ѳݹ»ë¦, 1963, ¹ 1, ¿ç 262: 2 DUTY OF SOUL N 6 ñáõû³Ùμª ÛÇß»Éáí ½Ýáë³, áñáó ÛÇß³ï³ÏÝ ûñÑÝáõ- 1819, when a Psalter was published there. Its colophon û³Ùμ »ÕÇóÇ, ³Ù¿Ý. Ã¥íÇݤ èØÆ ¥Û³ÙÇ 1771¤3: states: “...His Holiness Supreme Catholicos Yeprem..., Transl.: With God’s will, this printing-house was who repaired the printing-office in harsh times... had founded in the Holy See of Echmiatzin with all its the printing-house of the Holy See, [the work of] which accessories under the auspices of His Holiness had been obstructed for many years, embellished and Catholicos Simeon of Yerevan, through the means of renovated almost from its very foundations...”6 pious Agha Grigor Khojajanian also named In 1820 the printing-office published an Armenian- Chakikiants, a native of [New] Jugha who lives in language book entitled An Account of the Saving India, in memory of his [soul] and his parents, the late Passion and Crucifixion of Our Lord and Saviour Michael and Mamakhatun, his spouse Matlina and his Jesus Christ. Its title page read: “In the 10th year of the son Michael, who died an untimely death, as well as his enthronement of His Holiness Yeprem... Catholicos... sisters Anamaria and Zipita, his uncles Yeghiazar, Safar in the printing-house of the Holy Enlightener on 26 and Alexandre, his grandfather Grigor and his wife March 1820 A.D.”7 Taguhi, his aunt Zizhazat, his great grandfather The activity of the establishment was again stopped Hakobjan and his uncle’s daughters Pekzada and until 1833. The colophon of the Supplemental Chants Gyulnabat together with all his deceased ones, both published in the same year reports that it had resumed those who died a long time ago and those who passed functioning: “...may you remember in your sincere away recently, on condition that twice a year, at the prayers Catholicos of All Armenians ... Hovhannes feasts of the [Holy] Enlightener and the Archangels, Karbetsy, who reopened this printing-house...”8 the Holy See should offer a solemn service for them. In the 1860s, Catholicos Gevorg IV (1866 to 1882) May their memory be blessed. Amen. In the year 1220 initiated the renovation of not only the building of the (1771). establishment, but also of the types: “...the presses are In 1773 the building of the printing-house was new, having been brought on the late Catholicos enlarged, Catholicos Simeon of Yerevan writing the Nerses’ order.”9 following to the benefactor of the work: “...the print- The overhaul undertaken in the printing-house was ing-office slightly lacking enough space, this year we completed in 1868. Thanks to the donations made by had it expanded so that all its employees will be near Mkrtich Sanasarian and Hovhannes Hovnanian, it each other in a large area...”4 received moulds, casting machines and a printing The shortage of printing paper made the spiritual press10 and reopened in the same year: “...in 1868 the authorities found a paper mill attached to it in 1776, but printing-office of Holy Echmiatzin [re]opened thanks it functioned only until the Catholicos’s death in 1780. to a gift made by ...Misters Sanasarian and The printing-house continued its activity under Hovnanian...”11 It started publishing the “Ararat” jour- Catholicos Ghukas (1780 to 1799), the successor of nal (1868 to 1919): from 1869 until 1870, its editor was Simeon of Yerevan, and later ceased functioning. Gh. Aghayan. In 1807 French General Gardan said the following: In June 1868, Catholicos Gevorg IV addressed a “When the Russians took Echmiatzin in 1805, they bull to all Armenians calling on them to organise fund- plundered the church, its treasury and library. Later __________ when it was conquered back by the Persians, they used 6 Þ³Ñݳ½³ñÛ³Ý Þ., idem, p. 264. its books to make cartridges and melted the types of the 7 Ibid. 5 8 Ibid. Also see Ð³Û ·ÇñùÁ 1801-1850 Ãí³Ï³ÝÝ»ñÇÝ, ºñ¨³Ý, printing-house to get bullets.” 1967, ¿ç 198. After a long-lasting interval, the printing-house of 9 §Ð³Ùμ³õ³μ»ñ èáõëÇáÛ¦, 1861, ¹ 1, ¿ç 4: Echmiatzin resumed functioning under Catholicos 10 ì³õ»ñ³·ñ»ñ Ñ³Û »Ï»Õ»óáõ å³ïÙáõû³Ý, ¶¨áñ· ¸ Îáë- Yeprem I of Dzoragegh (1809 to 1830), namely in ï³Ý¹ÝáõåáÉë»óÇ ø»ñ»ëï»×»³Ý, ·Çñù IJ, ºñ»õ³Ý, 2004, ¿ç 37: According to another source, upon assuming office, Catholicos Gevorg IV embarked on the construction of a seminary __________ and a press in Echmiatzin Monastery. The Armenians of Tiflis 3 êÙμ³ïÛ³Ýó ²., êáõñμ ¾çÙdzÍÝÇ Ùdzμ³ÝáõÃÛ³Ý ·ñ³Ï³Ý- committed themselves to covering all the expenses of his under- ÏñÃ³Ï³Ý ·áñÍáõÝ»áõÃÛáõÝÁ ¨ سÛñ ²ÃáéÇ ïå³ñ³ÝÁ, ê. ¾ç- taking, but “...His Holiness spared them as he did not want us to ÙdzÍÇÝ, 1973, ¿ç 45-46: A. Smbatiants and Ghevond bear the burden of such a heavy sum ...” ¥ºñÇó»³Ý ²., Gharakhanian, the master of the press, found the stone of this ü¿ÉÇ¿ïûÝ. ´³ñ»·áñÍáõÃÇõÝÁ ѳÛáó Ù¿ç, §²ñÓ³·³Ýù¦, 1882, inscription buried in the earth and broken to three pieces. It was ¹ 17, 13 ÛáõÝÇëÇ, ¿ç 264¤. moved to the monastic museum of antiquities.