Hovhannes Tumanyan’s role in activities of the Armenian Relief Committee (1921–1923)

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to fill one of the relatively little-studied pages of the scientific biography of the great Armenian poet Hovhannes Tumanyan and his national-patriotic and social activities. The task of the article is to show the Hovh. Tumanyan’s role in the activities of the Armenian Relief Committee. Armenian historiographic science distinguishes three periods of the Committee’s activity: 1921–1923, 1923–1931, 1931–1937). However, Tumanyan’s role in the implementation of program tasks and in the formation of the Committee in the first period of its activity has not been studied either in historiography or in literary criticism. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the study of the Hovh. Tumanyan’s activities as chairman of the Armenian Relief Committee. The presentation of historical events in the article, accompanied by scientific comments, argues the importance of studying this “white page” of Armenian reality, its topicality and its relevance to today. The article discusses Tumanyan’s efforts to establish relationships between the newly created Soviet Armenia and foreign Armenian diasporas, to form a positive attitude towards the new social formation that won in Russia. The historical and narrative aspect in the article is presented in the context of the human character and psychological portrait of Hovh. Tumanyan.