Khachatur Abovian

Who was Khachatur Abovian?

Khachatur Abovian was an Armenian writer and national public figure of the early 19th century who mysteriously vanished in 1848 and was presumed dead. He was an educator, poet and an advocate of modernization. Reputed as the father of modern Armenian literature, he is best remembered for his novel Verk Hayastani, which set the trend in both style and genre for subsequent literature. Written in 1841 and published posthumously in 1858, it was the first novel published in the modern Armenian language using the Eastern Armenian dialect instead of Classical Armenian.

Abovian was far ahead of his time and virtually none of his works was published during his lifetime. Only after the establishment of the Armenian SSR was Abovian accorded the recognition and stature he merited. Abovian is regarded as one of the foremost figures not just in Armenian literature but Armenian history at large. Abovian's influence on Western Armenian literature was not as strong as it was on Eastern Armenian, particularly in its formative years.