Genocide Library Presented by Hagop Manjikian

Ruzan Orkusyan
Staff Writer

Yet another eventful Spring Lecture series for the Armenian Studies Program came to a close on May 4, 2011 with the emotional presentation of books from the “Armenian Genocide Library Book Series,” founded by Mr. and Mrs. Hagop and Knar Manjikian.

Armenian Studies Program Director Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian introduced two guest speakers for the evening: Mr. Mark Arax, speaking in English, and Mr. Hagop Manjikian, who spoke in Armenian about his motivation to create and implement a book series on survivor testimonies of the Armenian Genocide.

Author, journalist, and Fresno State professor Arax, read excerpts from three of the volumes in the series, bringing each of the passages to life. The memoirs, translated into English by Ishkhan Jinbashian, were written by Genocide survivors, who expressed their horror and the sadness that affected them, and continues to affect, the Armenian people.
Readings from Armen Anush’s Passage Through Hell, Mikayel Shamtanchian’s The Fatal Night, and Shahan Derderian’s Death March painted a colorful albeit painful image of the hopelessness, desperation, terror, and utter anguish that gripped all those who experienced the horrors of the Genocide. Heartbreaking scenes were dramatically and emotionally read from each volume. Finally, Mr. Arax’s comments added a personal touch that made the stories even more poignant.

The mood was then lightened by the enthusiastic Hagop Manjikian, who talked about why he and his wife Knar published the memoirs. Mr. Manjikian related how he heard stories of deportations and massacres during the Armenian Genocide while he was growing up, and how he decided to dedicate his life to keeping the memory of the Genocide alive. Ever since, he has been a very active and dedicated member of the Armenian community. He was involved in the construction of the Soghomon Tehlirian monument in Fresno, compiling biographies and pictures of Armenian survivors, and together with his wife established the “Armenian Genocide Library Book Series.” His goal is to educate new generations of Armenians about the Genocide through the English translations of the Armenian memoirs.

The idea for the “Armenian Genocide Library Book Series” came to him about six years ago, on the eve of the 90th anniversary of the Genocide. Mr. and Mrs. Manjikian felt that it was their national duty and their cultural responsibility to have these memoirs translated into English for new generations of Armenians. Most importantly, they wanted to ensure that time would not rob new generations of the memory of the Armenian Genocide. With these goals in mind, the couple began publishing the memoirs. Four have been published thus far. Each book has the same emblem on its cover—a black circle symbolizing our suffering, with a candle symbolizing hope inside. These books have been distributed to Armenian day schools, high schools, and the Genocide Museum in Armenia. Mr. Manjikian’s most recent campaign has been to search for sponsors to distribute the books to libraries in the Los Angles, Fresno, and San Francisco areas.

Mr. Manjikian spoke with great fervor, zeal, and love for Armenia and Armenian culture. He stood as a sharp contrast to the tragic stories of the memoirs—each of which will be reviewed in upcoming issues of Hye Sharzhoom—suggesting that even though our people have been tortured and massacred, there is hope for a better future as long as the memory of the Genocide is never forgotten.