HISTORIAN RECEIVES MEDAL FOR CONTRIBUTION TO ARMENIAN STUDIES
YERKIR (Yerkir)–Historian Richard Hovannisian was honored Tuesday by Yerevan’s National Academy of Sciences for his 50 years of activity. Hovannisian was also celebrating his 70th birthday.
National Academy of Sciences President Fadey Sargsian congratulated Hovannisian on behalf of the Academy. Rector of Yerevan State University Radik Martirosian–chairman of the Writers’ Union Levon Ananian–and director of the Genocide Museum Lavrenty Barseghian were all on hand to offer congratulations. Barseghian awarded Hovannisian the Fritjof Nansen International Foundation’s gold medal for his great contribution to Armenian studies.
While Hovannisian’s research covers a broad time period–he is the foremost historian to study the First Armenian Republic–the least considered period of Armenian history–the details of which were falsified during the Soviet era.
Aside from his five-volume research on this period–Hovannisian has written books on historic regions of Western Armenia–Armenia’s national struggle–the Armenian Cause–and the Armenian Genocide.
"When I began writing about the First Republic–Armenia’s academicians would always back and encourage me–despite Soviet rule. I hope the Armenian people have benefited from my works of those years–and young academicians will continue the work because each chapter of my 5 volumes could conceivably become separate volumes," Hovannisian said.