Krikor Zohrab
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Krikor Zohrab (or Grigor Zohrap) (Armenian: Գրիգոր Զոհրապ) (1861-1915) was an influential Armenian writer, politician, lawyer and philanthropist, living in Constantinople (Istanbul) He was arrested and killed by Turkish authorities during the Armenian Genocide.
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[edit] Life
Zohrab was born into a wealthy family in Beşiktaş, Constantinople. His early education was completed at a local Catholic Armenian school. He got a geometrical degree but did not work in that field. He instead enlisted in a newly opened law university and received his degree therein. He was a revered lawyer in the Ottoman courts. He became a professor at the university, teaching law. At the age of 27 he married Clara Yazejian, and fathered two daughters and two sons.
In 1908 he became a member of parliament in the Ottoman Council, and also served his community as an Armenian councilor.
[edit] The Man
Zohrab was a great intellectual that lived a very busy life. He had to balance his professional life with his personal life. He had a rich personality along with a generous heart. He loved life and its pleasures. Although he usually was open to progressive ideas he was steadfastly conservative to women’s role in society. He believed that women should keep their traditional roles and not venture further.
[edit] Armenian Nationalist
Ever since he was a teenager, Zohrab showed great interest in national work and contributed heavily to his community. At the age of 30 he was chosen to be part of the national council of Constantinople and served on the council until his death.
From 1908 onwards, Zohrab was a member of parliament and known for his eloquent speeches. He vehemently defended Armenian interests and rights inside the council and at all levels of the government. In 1909 during the Adana massacre, he strongly criticized the Turkish authorities for their actions and demanded that those responsible be brought to justice. Soon after the start of the Armenian Genocide on April 24, 1915, he personally pleaded to Talat Pasha for the immediate cessation of the massacres, but to no avail.
To serve the Armenian cause, he wrote an influential paper in French called “La question arménienne à la lumière des documents” (French for “The Armenian question in light of the documents.”) In 1913, the paper was published in Paris and dealt with many aspects of the hardships endured by the Armenian populace and denounced the government’s inaction.
[edit] Publications
Zohrab wrote many articles in newspaper daily such as Masis (Armenian: Մասիս), Homeland (Armenian: Հայրենիք), and East (Armenian: Արեւելք). One of his famous articles was entitled “Broom” (Armenian: Աւել) in which he criticized Armenian nationals and works saying they needed some “sweeping” to bring them back to order.
One of his characteristics was that he would regularly express himself in a provocative fashion with disregard to the Turkish state authority. He has condemned the state on countless occasions for their many shortcomings.
[edit] Works
Some of his published writings.
A Vanished Generation (Anhedatsadz seroont me, Armenian: Անհետացած սերունդ մը) is one of his works. It is a great piece of realist writing.
Familiar Faces (Dzanot temkner, Armenian: Ծանօթ դէմքեր), is a piece where he draws portraits of prominent figures of his time.
From the Journeyman’s Diary ( Ooghevori orakren, Armenian: Ուղեւորի oրագրէն), is a book about European travels and the impressions it left on him.
[edit] Writing Style
Zohrab can be said to be the master of the Armenian novel. Despite being influenced by the romantic writers as a youngster, he quickly joined the French realism movement propelled by such writers as Guy de Maupassant, Alphonse Daudet and Émile Zola. He is probably the best Armenian writer of the genre.
He lived and wrote about what he lived through. He said that writing was an exhilarating activity into which could delve himself and forget the pains of everyday life. He had a very sharp eye for human characteristics, both physical and psychological. Descriptions of the human persona were one of his stronger points. He was able to accurately portray faces and gestures in a vivid way. In short, dense, but highly expressive lines, he was able to clearly illustrate a tragedy or a character’s qualities.
[edit] Arrest and murder
- See also: April 24 circular
During the mass arrests and execution that would signal the start of the Armenian Genocide in and around April 24, 1915, Zohrab was feverously working to try to stop the atrocities. As a member of Parliament he was, trying to contact the Turkish authorities and to plea for the immediate cessation of the hostilities. He even contacted his supposed friend Talat Pasha to protest and he demanded redress, but all in vain. Zohrab told Talat that one day he would demand an explanation for these terrible actions. This would be the last time the two would meet. Some in his immediate circle strongly encouraged him to leave the country, but he refused.
The following day, on May 21 1915, Zohrab was arrested by the Turkish authorities and put on a train towards the east. He was told that he was going to be tried in front of a military tribunal. The train reached Aleppo, where he stayed with a group of other displaced Armenians. He fell ill from the long forced travel he had to endure. Zohrab, along with the group, were forced to march to Urfa. There they waited for the order to march towards their supposed final destination: Diyarbakir. Weakened from the march, he was taken by the Turkish soldiers and lead to the outskirts of the city. There, he was forced to lie on the ground and was repeatedly bayoneted. They then undressed him, took his body and threw it in a crevasse from a bridge.
[edit] Reference
Translated from Armenian: N.A. Արդի հայական գրականութիւն Բ հատոր, [Modern Armenian literature Volume II], 2002, pg. 56-65
