Karekin Pastermadjian
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Karekin Pastermadjian, more famously known by his nom de guerre Armen Garo, was one of the distinguished leaders of the ARF and an ambassador.
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[edit] Early life
Karekin Pastirmaciyan was born in Karin (present day Erzurum) on February 9, 1872. In 1891, graduating from Sanasarian Varjaran Academy, Armen Garo went to France to study agriculture at the Agricultural School of Nancy. His plans to return to his hometown after graduating came to a halt when massacres and conflict began in Zeitun. He dropped out of school to aid his compatriots in Zeitun. He soon found himself in Geneva where he became an activist alongside his friends. He was sent to Egypt to assist the Zeitun Resistance.
[edit] Role in the Ottoman Bank Takeover
The 1896 Ottoman Bank Takeover of the Ottoman Bank was his and Papken Siuni's brain child. The day of the battle at Bank Ottoman was August 14, 1896. The attack took place at about 1:00 P.M. Armen Garo went inside 10 minutes prior to the attack. He was to keep the bank officers from escaping and keep the teller busy. His men didn't arrive quickly so he went to a coffee shop across the street. When he saw the men through the doorway, he ran out to meet them. The battle was long and bloody where leader Papken Siuni was killed. Armen Garo took over as leader, ordering his group for much of the standoff.
[edit] Life after the Takeover
A long while after the attack, Armen Garo returned to his studies, now majoring in physical science at the University of Geneva. He studied as he participated in activities with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. When the second general conference was convened in 1898, he was on the delegate roster representing the ARF committee in Egypt. Despite his youth, he had gained confidence and authority in the leading circles of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. After graduating from the University of Geneva with a doctoral degree in physical chemistry, he founded a lab in Tiflis for chemical research.
During the Armeno-Tatar conflicts, he organized self-defense of the Armenians in Tiflis. He and five hundred volunteers succeeded in securing peace in the capital of Transcaucasia. He and his group also joined Armenian volunteer units during World War I. He was joint planner to Young Turk Revolution with the Committee of Union and Progress, which later he become the member to Ottoman parliament from Erzurum in 1912. He was elected to be ambassador to the United States in Washington, D.C.
[edit] Death
When the 1915 Armenian Genocide broke out, Armen Garo became very depressed and sick. When Armenia lost its independence, his sickness grew worse. He never recovered of this state of depression and died on March 23, 1923.
He is regarded as a national hero by Armenians, especially ARF supporters due to his numerous efforts in helping his people.
