Press of Mahtesy Mirzajan Hakobiants (1879 to 1900). Printing Office

Press of Mahtesy Mirzajan Hakobiants (1879 to 1900). Printing Office 1879 — 1900 yy․

NKR / Shushi / Shushi

Historical Introduction
1879 y․

Press of Mahtesy Mirzajan Hakobiants (1879 to 1900). This was another printing-house in Shushi established in 1879.

According to other sources, the printing house was founded in 1880 or 1881 (Բալայան Վ., Արցախի պատմությունը հնադարից մինչև մեր օրերը, Երևան, 2011, էջ 211), but its first book, which was a translation by Archimandrite Aristakes Sedrakian, was published in 1879 (Հայ գիրքը 1851-1900 թվականներին, Երևան, 1999, էջ 260-261).
Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 6.

1885 y․

Archpriest Yeghishe Geghamiants (Haykuny), who visited the city in 1885, writes the following about the founder of this press: “Mirzajan Hakobiants is the leader of the Armenian Evangelists of Shushi, their assembly room being in his house, close to his own press and bookstore. As I read in an official newspaper, several years ago, this Mirzajan Hakobiants stole boards and dyes from the house of a Turkish inhabitant of Shushi and was sentenced to exile for a year or a year and a half in the prisoners’ battalion. This same person is now under police investigation for having stolen silk from the mill of Hadrut: I read a material about this, too and heard a lot of other things just by word of mouth. I do not know how much they can be trusted.”

Հայկունի, Ուղեգնացական ակնարկներ, «Մեղու Հայաստանի», 1885, N 62, 11 օգոստոսի, էջ 3: Alsi see idem, Ուղեգնացական ակնարկներ, Երևան, 2010, էջ 34:
Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 6.

Certain details regarding the press are reported by Petros Zakarian: “...Mahtesy M. Hakobian returned from exile in Baku and founded a printing-office in a special building adjoining his house. The new press, where his sons worked, prospered from the very day of its establishment. By the way, our [prominent] writer Leo received his baptism of literature here, for he was the first proof-reader of the printing-house...”

Ավագյան Ս., Էջեր Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի կուլտուր-կրթական կյանքի պատմությունից, Երևան, 1982, էջ 12:
Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 6.

The first book (1879) published in Mahtesy M. Hakobiants’s press was the Armenian translation of the first volume of John William Draper’s History of the Mental Development of Europe by Archimandrite Aristakes Sedrakian: “As for printing, it should be noted that outwardly it does not boast a high quality, for there are printing errors and the letters are vague and irregular in certain parts. All this, however, is not the result of the translator’s carelessness or negligence; rather it is due to the press owner’s lack of conscientiousness. As is known, the press of the spiritual school of Shushi, which used to publish a considerable number of books, no longer exists at present. Last year a private press opened here, its first fruit being the [Armenian] translation of Draper. That printing-office had an agreement with ...Sed. to issue [the work] properly, but as is apparent from the book, he did not have many letters to use...”

Հ. Ա., Ջօն Վիլիամ Դրէպէրի «Պատմութիւն մտաւոր զարգացման Եւրոպիոյ» թարգ. Ա. վարդ. Սեդրակեան, Շուշի, 1880, «Մշակ», 1880, N 69, էջ 2:
Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 7.

1881 y․

In 1881 this press published one of the novels by Raffi entitled The Madman («Խենթ»). As for its printing quality, its author wrote the following about it in his letter to benefactor Melkon Panian from Verin (Upper) Agulis, Nakhijevan: “...I entitled them to print it in Shushi. The first pages of The Madman were sent to me so that I would see them. The paper was quite fine and the printing was without errors: evidently, the press is now in more or less improved conditions.”

Րաֆֆի, ԵԺ, հ. 10, Երևան, 1959, էջ 566: Cf. էջ 568:
Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 7.

1896 y․

Probably, it was in this press that the first issue of the “Azgagrakan Handes” (“Ethnographical Journal”) was published in 1896 under Yervand Lalayan’s editorship (later its publication continued in M. Rotiniants’ Press, Tiflis, Georgia).

Հայ պարբերական մամուլը (1794-1980), էջ 49:
Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 7.

1905 y․

The press of Mahtesy M. Hakobiants was destroyed during the 1905 fire of Shushi.

Ավագյան Ս., Նյութեր Ղարաբաղի նախասովետական շրջանի մամուլի պատմությունից, Երևան, 1969, էջ 65:
Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 7.

Throughout the 25 years of its existence, it published 54 books and a journal.