“Psak” Newspaper Press Printing Office :: ARMENIAN HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

“Psak” Newspaper Press Printing Office 1880 — 1884 yy․

RA (Republic of Armenia) / Yerevan

Historical Introduction
1880 y․

“Psak” Newspaper Press (1880 to 1884). The publication of the first literary, historical and pedagogical weekly of Yerevan, the “Psak” (“Crown”), traces back to 15 March 1880 (its editor, publisher and the owner of the press was Vasak Papajanian). Its first several issues were published in the press of Z. Hakobiants, after which “...it became clear that it was absolutely unprofitable to publish the “Psak,” which had a small edition, in another printing-house, as it was fraught with major inconveniencies. Several weeks after its birth, its publisher, who was at the same time its editor, established his own press, which became known under the name of the weekly.”

Vasak Papajanian (1847, Yerevan - 1893, Tzaghkadzor) was an editor, pedagogue and public figure. After completing a course at Tiflis Gymnasium, he continued his education in Germany and returned to Armenia with a PH.D degree assuming the post of Inspector at the diocesan school of Shushi in 1877. On 8 May 1878, V. Papajanian was dismissed from this post on the decision of Echmiatzin Synod due to his viewpoints on instruction and education. In 1879 he worked as editor for the “Haykakan Ashkhar” magazine in Yerevan. From 1881 until 1883, he held membership of Yerevan’s body of Municipal Autonomy; in 1883 he was a member of the City Administration also holding the post of Acting Mayor. In 1885 he was exiled from Caucasia as one of the leaders of the underground organisation of Hayaser-Azgaser (Armenophile-Patriot), which had been founded in 1881. In 1889 he returned from banishment and took up residence in Tzaghkadzor, Armenia, where he died in 1893 (for details, see Նազարյան Ս., Երևանի պարբերական մամուլը (1880-1917), Երևան, 1986, էջ 45-48). Հակոբյան Թ., Երևանի պատմությունը (1879-1917), Երևան, 1963, էջ 446: Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, pp. 10-11.

20 c․

In the early 20th century, Yerevan had three small printing-houses of which that of the “Psak” was the only one with “...permanent work, namely newspaper publication, whereas that of the other two depended on accidental circumstances” (this is attested by one of its correspondents).

Հակոբյան Թ., Երևանի պատմությունը (1879-1917), Երևան, 1963, էջ 446: Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 11.

1884 y․

The publication of the weekly continued at certain intervals until 7 April 1884, when it terminated due to the censorship imposed by the Tsarist authorities, its “...editor and publisher V. Papajanian suffering punishment for having participated in the [Armenian] liberation movement personally and through his newspaper.”

Հակոբյան Թ., Երևանի պատմությունը (1879-1917), Երևան, 1963, էջ 433: Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 11.

Apart from the “Psak,” between 1881 and 1884, the press published the “Aroghjapahakan Tert” (“Health Newspaper”) monthly under Doctor Levon Tigranian’s editorship, but the Tsarist censorship put an end to its publication several months after the closing of the “Psak” Press.

Հայոց պարբերական մամուլը. լիակատար ցուցակ հայ լրագրության սկզբից մինչև մեր օրերը (1794-1934), կազմ՝ Գ. Լևոնյան, Երևան, 1934, էջ 23: Also see Հայ պարբերական մամուլը (1794-1980), էջ 40; Բաբայան Ա., Հայ տպագրության 450 տարին, «ՊԲՀ», 1963, N 1, էջ 38. According to another source, the newspaper was published in the press of Emin Ter-Grigoriants (Թ., Երևանի պատմությունը (1879-1917), Երևան, 1963, էջ 434). Doctor and public figure Levon Tigranian (10.12.1842, Yerevan -1906, Yerevan) received education at the provincial school of Yerevan, then in Tiflis and St. Petersburg and graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of Dorpat University, Estonia, in 1875. In 1880 he was elected Chairman of the Public Health Care Committee set up at the Municipal Administration of Yerevan. In compliance with the decree of Yerevan Police Department, issued on 15 January 1885, L. Tigranian joined those leaders of Hayaser-Azgaser Organisation (he was one of them) who were exiled to Dorpat for 3 years (for details, see Նազարյան Ս., Երևանի պարբերական մամուլը (1880-1917), Երևան, 1986, էջ 49-72). Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 11.

The “Psak” Press was situated in Nahapet Hovakimian’s house opposite the church of Sts. Peter and Paul, which used to stand in the site of the present-day Moscow Cinema in Doctors’ (nowadays: Tumanian) Street. During its four-year activity, it published 7 books and 2 newspapers.

Հակոբյան Թ., Երևանի պատմությունը (1879-1917), Երևան, 1963, էջ 432: Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 11.