Euphrates College Printing Office :: ARMENIAN HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

Euphrates College Printing Office 1889 y․

Turkey / Kharberd / Kharberd

Historical Introduction

Euphrates College Press (1889 to 1896, 1909 to 1914) was founded in 1889 by the first President of the college, American preacher Crozpy Houyler, who “...brought machine moulds as well as English and Armenian letters to Kharberd seeing the necessity of a printing-house there.” The newly-established press was worked by Manuk Tinjian, who was assisted by Khachatur Pennian, Hovhannes Pashkian and Mkrtich Jamalian. They “...mastered the contemporary art of printing and gradually issued Armenian text-books, copy-books as well as English Readers A and B, which proved greatly useful means for students longing for knowledge.” After the Hamidian massacres, the Turkish Government terminated the activity of the press.

Վահէ Հայկ, Խարբերդ եւ անոր ոսկեղէն դաշտը, Նիւ Եորք, 1959, էջ 359: Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 15.

1909 y․

It reopened in 1909, when “...the book-loving fellows of Euphrates [College] plucked up courage and wiped off the dust of the old printing machines and letters brought to Kharberd in 1889. Then they attempted to repair them and started a printing activity with moulds which were very difficult to work with. These endeavours continued for several months and considerably encouraged them. They easily acquired permit for publishing a newspaper under Prof. K. M. Soghikian’s editorship. In accordance with the wish of the College Administration and the pupils of both sexes, this official periodical was called Euphrates. ...its first issue was published on 1 November 1909.”

Վահէ Հայկ, Խարբերդ եւ անոր ոսկեղէն դաշտը, Նիւ Եորք, 1959, էջ 346: Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 15.

1908 y․

A record states the following about the reopening of the printing-house: “The press began its work parallel with the Constitution of 1908. It published an average number of 3,000 pages per diem. All its work was placed under the charge of one of the classes, and the boys carried out their duties in their spare time. A number of books had already been published, with three magazines—a weekly, a semi-annual and a monthly—issued regularly. The work was very far from being perfect, but it was in an incessant process of development. There was no better means of propagating the college work in such an impressive way.”

Փիլիպպոսեան Յաբէթ Մ., Յիշատակարան Եփրատ Գօլէճի, Պոսթոն, 1942, էջ 124: Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 15.

1909 — 1914 yy․

From 1909 until 1914, the Euphrates Press published a magazine of the same name which was first a biweekly and then changed into a monthly: its publisher was Euphrates College with Karapet M. Soghikian as its Editing Director.

Ճիզմէճեան Մ., Խարբերդ եւ իր զաւակները, Ֆրէզնոյ, 1955, էջ 402: A record states the following about Karapet M. Soghikian (26.06.1868, Kharberd - 25.06.1916, Kharberd), who was a teacher of the Armenian language and literature: “This great worker of thought, who was endowed with different skills, was a poet and expert in literature. After a year spent in the prisons imbued with the spirit of death, he was set free in order to teach house-painting to Turks... His heart proved unable to endure [all that] and one day, a day before his birth anniversary... he consigned his soul to God... Soghikian taught Armenian, literature and chemistry at the college. This establishment sent him to Venice and Vienna so that he would study Armenian literature deeply... This editor of the “Euphrates” biweekly of Euphrates College and the author of the “Volorak,” which is enriched with the splendid vocabulary of the Armenian language, spent all his life teaching as a selfless worker” (Փիլիպպոսեան Յաբէթ Մ., Յիշատակարան Եփրատ Գօլէճի, Պոսթոն, 1942, էջ 151-152). Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, pp. 15-16.

Euphrates Press had its own bindery where the college pupils worked.

Փիլիպպոսեան Յաբէթ Մ., Յիշատակարան Եփրատ Գօլէճի, Պոսթոն, 1942, էջ 124-125: Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 16.

1910 — 1914 yy․

Most probably, between 1910 and 1914, the “Amenun Hamar” (“For Everybody”) religious weekly was published in this press: its editor was German preacher Johannes Ehmann, the Head of the German orphanage of Mezire, and the owner was Petros Karapetian.

«Կոչնակ», 1910, N 21, էջ 499: Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 16.

1913 — 1914 yy․

From 1913 until 1914, Euphrates Press published the “Det” monthly, which belonged to American missionaries, with V. P. Amirkhanian as its Editor-in-Charge, and Henry Rix as its owner: “Euphrates Press began publishing the 3rd newspaper in Kharberd, the “Det,” under the editorship of the American Mission” (it had an entirely religious trend).

«Կոչնակ», 1913, N 31, էջ 752: Also see N 21, էջ 516-517: Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 16.

For four years, the typesetter and printer of the press was Hovhannes S. Pashkian.

Փիլիպպոսեան Յաբէթ Մ., Յիշատակարան Եփրատ Գօլէճի, Պոսթոն, 1942, էջ 172-173: Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 16.

Kharberd also had a number of handwritten newspapers and magazines such as the “Asparez” (K. Soghikian, Khoren Andreassian and Ruben Vorberian); the “Tzovak” (1909), the literary newspaper of the pupils of the Central National School, and the “Hayreni Arvak,” the literary journal of the pupils of the German college of Kharberd (editor: Nshan Pashkants). There were also some newspapers issued through hectographic printing: the “Dat” (1896, editor: Azarik Goloyan); the “Patani” (1909), the publication of the Youths’ Union of Kharberd, the “Gyughatntes” (“Agriculturist,” 1910) and the “Lusashavigh” (1911), the publication of the Armenian Catholic college of the city (editor: Suren Pahlavuny).

Վահէ Հայկ, Խարբերդ եւ անոր ոսկեղէն դաշտը, Նիւ Եորք, 1959, էջ 398, 463: Հայ պարբերական մամուլը (1794-1980), էջ 50, 79, 81, 87: Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 16.

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Karapet Soghikian

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Crozpy Houyler