Araj (Haraj) Printing Office :: ARMENIAN HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

Araj (Haraj) Printing Office 1908 — 1914 yy․

Turkey / Erzrum / Erzrum

Location

The press was located in a rented house first in Chamur and then in Murtar Streets. In 1913 it was moved to the building of Aghabalian College.

Քօսեան Յ., Բարձր Հայք. Կարին քաղաքը, հ. Ա, Վիեննա, 1925, էջ 263: Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 17.

Historical Introduction
1908 y․

Araj (Haraj) Press (1908 to 1914). On 11 July 1908, the intellectuals of Karin established the Armenian Youths’ Union, the aim of which was to publish a periodical to “...serve for the rebuilding of the general [Armenian] homeland and the protection of the oppressed without national and religious discrimination.” In order to fulfill their goal, the members of the Union embarked on the foundation of a press: “Soon this daring plan was carried out thanks to large financial sacrifices... the “Haraj” Press opened with its own machine and moulds...”

Ղազար-Չարըգ, Յուշամատեան Բարձր Հայքի. Կարինապատում, Պէյրութ, 1957, էջ 275, 314: Also see Պօղոսեան Ե., Պատմութիւն Հայ մշակութային ընկերութիւններու, հ. Բ, Վիեննա, 1963, էջ 90: Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 16.

1909 y․

On 31 May 1909, the first issue of the “Haraj” newspaper (the press was known under its name) was published under Yeghishe Topchian’s (Yervand Tamarian) editorship (director and owner: Aram Atruny). After the editor’s murder (11 October 1909), his post was successively held by Liparit (Aptakuny), Simon Vratsian, Sargis Hovhanjanian and Shavarsh Misakian. The last issue of the newspaper was published on 25 March 1914 (director-in-charge: Vahe Togajian, owner: A. Atruny).

Ղազար-Չարըգ, Յուշամատեան Բարձր Հայքի. Կարինապատում, Պէյրութ, 1957, էջ 276-277: Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 17.

The establishment of the printing-house was welcomed with high praises by the contemporary intellectuals: “For the first time after so many centuries and years after the invention of printing, Karin has acquired a newspaper printed with Armenian letters; for the first time, a printing machine with Armenian letters is operated [here]. ...Truly, the inhabitants of Karin are to consider this year as epoch-making for their literature: the “Haraj” press came to put an end to the difficult work of publishing handwritten newspapers and several tens of monthlies by means of a copygraph, the fruits of which could not be everlasting.”

Քօսեան Յ., Բարձր Հայք. Կարին քաղաքը, հ. Ա, Վիեննա, 1925, էջ 260: Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 17.

The “Haraj” Press was not equipped with high-quality printing machines, but its activity proved of a great role in the lives of Karin Armenians: “The printing tools of the “Haraj” newspaper are still far from the perfection required for a printing-house, but it renders a considerable service to the Armenians of Karin, also publishing notices, invitations, visiting cards, etc. The two simple machines doing this work are operated by hand, one of them being small and the other larger: the steam work is carried out through the power of foot movements and human hands. For many centuries or long years, Karin had not seen the fruits of the Armenian press: it now saw what it had never seen [before]...”

Քօսեան Յ., Բարձր Հայք. Կարին քաղաքը, հ. Ա, Վիեննա, 1925, էջ 263: Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 17.

Haraj Press also published the “Sirt” (“Heart,” 1911), “Yerkir” (1914) and “Alik” (“Wave,” director and owner: Hrachia Lusparonian) two-day newspapers. The owner and director of the “Yerkir” was Maruke Maranjian, but it had only 9 issues as the Government banned its publication.

Ղազար-Չարըգ, Յուշամատեան Բարձր Հայքի. Կարինապատում, Պէյրութ, 1957, էջ 277-278: Also see Քօսեան Յ., Բարձր Հայք. Կարին քաղաքը, հ. Ա, Վիեննա, 1925, էջ 265-266: Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 17.

1911 — 1912 yy․

Between 1911 and 1912, the press published 2 books.

Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 17.

Before having their own printing-office, the Armenians of Karin issued some handwritten newspapers and magazines such as the “Enkerakan Sirt” (“Friend’s Heart,” April to September 1895, editor: Hovh. Shavarsh) monthly; the “Manr Yerger” biweekly magazine (1895) as well as the “Mi Sirt yev Mi Hogi” (“One Heart and Soul,” 1895) and “Vospor” (1896) monthlies. The “Paros” (“Pharos,” 7 to 14 March 1909) weekly and “Nor Luys” (“New Light,” 1910 to 1911) monthly, the organ of the pupils of the French college of Karin, were issued by means of a copygraph.

It was published on Kecheyan’s and Heyranian’s initiative: “Hardly had two copy-books been produced in handwriting... [when they] stopped it and tore what they had written...” (Քօսեան Յ., Բարձր Հայք. Կարին քաղաքը, հ. Ա, Վիեննա, 1925, էջ 254-257:). Its owner and publisher was Yer. Yazjian, who was succeeded by Gh. Grgoyan (Քօսեան Յ., Բարձր Հայք. Կարին քաղաքը, հ. Ա, Վիեննա, 1925, էջ 254-257). Abrahamian Emma, Printing-Houses Throughout the Armenian Homeland, in: "Vardzk", 2012, N 6, p. 17.

Name	Year/Century	Etymology
Haraj