Yerevan hosts presentation of the book devoted to John Kirakosyan's life and activities

PanARMENIAN.Net - Yerevan has today hosted the presentation of the book "John Kirakosyan: Origins of Statehood and Political Armenology". The book is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of outstanding historian and politician John Kirakosyan. The presentation was held in Armenian National Library.



Published by National Academy of Sciences and Armenian Oriental Studies Institute, the book comprises documents, memoranda, telegrams, excerpts of personal memoirs, notes, stories and essays written by or addressed to John Kirakosyan.



"The book depicts not only John Kirakosyan's life and activity but also his relationship with the both Soviet people and Diaspora representatives," historian Vladimir Barkhoudaryan, John Kirakosyan's friend, said during the presentation.



The book was published in 500 copies. Publication costs were covered by the Government. During the presentation, National Academy Director David Sargysan presented a posthumus award - Hakob Meghapart medal, to the great historian's son, who is the editor of the book.



John S. Kirakosyan was born in 1929 in Yerevan. After graduating from Yerevan State University, Faculty of International Relations, he furthered his education as a post-graduate student in the same department. Beginning the 1960's, Kirakosyan started studying the most complicated problems of Western Armenia's history. And he devoted all his life to revealing the shady and improperly studied aspects of the Armenian Issue.



John Kirakosyan's political views began to mature during in the period of Khrushchev's Thaw (late 1960's). His activities were aimed at the creation historic values, as well as the development of Armenian national ideology. As a result, Kirakosyan wrote works devoted to the new and newest stages of Armenian history, Armenian Genocide and the Armenian Issue. In 1960-1969, John Kirakosyan was the Chair of the State Committee on Television and Radio Broadcasts, and in 1975-1985 he was the Foreign Minister of Soviet Armenia.