Wschodni Express | Armenia – 100 years later…
16:00-18:00
Participants: The Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia in Poland, Edgar Ghazaryan, professor Andrzej Pisowicz, professor Hubert Łaszkiewicz, Ruben Malayan
Moderator: Friar Tomasz Dostatni
The Association of Armenians in Lublin is the partner of the event.
In 2015 the eyes of the world have turned to Armenia due to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The fact made it clear that we do not know much about the history, culture and society of Armenia.
The Massacre of Armenians in Turkey is considered the first genocide of the 20th century. It is estimated that 1.5 mln people died between 1915-16.
During the meeting the participants will discuss the changes that have taken place in Armenia since the tragic date. They will focus on the perspectives of change, the current position and major directions in development.
Edgar Ghazaryan (born in 1975) – the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia in Poland, he holds a PhD in economics. He was awarded with a letter of recognition by the president of Armenia for his valuable contribution into the development of the Armenian society. The author and co-author of many books, textbooks and articles on self-government.
Professor Andrzej Pisowicz (born in 1940) – he works at the Institute of Oriental Philology at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. He studies Iranian philology at JU (1957-61) and Armenian philology at the State University in Yerevan (1961-63). He completed his Armenian studies in France: Ecole Nationale des Langues Orientales Vivantes in Paris, 1966-67 (Old Armenian language). He holds a PhD in Armenian studies (1974), a habilitation in Iranian-Armenian studies (1985) and a title of a professor since 2002.
The author of Armenian Grammar (Kraków 2001), a textbook on the Old Armenian and the East and West Armenian language. The co-author and editor of the Small Polish-Armenian dictionary (Kraków 2006).
Since 1980 he has participated in the Armenian Culture Association at the Polish Ethnological Society in Kraków. He is a populariser of knowledge about Armenia and its culture (e.g. he published a dictionary of Soviet Armenia writers in 1992).
He has taught Armenian at the Institute of Armenian Philology at JU for many years. In 1993 he gave lectures on Armenian dialectology at the Leiden University in the Netherlands.
Professor Hubert Łaszkiewicz (born 17 October 1961 in Warsaw) – Polish historian. In 1985 he completed his historical studies at the Catholic University in Lublin. He has been working there since 1989, where he is the head of the Department of East European History. His interests lie in the history of Poland and the Tsardom of Russia, Central-Eastern Europe between 16th and 17th centuries, economic history, history of ideas, religion and historiography. He is a member of the Polish Historical Association and the Association of the Institute East- Central Europe.
Ruben Malayan (born 1971) – artist, photographer. He studied painting in Terlemezian Art College and graphics at the National Institute of Fine Arts in Yerevan, Armenia .
Over the past few years, Ruben has been working on „The Art of Armenian Calligraphy”, a publication focusing on the history, evolution and traditions of the Armenian script. His main objective is to prepare the necessary basics required for the reintroduction of calligraphy to the diaspora and the Armenian educational program. Ruben’s works were selected as an example of Armenian script in „The World Encyclopedia of Calligraphy: The Ultimate Compendium on the Art of Fine, Writing-History, Craft, Technique” (Sterling Publishing, 2011). He is also the author of the chapter on Armenian script in the book.
Ruben Malayan is also the initiator of the „Armenian Genocide of 1915 in Contemporary Graphic and Art Posters 2001-2015″ project, which gained recognition in publications and magazines around the world. Ruben has exhibited his works both locally and abroad.
Friar Tomasz Dostatni – a Dominican, founder of the Centre of Christian Art in Prague. The author of many TV programmes. A member of the editorial council of the Czech theological magazine „Salve”. The originator and moderator of many debates, e.g. „Enterprise – culture – religion”, a series of philosophical debated „How to live” and „The Debate of Two Pulpits”. He is committed to ecumenical movement, inter-religion and social dialogue. He was a member of the cross-department team of advisors on the matters of the Polish community abroad for the Polish prime minister. He is a member of the Saint Wojciech – Adalbert Foundation.