After the introduction of movable printing type to Europe by Johannes Gutenberg in Germany (circa 1439), Armenians from throughout the diaspora began to publish Armenian-language books. The first book which had Armenian letters was published in Mainz (Germany) in 1486. The first Armenian book to be published by the printing press was Urbatagirq—Book of Friday prayers—which was published by Hakob Meghapart in Venice in 1512.

The Armenian Literary Tradition exhibit at the Library of Congress in 2012, dedicated to the 500th anniversary of Armenian printing

History

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Hakob Meghapart, publisher of the first printed Armenian book
 
Urbatagirq, the first book printed in Armenian in 1512

In the 16th century there were published 31 books, in 17th century – 164 and in 18th there were 824 Armenian books printed.

  • The first Armenian book was published by Hakob Meghapart in 1512 in Venice (Italy). The book was called «Ուրբաթագիրք» ("Urpatakirk", "Friday Book").[1][2]
  • Abgar Dpir Tokhatetsi published an Armenian book in Constantinople (Ottoman Empire) in 1568.
  • The first Armenian printing house in Persia was established in New Julfa (Isfahan, Iran) in 1636. The first book to be published in this printing house was «Սաղմոսարան» ("Saghmosaran", "Psalter"); it was published in 1638 by Khachatur Kesaratsi,[3] while the first Persian book in Persia was published 192 years later in 1830.
  • The first Armenian printing house in Armenia was established in Vagharshapat in 1771 and the first book was called «Զբօսարան Հոգեւոր» ("Zbosaran Hogevor", "Spiritual walking"); it was published in 1772 by Simeon I of Yerevan.[4]
    • The first Armenian printing house in Yerevan was established in 1876 by Z. Hakobyan. In 1880 E. Ter-Grigoryan became director of the printing house and worked there until the 1910s. The first book printed in the printing house was E. Ter-Grigoryan's "Trchnik" ("Small Bird") collection.
  • The first Armenian printing house in Russia was set up in Saint Petersburg in 1781. Grigor Khaldariants' had type sent from London, and under the sponsorship of the Primate of Armenians in Russia, Bishop Hovsep Arghutian, he edited the first Armenian book to be published in the Tsarist realm, «Տետրակ այբբենական» ("Tetrak aybbenakan", "ABC Reader") in 1781. He then printed works such as «Բանալի գիտութեան» ("Banali Gitut'ean", "The Key to Science"), «Շաւիղ լեզվագիտութեան» ("Shavigh Lezvagitut'ean", "Linguistic Guide"), and «Ընդհանրական»("Endhanrakan", "Encyclical Letter") by Nersés Shnorhali.[5]

20th century

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After the sovietization of Armenia, Yerevan becoming the center of the Armenian printing, where in 1921 organized by the State Publishing House. It assumes the functions of editing and organization publications. Makes its political, artistic, scientific, publications for children with relatively large circulations. Separated from the State Publishing House publishing house “Luys” (Light), specialized mainly in the publication of textbooks. In 1964 from publishing Armenian State Publishing House (HayPetHrap) was renamed “Hayastan” (Armenia). In 1976 have been separated from the last publishing “Sovetakan Grogh” (Soviet writer), which it published in the most artistic and literary works. Academy of Science of Armenian SSR published a monograph of scientific and other research literature, and publish works of Armenian classical and scientific texts from the Matenadaran as well. Publishing house of Yerevan State University publishes textbooks, collections and scientific monographs since 1922. From this period also involved in publishing the National Library, “Gitelik” (knowledge) and several others. In 1980 have acted in Yerevan on 20 printers. From 1922 until the end of 1970 in Armenia were published about 45 thousand titles of books. In the last years of Soviet power in Armenia each year were printed about 1,100 titles. During this period, books and periodicals published in the Armenian language as in other republics of the USSR.

Since 1920 (the sovietization of Armenia) to the 1980s main centers of the Armenian printing press in the diaspora were Istanbul, Cairo and Beirut (the latter now is its main center). At this moment the Armenian Diaspora was published about 21 thousand titles. Total number of items of Armenian newspapers in 1512 and 1980, more than 80 thousand.

Armenian printing houses worldwide

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The following table is a list of the Armenian printing houses from 1512 to 1800.[6]

Year Place Book Publisher Year
1512   Venice «Ուրբաթագիրք» ("Urbathagirq", "Friday Book")[2] Hakob Meghapart 1512
1513   Venice «Պարզատումար» ("Parzatumar")[7] Hakob Meghapart 1512
1513   Venice «Պատարագագիրք» ("Pataragagirq") Hakob Meghapart 1513
1513   Venice «Աղթարք» ("Aghtarq") Hakob Meghapart 1513
1513   Venice «Տաղարան» ("Tagharan")[8] Hakob Meghapart 1513
1565   Venice «Խառնափնթուր տումարի գեղեցիկ եւ պիտանի» ("Kharnapntur tumari geghetsik yev pitani") Abgar Dpir Tokhatetsi 1565
1567   Constantinople «Փոքր քերականութիւն» ("Poqr qerakanutyun", "Brief Armenian Grammar") Abgar Dpir Tokhatetsi 1567
1584   Rome «Տոմար Գրիգորեան» ("Tomar Grigorian", "Gregorian Calendar') Dominico Basa 1584
1616   Lviv «Սաղմոսարան» ("Saghmosaran", "Psalter") Yovhannes Karamatanents 1616
1621   Milan "Dictionarium Armeno-Latinum" (Armenian-Latin Dictionary) Collegium Ambrosianum 1621
1633   Paris «Բառգիրք Հայոց» ("Bargirq Hayots", "Dictionarium Armeno-Latinum") Antonius Vitray 1633
1638   New Julfa «Սաղմոս ի Դավիթ» ("Saghmosaran", Psalter) Khachatur Kesaratsi of the Vank Cathedral 1638
1641   New Julfa «Հարանց Վարք» ("Harants Varq") Khachatur Kesaratsi of the Vank Cathedral 1641
1641   New Julfa «Խորհրդատետր» ("Khorhrdatetr", Missal) Khachatur Kesaratsi of the Vank Cathedral 1641
1642   New Julfa «Ժամագիրք Ատենի» ("Zhamagirq Ateni") Khachatur Kesaratsi of the Vank Cathedral 1642
1644 Livorno «Գիրք եւ Սաղմոսք Դաւթի որ եւ Սաղմոսարան կոչի» ("Girq yev Saghmosq Davti vor yev Saghmosaran kochi", "Psalter") Yovhannes Jughayetsi 1644
1647   New Julfa «Գիրք տումարաց որ եւ պարզատումար կոչի» ("Girq tumarats vor yev parzatumar kochi") Yovhannes Jughayetsi 1647
1660   Amsterdam "Visus Ordi" (Jesus the Son) Matteos Caretsi and Avetis Ghlitshents 1660–1661
1672   Marseille «Սաղմոսարան» ("Saghmosaran", "Psalter") Oskan Yerevantsi 1672
1676   Smyrna «Մաշտոց» ("Mashtots", "Ritual") N/A 1676
1680   Leipzig "Obadias Armenus" ("Armeno-Latin") Justinus Brand 1680
1690   Padua «Դաշանց թուղթ» ("Dashnats tught", "Lettera dell amicitia") Timoteos Garnuk 1690
1736   London Movses Khorenatsi,
«Պատմություն» ("Patmutyun", "History") (Mosis Chorenensis, Historiae Armeniacae) Armenian and Latin
William and George Whiston 1736
1771   Vagharshapat «Սաղմոսարան» ("Saghmosaran", "Psalter") St. Gregory the Illuminator Press 1772
1776   Trieste «Աղօթք Յուսկան» ("Aghot Yuskan", Prayer of our Holy Hierarch Yusik) Mkhitarist Press 1774
1781   Saint Petersburg «Ժամագիրք» ("Zhamagirq", "Breviary") Grigor Khaldareants 1783
1786   Nakhichevan-on-Don «Սաղմոսարան» ("Saghmosaran", "Psalter") Holy Cross Monastery Press 1790
1796   Astrakhan «Հրովարտակ» ("Hrovartak", "Decree") Arghuteants press 1796
1796   Calcutta «Վիճաբանութիւն ար շահ Սլեմանն պարսից»
("Vitsabanuthyun ar sah Slemann parsits", "Dispute Before the Persian Sah Suleyman")
Hovsep Stepanosyan 1797
1810   Bombay
1812   Vienna
1820   Moscow
1823   Tiflis
1828   Shusha
1833   Jerusalem
1848   Bahçecik
1856   Shamakhi
1857   New York City
1858   Van
1859   Feodosia, Crimea
1863   Muş
1863   Manchester
1865   Cairo
1871   Sivas
1872   Baku
1874   Elisabethpol
1875   Rostov-on-Don
1876   Yerevan
1877   Alexandrapol
1877   Focşani
1883   Tokat
1884   Varna
1888   Alexandria
1888   Akhaltsikh
1889   Tabriz
1890   Nor Bayazet
1891   Geneva
1891   Ruse
1892   Athens
1894   Tehran
1899   Boston

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Hakob Meghapart project Archived July 15, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ a b "The Book of Fridays". World Digital Library. 1512. Retrieved 2013-06-01.
  3. ^ Hakob Meghapart project Archived May 31, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Վաղարշապատ". Archived from the original on 2010-02-26. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
  5. ^ "HyeEtch - Arts & Culture: The Art of The Book, page 1". Archived from the original on 2009-09-12. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
  6. ^ Albert Parsadanyan. Intelligence Warehouse-5. VMV-Print, Yerevan, 2007, p. 28
  7. ^ "Armenian Liturgical Calendar". World Digital Library. 1513. Retrieved 2013-06-01.
  8. ^ "Song Book by Hakob Meghapart". World Digital Library. 1513. Retrieved 2013-06-01.
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