UCLA–The fourteenth in the UCLA International Conference series on Historic Armenian Cities and Provinces will feature the colorful history and culture of the Armenian communities of Iran from ancient to modern times. The conference–to be held in Glendale and on the UCLA campus from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon–May 14-16–will bring together scholars from Armenia–Cyprus–Germany–Great Britain–Iran–Italy–and various parts of the United States.
The conference is organized by Professor Richard G. Hovannisian–holder of the Armenian Educational Foundation Chair in Modern Armenian History at UCLA–and is co-sponsored by the Armenian Society (Iranahay Miutiun) of Los Angeles and the UCLA International Institute–GE von Grunebaum Center for Near Eastern Studies–and the Center for European and Russian Studies.
The opening session in Armenian will be held on Friday evening–May 14–from 7:30 to 10:00–in the Glendale Presbyterian Church at the corner of Louise and Harvard Streets in Glendale and will include illustrated lectures by Armen Hakhnazarian (Germany and Armenia) on Saint Stepanos and Dzordzor monasteries; Onnik Hairapetian (Glendale and Mashdotz Colleges) on the Armenia’s of the Salmast region; and Gohar Avagian (Historical Archives–Armenia)–on the life and works of Archbishop Melik-Tangian of Tabriz.
The Saturday sessions on May 15 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. will be held on the UCLA campus–in Court of Sciences 50 (Young Hall)–and will be conducted in English. The presentations will focus on the political–cultural and literary–economic–and social history of the Armenia’s of Iran or Persia.
Speakers include Richard Hovannisian on the Iranian Armenian community; A.E. Redgate (Newcastle–England)–on Iran and Vaspurakan; Peter Cowe (UCLA) on Tabriz under the Il-Khans; Hovann Simonian (USC) on Maku in the 15th century; Thomas Sinclair University of Cyprus) on the silk trade; Gabriella Uluhogian (Bologna University–Italy)–on socio-political life in the 17th-19th centuries; Vazken Ghougassian (Eastern Prelacy–New York)–on Armenian rural settlemen’s in Iran–17th-19th centuries; Rubina Peroomian (UCLA)–on Iran and the Armenian Liberation Movement; Houri Berberian (California State University–Long Beach)–on Armenian Identity during the Persian Constitutional Revolution; Rose Marie Cohen (Los Angeles)–on the Massacres of Khoi during World War I; Gayane Hagopian (UCLA) on Raffi’s Stories about Iranian Armenia’s; Anahid Keshishian (UCLA)–on Hakob Karapents; Bert Vaux (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)–on the Iranian Armenian Dialect.
The Sunday afternoon sessions on May 16 from 1:30 to 5:30 will be in Armenian and in English with presentations by Armen Ter Stepanyan (Matenadaran–Armenia)–on Bibliogrpahic Sources on the Persian Armenia’s; Armen Hakhnazarian (Germany and Armenia)–on the Gharadagh Armenian communities; Artsvi Bskhchinyan (Armenia)–on Armenia’s in Iranian Theater and Cinema; Samvel Stepanian (Glendale)–on Economic Life in 19th-20th centuries; Aida Avanessian (Tehran–Iran)–on the Armenian Community of Tehran; and Claudia Mardirossian (UCLA)–and Anny Bakalian (New York University)–on Integration of Armenian Iranians in California. As in all previous conferences–a photographic exhibit will be mounted by Richard and Anne Elizabeth Elbrecht of Davis–California.
All proceedings are open to the public at no charge. Parking on the UCLA campus is in Parking Structure 2–entrance from Hilgard Avenue at Westholme. The conference program may be viewed at www.uclaarmenian.org and Professor Hovannisian may be contacted by e-mail at Hovannis@history.ucla.edu.