Armenian printing

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

After the invention of the mechanical printing press 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.

History

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").
• Abgar Dpir Tokhatetsi published an Armenian book in Constantinople (Ottoman Empire) in 1568.

File:Archbishop Khachatour Kesaratsi (Isfahan, Iran) 002.jpg

Statue of Khacatur Kesaratsi in New Julfa. He set up the first printing house in Persia in 1636.

• 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, 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.
  • 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.

20th century

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 hous 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 diapora 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

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

Year	Place	Book	Publisher	Year
1512	Venice	«Ուրբաթագիրք» ("Urbathagirq", "Friday Book")	Hakob Meghapart	1512
1513	Venice	«Պարզատումար» ("Parzatumar")	Hakob Meghapart	1512
1513	Venice	«Պատարագագիրք» ("Pataragagirq")	Hakob Meghapart	1513
1513	Venice	«Աղթարք» ("Aghtarq")	Hakob Meghapart	1513
1513	Venice	«Տաղարան» ("Tagharan")	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 Kesratsi of the Vank Cathedral	1638
1641	New Julfa	«Հարանց Վարք» ("Harants Varq")	Khachatur Kesratsi of the Vank Cathedral	1641
1641	New Julfa	«Խորհրդատետր» ("Khorhrdatetr", Missal)	Khachatur Kesratsi of the Vank Cathedral	1641
1642	New Julfa	«Ժամագիրք Ատենի» ("Zhamagirq Ateni")	Khachatur Kesratsi 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	Feodosiya, Crimea
1863	Muş
1863	Manchester
1865	Cairo
1871	Sivas
1872	Baku
1874	Elisabethpol
1875	Rostov-on-Don
1876	Erivan
1877	Alexandrapol
1877	Focşani
1883	Tokat
1884	Varna
1888	Alexandria
1888	Akhaltsikh
1889	Tabriz
1890	Nor Bayazet
1891	Geneva
1891	Rousse
1892	Athens
1894	Tehran
1899	Boston

See also

• Global spread of the printing press
• Global spread of book printing
• Armenian literature

External links

• Armenian Rare Books 1512-1800
• HyeEtch: The Art of The Book: Printing and Engraving