
“In order to see the future, we must first learn from the past.” Arsen Ghazaryan
The rich past of Armenian business life is presented in a unique way in Hayk Demoyan’s book “Illustrated History of Armenian Entrepreneurship”, the presentation of which took place on May 4, at the National Museum-Institute of Architecture named after Alexander Tamanyan.
The book mainly presents testimonies, stories, material values, samples confirming the exceptional contribution and rich heritage of Armenian businessmen, most of which are from the author’s personal collection.
In separate sections, reference was made to Armenian merchants, entrepreneurs engaged in tobacco and confectionery production, clothing and carpet sales, oil industry, banking, well-known brands of Armenian origin, inns, and hotels.
The book was published under the patronage of Arsen Ghazaryan, President of the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen of Armenia, General Director of “Apaven” Company.
According to the president of the UMBA, it was exciting when the author presented the idea of collecting the history of Armenian business, making the samples in various museums and vaults the property of the public.
According to the UMBA president, it was exciting when the author presented the idea of collecting the history of Armenian business, making the samples in various museums and vaults to the ownership of the public.
“Today we are in search of a national identity, and it seems that we have lost our origin, course, and we see the future as uncertain. Meanwhile, in order to see the future, we must first learn from the past. This book is such a small way, just a drop to understand our national identity and ourselves,as well as to show it to the world. From this book, the public receives an encyclopedia on the business type of the Armenian people,” Arsen Ghazaryan said.
According to his assessment, the mark left by Armenian merchants and businessmen throughout history is so visible that it can rightfully be considered an exceptional episode recorded in world history.
He expressed hope that other similar books will be published in the near future, including one about the history of independent Armenia’s business.
The author dedicated the book to the 400th anniversary of the Ziljian company. In 1623 Avetis Ziljian receives a special alloy to make a cymbal in Constantinople. The method was passed on as a secret only to the male representatives of the family. After the Armenian Genocide, the descendants of Avetis Ziljian moved to the USA and in 1929 founded a factory producing cymbals in Massachusetts. Even today, it is considered one of the world-famous companies producing musical instruments, having been awarded medals and certificates of European and American international exhibitions at different times.
In the book you can get acquainted with many similar interesting stories.
“In general, this can be considered the starting volume. I did not have the ambition to fully address the Armenian business life, it is impossible, because new names are being revealed at the moment”, Hayk Demoyan mentioned in his speech. “The visual material is undeniable, you can’t argue about it, bring a counter-argument. We don’t have a comprehensive history of the Armenian people with pictures”, the historian noted, adding that the work of collecting and presenting the path of Armenian business will be continuous.
The participants of the presentation had the opportunity to get acquainted with the samples displayed in the hall of Hayk Demoyan’s personal collection.