Vahan Totovents facts for kids
Vahan Totovents (born September 1, 1889 – died July 18, 1938) was an Armenian writer, poet, and public activist. He wrote many stories, poems, and plays. He is remembered for his important contributions to Armenian literature.
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Vahan Totovents's Life Story
Vahan Totovents was born on July 17, 1893, in a town called Mezre, which is now known as Elazığ in Turkey. He grew up in a region called Kharberd.
He finished school in 1907. Some of his teachers were famous writers like Tlgadintsi and Rupen Zartarian. After school, he traveled a lot. In 1908, he went to Constantinople (now Istanbul). Then, in 1909, he moved to Paris, France, and later to New York City in the United States.
In 1912, Vahan started studying at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. There, he learned about literature, history, and philosophy. These studies helped him become a great writer.
During World War I
During World War I, Vahan Totovents helped his country. He worked as a secretary for a military leader named Andranik Ozanian. He also took part in battles in places like Erzurum and Van.
After the war, he worked with the poet Hovhannes Tumanyan. They helped people who had survived the Armenian genocide. This was a terrible time when many Armenians were killed. Vahan helped organize aid for those who needed it most.
From 1917 to 1918, he was the editor of a newspaper called Hayastan in Tiflis (now Tbilisi, Georgia). In 1920, he left Armenia and traveled around Southern Europe.
Return to Armenia
Vahan Totovents welcomed the new Soviet government in Armenia. He returned to Soviet Armenia in 1922. He worked for a funny magazine called Shesht in 1923. Then, from 1924 to 1926, he worked for the official government newspaper, Sovetakan Hayastan. He also taught at Yerevan State University.
Sadly, Vahan Totovents was arrested in 1936. He was executed in 1938 during a time known as the Great Purge. This was when many people in the Soviet Union were arrested and punished by the government. However, in 1954, he was officially cleared of any wrongdoing. This means the government admitted he was innocent.
Vahan Totovents's Writings
Vahan Totovents published his first work in 1907. He wrote many important novels, stories, and plays. Some of his well-known works include:
- Doktor Burbonian (1918)
- Mahvan batalion (which means "Death Battalion", 1923)
- New York (1927)
- Baku (a series of three books from 1930–1934)
- Hovnatʻan vordi Yeremiayi (meaning "Jonathan, Son of Jeremiah", 1934)
One of his most famous works is a collection of short stories called Kyankʻě hin Hṛomeakan chanaparhi vra. This means "Life on the Old Roman Road". These stories tell about the lives of Armenians and their neighbors during his childhood. They show what society and culture were like in the last days of the Ottoman Empire. This book was very important for Armenian literature.
His short story "Light-Blue Flowers" was even made into a movie! It became the Armenian film A Piece of Sky in 1980, directed by Henrik Malian.
Vahan Totovents's works have been translated into many languages. You can find his books in Russian, English, French, Bulgarian, and Turkish.
Books in English
Some of Vahan Totovents's books that have been translated into English include:
- Scenes from an Armenian Childhood
- Tell Me, Bella (a collection of stories)
- Jonathan, Son of Jeremiah
- Pigeon Fancier
