Armen Armenian

(pseudonym of Ipekian). Born Sept. 10 (22), 1871, in Turkey; died July 20, 1965, in Leninakan. Soviet actor and theater figure. People’s Artist of the Armenian SSR (1935).

Armenian began his theatrical career in Tiflis in 1891. From 1895 to 1897 he took P. Muni’s theater courses in Paris. Beginning in 1902 he performed in Armenian theaters in Tiflis and Baku. He and his company made guest appearances in Egypt, Turkey, Bulgaria, Rumania, and Iran. He was among the organizers of the Abelian-Armenian Theater Company, which has played an important role in popularizing Armenian theater arts in Russia and abroad. Armenian, one of the founders and outstanding representatives of Armenian directing, helped raise the general cultural level of the Armenian theater.

After the establishment of Soviet power in Transcaucasia, Armenian took active part in forming the Soviet Armenian theater. Beginning in 1935 he worked in the Mravian Theater in Leninakan. His best roles included Franz Moor (Schiller’s The Robbers), lago, Shylock (Shakespeare’s Othello and The Merchant of Venice), Harpagon (Molière’s The Miser), and the baron (Pushkin’s The Covetous Knight). Among the works he directed were Shant’s Old Gods, Shirvanzade’s Armenui and For Honor’s Sake, Schiller’s The Robbers, and Gogol’s The Inspector General. He was awarded two orders.