Artsruni, Grigor

Born Feb. 27,1845, in Moscow; died Dec. 19, 1892, in Tiflis. Armenian publicist and critic; public figure. Educated at the universities of Moscow and St. Petersburg and abroad.

In 1872, Artsruni founded the newspaper Mshak (The Toiler) in Tiflis. It played an important role in the political and cultural life of the Armenian people. Artsruni was an advocate of bourgeois reforms and of the capitalist development of Armenia. He put himself in opposition to conservatives and reactionary clergy; in pieces of topical satire he ridiculed the vices of public and literary life. An important part of his work was devoted to the defense of realism. He was the author of the short story “Here and There” (1890), the novella Evelina (1891), the drama Giulizar (published 1912), and other works.