The name Leon Minasian (born in 1920) is familiar for those related to tribal history and culture. He spent many years collecting and composing various works about the Armenian culture and literature. Among them, he has written a lot about his birth place Frieden and also...

Interviewed by: Morteza Rasouli Poor
 
The name Leon Minasian (born in 1920) is familiar for those related to tribal history and culture. He spent many years collecting and composing various works about the Armenian culture and literature. Among them, he has written a lot about his birth place Frieden and also Jolfa and he is unique in this regard such that his reputation is known in remote parts of the world. His way of life and manner shows his deep love for Iran, a country under the shadow of which he lives and he has showed a great part of its culture to the world.
What comes next is part of an interview with him by the oral history unit on 20th May 2000 in the Wang Church.
 
□Mr. Minasian I thank you for accepting my interview invitation. You have granted valuable services through your many books in the field of Armenian history and different cultural responsibilities and at the moment you are the honorary supervisor of the Armenian museum and library and printing office in Jolfa. Please tell us more about yourself.
I thank you for your kindness and the trouble you have gone through coming here. I was born in 1920 in the village of Khuygan of Frieden. My father was a farmer and teacher and I was raised in a relatively cultural family. My primary education was in Khuygan and I continued my high school education in the national schools of Armenian in Jolfa and Isfahan College which is called Adab High School these days. After that I taught in Khuygan for ten years and at the same time I was the mobile manager of Armenian Ghara high schools in Frieden. In addition I was active in the school boards and prayer room and other communities of Khuygan. In 1945 I founded the national library of Abovian with the help of a few intellectuals in the region. From 1951 to 1981 and for 30 years I taught in national Armenian schools of Jolfa and retired thereafter.
 
□With regard to the vast literary and scientific research and studies, which communities have you participated in and what books have you written?
I established more than 10 charities and literary committees and scouts committee and several committees related to celebration arrangements in Jolfa and I was active in them myself. I started writing from elementary school and besides national activities and teaching; I spent the rest of my time on study and research the result of which is publication of hundreds of articles in more than 20 newspapers and magazines and yearbooks in Persian and Armenian. I have written more than 50 books the most important of which include: 350 years of Frieden History about 500 pages which is published by the literary society of Groug Melid in Beirut, the history of the first printing house in Iran Jolfa Isfahan from 1638 to 1972, the list of manuscripts in Jolfa Armenian Museum which is published by Galust Golbangian publications in Vienna, four books from the Armenian poets and musicians of Frieden, Iran Armenian monasteries (includes Vanek church and Saint Kakavos church and Saint Stephanos church in Azerbaijan), the history of Armenians of Jolfa, Isfahan in the last 140 years (1856-1996), two commands by the Prophet Mohammad and Imam Ali (PBUH), a brief overview of the religious rituals of Orthodox Armenians, Iranian Armenians, a trip to Jerusalem and Israel and some other books.
 
□How long have you had the supervision of Armenian museum and management of Jolfa printing house and Isfahan Armenian library?
From 1957 I have honorary supervision of Jolfa Armenian museum. From 1972 the management of Jolfa printing house and from 1980 the responsibility of the library is on me. In 1973 when his Excellency Catuligus Khuren, the first Armenian leader of silica house came to ـolfa, he appreciated my teaching and literary work by presenting me with the Royal Mesrop Medal (in the name of the inventor of Armenian alphabet). From years ago I attempted to arrange the 350 years of documents and archived records of Vanek church which was published in 1983.
 
□From what I know you have been praised in Iran and other countries. Tell us more about this too.
These appraisals are due to the kindness of others and other many books I have written during the last 50 years. I have written more than 700 articles in the Alik newspaper which has been published for 60 years. I have more than 300 articles in other magazines. I have about 50 writings in quarterlies and yearbooks.  Celebrations were held in 1990 in Isfahan and Tehran, in 1991 in four cities of Armenia and in 1992 in New York and Los Angles honoring my scientific and cultural work. Also I was awarded with the Saint Mesrop Medal by the Erevan manuscript research center and an honorary letter by the Silica house Catholics in Lebanon and the Armenia cultural association and the Saint Nurses cultural association in Tehran.