Pietro Annanias Shakarian on Armenian Studies in St. Petersburg
On 20 July 2024, Pietro A. Shakarian, postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Historical Research at HSE in Petersburg, presented at the International Armenological Congress at the Matenadaran in Yerevan. Dr. Shakarian’s talk was entitled “From St. Petersburg to Syunik: Advancing Armenian Studies in Russia’s Northern Capital”. The presentation explored the current state of historical-scientific studies related to Armenia and the Caucasus in St. Petersburg.
In addition to discussing recent developments in this field at HSE Piter, Dr. Shakarian also discussed advancements in Armenological sciences at the State Hermitage under the leadership of M. B. Piotrovsky. He stressed that such developments were natural, given the leading and historical position of Russia, and in particular St. Petersburg, as a major center for Armenian and Caucasian Studies, as represented by the important work of B. B. Piotrovsky, I. A. Orbeli, K. A. Yuzbashyan, and many others.
“It is impossible to think about Armenian Studies without Russia and the great contributions of Russian historical scientists,” Dr. Shakarian maintained.
In addition to participants from Armenia and Russia, there were also participants from several different countries around the world, including Austria, Egypt, France, Germany, Georgia, Hungary, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Among them were professors of Armenian Studies from Harvard and Oxford. The congress concluded with a book talk at the historical 9th century Tatev Monastery in the Syunik Province of southern Armenia.
Dr. Shakarian praised the Matenadaran’s leadership for organizing the congress.
“In Soviet times,” he remarked, “there was this idea that there were three institutions that every Soviet citizen must see—the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, the Hermitage in Leningrad, and the Matenadaran in Yerevan. I am happy to say that I have not only frequented all three, but that I was invited to speak at one of them! I am profoundly grateful to Ara Khzmalyan, the Matenadaran Director, for organizing this truly significant and momentous academic event. It will have a long-lasting impact on the advancement of our scientific knowledge of Armenia and the region for many years to come.”
Dr. Shakarian's research is being implemented in the framework of the Basic Research Program at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE University) as part of the project of the Centre for Historical Research.