Mikael Nalbandian Armenian writer Date of Birth: 14.11.1829 Country: Armenia

1. Biography of Mikael Nalbandian
2. Early Life and Education
3. Revolutionary Activities
4. Imprisonment and Death
5. Contributions and Literary Works

Biography of Mikael Nalbandian

Mikael Nalbandian was an Armenian writer, philosopher, revolutionary democrat, and utopian socialist. He was born on November 2, 1829, in the town of Novaya Nakhichevan (now in the Rostov-on-Don district) in the family of a craftsman.

Early Life and Education

From 1855 to 1858, Nalbandian studied at the medical faculty of Moscow University. During this time, he contributed to the Armenian journal "Yusisapail" ("Northern Light") in Moscow.

Revolutionary Activities

In the years 1859-1861, during the revolutionary situation in Russia, Nalbandian was influenced by the propaganda of "The Bell" and "The Contemporary" and became the first Armenian writer to adopt revolutionary democratic positions. In 1860-1862, he traveled to Turkey, India, and Western European countries. In Constantinople, he established the secret revolutionary society "Party of the Youth" around the Armenian journal "Megu" ("Bee"). In London, he became acquainted with A.I. Herzen, N.P. Ogarev, M.A. Bakunin, N.A. Serno-Solovyevich, and others, participating in discussions on the project of the article-appeal "What Does the People Need" (the program of the future "Land and Freedom"). In the pamphlet "Two Lines" (1861), he proclaimed his political creed to dedicate his life to the cause of national liberation.

Imprisonment and Death

Upon his return to Russia, Nalbandian was arrested and imprisoned in the Alekseyevsky Ravelin of the Peter and Paul Fortress in July 1862, as part of the "Trial of the 32". In November 1865, suffering from tuberculosis, he was exiled to Kamishin, where he passed away on March 31 (April 12), 1866.

Contributions and Literary Works

Mikael Nalbandian was a highly educated individual, involved in various fields such as philosophy, political economy, linguistics, and pedagogy. He followed the anthropological materialism of L. Feuerbach and N.G. Chernyshevsky and was an tireless promoter of natural sciences. Nalbandian's philosophy played a significant role in the history of Armenian social thought. In his practical revolutionary activities, he aimed to unite the democratic forces of the Armenian people in Russia and abroad with the Russian liberation movement.

Nalbandian is considered the founder of critical realism in Armenian literature and the author of novels such as "To One Word, Another Bride" (1858), "The Question of the Dead" (1859, unfinished), and "Diary" (1858-1860). In the fortress, he created an anti-religious poem called "The Journey of the Forefather" (1864, published in 1903). Nalbandian's civil lyrics, filled with the passion for freedom, gained immense popularity. He laid the foundations for Armenian realistic criticism and aesthetics. His literary views are expressed in works such as "A Word on Armenian Literature" (1854-55, published in 1895), "Critique" (1858), "National Theater in Constantinople" (1861), and others. He developed an aesthetic theory based on the principles of anthropological materialism. Nalbandian fought for the introduction of a new Armenian literary language (Ashkharhabar) instead of the outdated classical language (Grabar), which subjected him to attacks from clerics and reactionaries. He also translated poems by A.S. Pushkin, M.Y. Lermontov, H. Heine, and other poets.