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Stepan NazarianPublicist, educator, literary historian, orientalist
Date of Birth: 27.05.1812
Country:  Armenia |
Content:
- Biography of Stepan Nazaryan
- Contributions and Works
- Armenian Enlightenment Movement
- Advocate for Educational Reform
- Death and Legacy
Biography of Stepan Nazaryan
Stepan Ivanovich Nazaryan was an Armenian publicist, educator, literary historian, and orientalist. He was born on May 15, 1812, in Tiflis, Georgia, into a family of a priest. Nazaryan completed his education at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Dorpat (Tartu) in 1840. He then became a professor of Persian and Arabic literature at the Lazarev Institute of Oriental Languages in Moscow from 1849.
Contributions and Works
Nazaryan authored several notable works, including "An Overview of Gaikanskaya Writing from the 14th Century to the Present" (1846), "Abul Kasem Ferdowsi and the Tus Creator of the Book... Shahnameh" (his doctoral dissertation, 1849), and "A Brief Overview of the History of Gaikanskaya Literature until the End of the 13th Century" (1844), among others. He was influenced by European Enlightenment ideals and the Russian social movement of the 1840s, which led him to speak out against the feudal system and its ideology.
Armenian Enlightenment Movement
In the 1850s, Nazaryan became a leading figure in the Armenian Enlightenment movement. From 1858 to 1864, he published the Armenian-language journal "Yusisapayl" ("Northern Light") in Moscow, which had a significant impact on the development of progressive social thought in Armenia.
Advocate for Educational Reform
Nazaryan was one of the first proponents of transforming the entire system of popular education in Armenia into a new enlightening spirit. He advocated for replacing Grabar (Old Armenian language) with a new literary language called Ashkharabar. In philosophy, he was a supporter of Deism. He also promoted Russian and foreign literature and translated plays by Friedrich Schiller.
Death and Legacy
Stepan Nazaryan passed away on April 27 (May 9), 1879, in Moscow. He was buried at the Armenian Cemetery in Moscow, leaving behind a significant legacy in the field of Armenian literature, education, and social reform.
