Nersisian School

Nersisian School
Location
1824-1905: Soldatskiy Bazar Square Tiflis, Tiflis Governorate Russian Empire
Information
Religious affiliation(s)	Armenian Apostolic
Opened	1824
Founder	Catholicos Nerses V
Closed	1924
Grades	3
Gender	Male
Enrollment	80
Language	Armenian

Nersisian School (Armenian: Ներսիսեան դպրոց, Nersisian dprots; Georgian: ნერსისიანის სემინარია, Nersisyanis seminaria; Russian: Нерсесяновское училище, Nersisyanovskoye učilišče) was an Armenian higher education institution in the city of Tiflis, then Russian Empire (now Tbilisi, Georgia). It operated exactly for one century, from 1824 to 1924. It was founded by Bishop Nerses Ashtaraketsi, Armenian primate of the diocese of Georgia (later Catholicos of All Armenians Nerses V), after whom it was named.^[1]

History

In the 19th century Tiflis (Tbilisi) was a major Armenian cultural center with a large Armenian population. Numerous Armenian schools, various publications, drama associations and societies, charities and nonprofit organizations functioned in the city. The Nersisian School officially opened in 1824 and throughout its existence it had a unique role in Eastern Armenian education.^[2]

In 1905, the school was destroyed in a bombing. Afterward, Alexander Mantashev solved all the school's financial problems with the designing and building of the school by a Russian-Armenian military architect Nikita Lazarev. The façade of the building was built of an orange stone from the Tsater (Lori) and Karahunj (Zangezur) villages. Alexander Mantashev spent 370,000 rubles (444 kg/gold) during the construction of the new building. In front of the school stood statues of Nerses Ashtaraketsi and Alexander Mantashev.

Notable laureats

The following is the list of notable alumni of the Nersisian School with the year of graduation in parenthesis:

• Khachatur Abovian, writer (1826)
• Perch Proshyan, writer (1856)
• Derenik Demirchian, writer, novelist (1898)
• Karo Halabyan, architect (1917)
• Yervand Kochar, sculptor (1918)
• Anastas Mikoyan, Soviet statesman
• Soghomon Tehlirian, assassin of Talaat Pasha, one of the main perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide
• Arshak Ter-Gukasov, Russian Armenian military commander
• Hayk Bzhishkyan, military commander
• Gabriel Sundukian, writer, playwright
• Nikol Aghbalian, historian

Not graduated

• Ghazaros Aghayan, writer, educator, folklorist (1853–1854)
• Hovhannes Tumanyan, writer (1883–1887)

See also

• Armenians in Tbilisi
• Education in Armenia
  • Gevorgian Seminary
  • Vaskenian Theological Academy
• Education in Georgia

References

1. Khachaturian, Lisa (2009). Cultivating Nationhood in Imperial Russia: The Periodical Press and the Formation of a Modern Armenian Identity. New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers. p. 50. ISBN 9781412813723.
2. Hacikyan, Agop Jack; Basmajian, Gabriel; Franchuk, Edward S.; Ouzounian, Nourhan (2005). The Heritage of Armenian Literature: From the eighteenth century to modern times 3. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. pp. 67–68. ISBN 9780814332214.