Armenian Studies

The emergence of modern Armenian studies is associated with the foundation of the Catholic Mechitarist order in the early 18th century. Until the early 20th century, Armenian studies were largely conducted by individual scholars in the Armenian communities of the Russian Empire (Moscow, Saint Petersburg, New Nakhichevan, Tiflis), Europe (Venice, Vienna, Paris, London, Berlin, Leipzig), Constantinople and Vagharshapat in Armenia. After the establishment of Soviet rule, Armenian studies, and sciences in general, were institutionalized in Armenia and put under direct control of the Academy of Sciences. Today, numerous research centers in many parts of the world specialize in Armenian studies.

Notable scholars who have worked in the field of Armenian studies

Early scholars

Maturin Veyssière La Croze (1661–1739), historian and orientalist
Lord Byron (1788–1824), English poet
Marie-Félicité Brosset (1802–1880), French orientalist
Johann Heinrich Hübschmann (1848–1908), German philologist
Victor Langlois (1829–1869), French historian
Arthur Leist (1852–1927), German writer, journalist and translator
Mkhitar Sebastatsi (1676–1749), the founder of Mechitarist Congregation
Mikayel Chamchian (1738–1823), Mechitarist monk and historian
Ghevont Alishan (1820–1901), Mechitarist historian

Modern scholars

Manouk Abeghian (1865–1944), scholar of literature and folklore
Hrachia Adjarian (1876–1953), linguist, etymologist, philologist
Nicholas Adontz (1871–1942), historian
Arakel Babakhanian (pen-name Leo) (1860–1932), historian
Karapet Basmadjian (1864–1942) historian
Robert Pierpont Blake (1886–1950)
Grigor Ghapantsyan (1887–1957)
Yaroslav Dashkevych (1926–2010), archaeographer, archivist, historian, studied Kipchak-Armenian documents, doctor of historical sciences
Anaïd Donabédian-Demopoulos linguist, INaLCO Paris, specialist in syntax, corpus linguistics, teaching of Armenian as a second language
Ashkharbek Kalantar (1884–1942), archaeologist
Toros Toramanian (1864–1934), architectural historian
Vahan Kurkjian (1863–1961), historian
Sirarpie Der-Nersessian (1896–1989), art historian
Joseph Orbeli (1887–1961), Orientalist
Josef Markwart (1864–1930), historian, orientalist
Alexey Jivelegov (1875–1952), historian
Nikolai Marr (1865–1935), Russian historian, archaeologist, and linguist
Antoine Meillet (1866–1936), French linguist
Stepan Malkhasyants (1857–1947), philologist, linguist, and lexicographer
Sen Arevshatyan (1928–2014), historian
Mary Kilbourne Matossian (1930-2023)
Stephan Astourian, Professor of History and Director of the Armenian Studies Program at the University of California, Berkeley
Armen Ayvazyan (born 1964), historian, political scientist
Walter Bachmann, architectural historian, traveller
Vahan Baibourtian (born 1933), historian
Peter Balakian (born 1951), poet, writer and academic
Rouben Paul Adalian
Hagop Barsoumian (1936–1986), historian
Hrach Bartikyan (1927–2011), academician
George Bournoutian (1943–2021), historian at Iona College
Peter Charanis (1908–1985)
S. Peter Cowe, Narekatsi Professor of Armenian Studies, UCLA
Vahakn Dadrian (1926–2019), sociologist, historian, genocide scholar
Charles Dowsett (1924–1998)
Paul Essabal, linguist
Rouben Galichian (born 1938), cartographer, map researcher
Vartan Matiossian (born 1964), historian
Aram Ter-Ghevondyan (1928–1988), historian
Vartan Gregorian, (1934–2021), historian
Edmund Herzig, historian
Robert H. Hewsen (1934–2018), Professor Emeritus of History at Rowan College
Tessa Hofmann (born 1949), historian
Richard G. Hovannisian (1932-2023), Professor Emeritus of Armenian and Near Eastern History, UCLA
Edward Jrbashian (1923–1999), literary critic
Raymond Kévorkian (born 1953), historian
Hranush Kharatyan (born 1952), ethnographer
Dickran Kouymjian (born 1934), writer, publisher, editor, historian
David Marshall Lang (1924–1991)
Gerard Libaridian (born 1945), historian
Theo Maarten van Lint (born 1957), Calouste Gulbenkian Professor of Armenian Studies at the University of Oxford
Christina Maranci, art and architectural historian, Tufts University
Louise Nalbandian (1926-1974), historian
Vrej Nersessian (born 1948), priest, curator
Christopher J. Walker (1942-2017), historian
Dennis Papazian (1931-2023), Professor Emeritus and founding director of the Armenian Research Center at the University of Michigan, Dearborn
Simon Payaslian, Professor of History at Boston University
James R. Russell (born 1953)
Alexander Sahinian (1910–1982), architectural historian
Gagik Sarkisyan (1926–1998), historian
John A. C. Greppin (1937–2016)
Michael E. Stone (born 1938), professor emeritus of Armenian Studies and of Comparative Religion at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Ronald Grigor Suny (born 1940), historian
Jean-Michel Thierry (1916–2011)
Giusto Traina (born 1959)
Robert W. Thomson (1934–2018)
Cyril Toumanoff (1913–1997)
Bagrat Ulubabyan (1925–2001), writer and historian
Armen Hakhnazarian (1941–2009), expert on architecture
Samvel Karapetian (1961–2020), historian and expert on medieval architecture
Bert Vaux (born 1968), linguist at University of Cambridge, expert on Armenian dialects, phonology
Claude Mutafian (born 1942), historian
Levon Zekiyan, scholar
Artsvi Bakhchinyan (born 1971), philologist, film researcher
Suren Yeremian (1908–1992), historian, cartographer
Karen Yuzbashyan (1927–2009), historian, orientalist
Ara Sanjian, historian
Sebouh Aslanian, historian at UCLA, Richard Hovannisian Endowed Chair in Modern Armenian History
Razmik Panossian (born 1964), political studies and history