Prof. Vahram Shemmassian Donates Rare Armenian Genocide Materials to Museum-Institute

YEREVAN — The Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute’s academic collections have recently been enriched with rare and historically significant items, thanks to a visit from Dr. Vahram Shemmassian, Professor of Armenian Studies at California State University, Northridge. On June 18, Professor Shemmassian – a respected scholar and descendant of Musa Dagh survivors – donated select pieces from his extensive personal archive, amassed through decades of research and collection.

The donated materials center on the heroic defense of Musa Dagh and the experiences of its people during displacement and survival. Among the highlights were a 1909 fundraising receipt issued by the Relief Commission’s Fresno Committee for villages in Antioch – bearing the official stamp of the Patriarchate of Constantinople – and two Egyptian-issued travel permits from 1916 granted to members of the Philean family migrating from Port Said to the United States.

The event also included the display of a handwoven carpet created by Armenian orphan girls in the 1920s at an orphanage in Ghazir, Lebanon. This artifact was part of an earlier donation by Professor Shemmassian in December.

In her remarks, AGMI Director Dr. Edita Gzoyan praised the donation, announcing that a dedicated collection in Professor Shemmassian’s name will be created within the Museum’s scientific archive to recognize his ongoing contributions.

Professor Shemmassian emphasized the historical significance of personal and family-held documents, noting, “These materials often convey more than official records ever could.” He encouraged individuals who possess documents or artifacts related to the Armenian Genocide to consider sharing them with the Museum to help preserve collective memory.