Renowned Historian Raymond Kevorkian Receives 2010 Armenian Presidential Award, Completes North American Tour

On May 30, 2011, renowned historian Raymond Kevorkian was awarded the 2010 Armenian Presidential Awards at a ceremony that took place at the Presidential Palace in Yerevan, Armenia. Kevorkian, along with world-renowned genocide expert Dr. Israel Charny, was honored for his contribution to the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

The book, "The Armenian Genocide: A Complete History," by Raymond Kevorkian, a lecturer at the Institute Français de Géopolitique, University of Paris, and director of the AGBU Nubarian Library in Paris, gives an authoritative account of the origins, events and consequences of the Armenian Genocide. It has been embraced in European academic circles as providing a new understanding to many previously unexamined sources on the Armenian Genocide. In it, Kevorkian considers the role played by the Armenian Genocide in the construction of the Turkish nation state and Turkish identity, as well as exploring the ideologies of power, rule, and state violence. Crucially, he examines the consequences of the violence against the Armenians, the implications of the deportations, and the attempts to bring those who committed the atrocities to justice. Following the book’s recent translation into English, the author embarked on a North American book tour, which began on May 3 and continued until May 13, with stops in Toronto, Montreal, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, Detroit and New York. All the lectures were given in Armenian, and over 600 people came to hear Kevorkian speak during the tour.

2010 Presidential Award Honorees

In addition to Kevorkian and Charny, a number of other individuals in the fields of arts, humanities, medicine, physics, and technology also received Presidential Prizes. Winners included Martin Grigorian and Artsrun Sarkissian (Natural Sciences); Haroutyun Terzian (Technical Sciences and IT); Haroutyun Khatchatrian, Mickael Stamboltsian, Rouben Khatchatrian, Vrezh Petrossian, and Karen Tsaturian (Arts); Andranik Petrossian and Armen Vardanian (Medical Sciences); Armen Nersessian, Tigran Hakobian, Vadim Ohanian, and Vahagn Eghikian (Physics); Vardan Hakobian (Literature); and Argam Ayvazian (Humanitarian Sciences).

Recipients of the Presidential Youth Award 2010 included Vahe Hakobian (Arts and Cinema); Lilit Karapetian and Haroutyun Hovakimian (Literature); and Arman Manassian (Music). Republic of Armenia President Serzh Sargsyan presented the awards to the winners.

In his address to the honorees of the 2010 Presidential Awards, President Sargsyan stressed that their scientific and artistic achievements represented the achievements of Armenia and the Armenian people. "People should know about deserving individuals and deeds through this kind of high esteem. By giving awards we, as a state and as a society, demonstrate our standards, expectations and our value system," he said. "Our public at large should learn about accomplishments and worthy people through the signs of recognition."

>Sargsyan went on to single out Raymond Kevorkian's achievements. "Time constraints don't allow me to mention one by one the merits of all winning works submitted and the individuals behind each one. However, I ought to speak about works which have political significance and resonance. I am talking particularly about the works aimed at the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide and those which confront its denial, activities of the scholar of international standing Israel Charny and of Raymond Kevorkian," he said.