Missak Manouchian: Hero of the French Resistance

February 21, 2024 marks the entry of Missak Manouchian and his wife Melinee Manouchian in the Pantheon mausoleum. On this occasion, Dr. Claire Mouradian recounts Manouchian’s life in exile, as an orphan of the Armenian genocide, in post-war France, his activities in favor of Soviet Armenia and eventual involvement in the French Resistance against the Nazi occupation. Thanks to his last letter to Mélinée before his execution, made famous by the poem of Louis Aragon, which later became the song L’Affiche rouge, (The Red Poster), the name Manouchian represents a group of heroic figures of foreign origin, who gave their lives for the liberation of France.

Originally published February 2024.

About the speaker

Claire Mouradian

Claire Mouradian is a historian, Emeritus Director of Researches at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) in Paris and professor at the School of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences (EHESS), specializing in Armenia and the Caucasus. She is the co-author, with Astrig Atamian and Denis Peschanski, of the book Manouchian : Missak et Mélinée Manouchian, deux orphelins du génocide arménien engagés dans la résistance française, published in 2023.

Claire Mouradian