Argentina is home to one of the largest groups of the Armenian diaspora in the whole world. Currently, 150,000 Armenians live there, most of them come from Cilicia, Syria and Lebanon.
The first historical references to individual Armenians living in Latin America date back to the 17th century. The name of General Juan Tsetsi (Hovhannes Tsetsyan) is known to many people in Argentina. After participating in the Hungarian Revolution and then the Crimean War, in 1859 he married the niece of Rosas, former governor of Buenos Aires, and settled in Buenos Aires. Appreciating his knowledge and experience in the field of military science, the President of Argentina entrusted him with the training of military personnel and the establishment of a military college.
In 1914 2000 Armenians already lived in Argentina.
As a result of the Armenian Genocide, the influx of Armenians arriving from Turkey (Cilicia and Izmir) gained momentum.
The Argentine-Armenian community began to form in the 1980s and immigration increased even more after the First and Second World Wars, when the lives of our compatriots in Turkey were threatened.
The Armenians who found refuge in Argentina were mostly people from Aintap, Hachn and Marash, who mostly settled in Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Rosario, and Mar del Plata. There are also small Armenian communities in the states of Misiones, Mendoza, Neuquen, Rio Negro, and Santa Cruz.
The Armenian community lives an active social and political life. In many cities of Argentina, there are streets and squares with Armenian names. One of the squares of Buenos Aires is called Armenia, another one is called Ararat, where there is a monument dedicated to the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide, the monument of the heroic battle of Sardarapat is located on the Armenia street of Palermo district. There is a Republic of Armenia square in Cordova, there are also streets named Armenia and Zoravar Andranik.
Argentinian Armenian lives a lively social life. Many cultural associations operate here, for example, "Komitas" and "Araks" choirs, "Gayane" and "Nairi" dance groups. Armenian cultural figures Levon Vardapetyan, Zhan Almukhyan, Martha Vardanyan, Alisia Terzyan, singers Victoria Sevan, Eliz Tigranyan, pianist Antaram Aharonyan, sculptor Hakob Yarumyan, painters Jorge Demirchyan, Sargis Ashkyan and many others are recognized. Alejandro Balyan, the only deputy of Armenian nationality, is the chairman of the standing committee on tourism issues of the deputies of the National Congress of Argentina, and the founding director of the military academy is Janos Tsets of Armenian nationality. Unfortunately, we could not find their pictures.
Saint Gregory the Illuminator, Varaga Saint Cross, Saint Poghos-Petros churches are operating in Buenos Aires. Along with the formation of the Armenian community in Argentina, one-day and then daily schools were established next to the churches. Currently, there are 10 schools operating there. The periodicals "Sardarapat", "Nor Sevan", "Armenia", "Nor Hachn", "Hay" are published here. The majority of Armenians are followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church. There are also Armenian Catholic and Evangelical communities in the country. The Armenian Catholic Church of Our Lady of Narek operates in Buenos Aires, in the courtyard of which a monument to the Armenian Genocide was erected in 2015.
Eduardo Eurnekian
Eduardo Eurnekian is considered one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Latin America. Eduardo Eurnekian is considered one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Latin America. Eduardo Eurnekian was born on December 4, 1932 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to a family of Armenian immigrants. The Eurnekian family founded a textile enterprise. The 80-year-old businessman is in the second place in the list of the richest people in Argentina. Currently, 49 airports in different countries are under Eurnekian's control.
Eurnekian's most famous companies are "Aeropuertos Argentina 2000" and Corporación America. The businessman also owns the TV network "America TV", 4 radio stations and the financial magazine "El Cronista". On December 17, 2001, Ernekyan's Corporation America acquired the "Armenia International Airports" company, along with the largest "Zvartnots" international airport in Armenia.
Composer, musicologist, academic and Director of the Encuentros Group, Alicia Terzian studied in the National Conservatory of Music of Buenos Ayres.
Alicia Terzian was born on July 1, 1934, in Cordova, Argentina. In 1954, he graduated from the piano and composition departments of the National Conservatory of Buenos Aires. She continued her studies on St. Lazarus Island in Venice, took composition lessons from Alberto Ginasteria. She studied Armenian music at the Monastery of San Lazaro (Venice) with Dr. Leoncio Dayan.
Since 1972, she has performed many times in Yerevan. Alicia is a professor at the Buenos Aires Conservatory, secretary of the Argentine Composers Union, president of the Contemporary Music Society of South America, representative of the International Music Council of South American and Caribbean countries at UNESCO, founder of the Armenian Musical Performance Society.
Famous Argentinian tennis player of Armenian origin.
Davit Nalbandian was born in the small town of Uncuilio, Cordoba region of the Republic of Argentina. From the age of five, he started playing tennis in the yard of his house, on the court built by his Armenian grandfather. At the age of eighteen, Davit became a professional tennis player.
Taking part in youth and youth tournaments, at the end of 1998 he was recognized as the third strongest athlete in the world in singles.
In 2000, he reached the finals of the United States Open Championship, where he also defeated the young Roger Federer and was declared the winner of the competition. In the same year, he was recognized as the fifth strongest tennis player in the world in doubles.
In 2008, Davit Nalbandian was granted a passport of a citizen of the Republic of Armenia.
Armenian poet, honorary president of the US Hispanic Writers' Union, honorary doctorate of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (2007).
Alicia wrote in Spanish, then also in Armenian and English.
She graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Buenos Aires. Alicia played in the theater for 10 years. In 1968, she was transferred to Los Angeles.
The Armenian reader recognized her with the collection of poems "Root and essence" (translated from Spanish) published in 1967-1971 with a wonderful translation by the poet Vahagn Davtyan.
Some of Alicia Ghiragossian's books were illustrated by Pablo Picasso.
Ghiragossian visited Soviet Armenia many times, after which she wrote the poem "Letter to Armenia".
In her works of the last period, she referred to the Armenian historical events of the end of the century.
