In their negotiations with Soviet Armenian leaders, Pashalian and Asadur discussed these projects at length. An agreement on the Meotemedian and Taruhi Agopian bequests was finally concluded in Paris on 10 January 1925 between the Union and Aramayis Yerznkian, People’s Commissar for Agriculture. The Meotemedian bequest would be used in the village of Evjilar (today’s Arazap, near Etchmiadzin), which was to become a new home for Armenians from Tokat already living in Armenia. The annual proceeds from this endowment would also go toward building a school in the village that was to be named after the donor.28 Other donations were made shortly thereafter for the benefit of Nor Yevtogia by the Pilibosian, Vosdanig Matosian (the owner of a cigarette factory in Egypt), and Dikran Chamkerten families, all natives of Tokat; the money involved, £3,287, was to go toward construction of this village, scheduled to begin early in 1928. It soon turned out, however, that the site had been poorly chosen: it lay in a marshy area, the climate was insalubrious, and the land was ill-suited for agriculture. At the AGBU’s request, therefore, the Soviet authorities settled the peasants from Tokat near Vagharshabad.29
As to the Taruhi Agopian Fund, the AGBU agreed to use it to found a maternity ward and school for midwives, rather than an industrial arts school. The sum of £7,110 was accordingly allocated for construction of a Taruhi Agopian Center.30 Work on the Center, carried out under the supervision of ... Read all
Dikran Chamkerten (Coll. Bibl. Nubar/ Paris).
The AGBU and Soviet Armenia