Preface
Dear readers , It is with great love that we present to your attention a book dedicated to the Armenian philanthropists of the world . For thirteen years now , Viva-MTS and Panarmenian Geographic Association have been presenting the books about the Armenians around the world to the readers . Over these years , the four-volume edition of the " Armenian Monuments of the World ," the two volumes dedicated to the Armenian musicians , artists , cinematographers of the world , as well as the influential Armenian women of the world have been published . This edition dedicated to the Armenian philanthropists of the world is a logical continuation of the previous two volumes dedicated to influential Armenian women : Armenian philanthropists of the world as the most influential Armenian men of all time . Armenian philanthropists have always stood by Armenian people , carried out various charitable programs in Armenia , Artsakh and different parts of the world . Churches , schools , cultural centers and many other Armenian structures and monuments built at the expense of Armenian philanthropists can be seen all over the world . We will tell about the most famous and influential philanthropists in this book . They are well-known and enjoy great fame and respect not only among the Armenians , but also in their own countries . Thus , one of the most famous people in the history of Portugal is Calouste Gulbenkian , whose Foundation and Museum are the largest institutions of the country . To date , many streets , buildings and institutions in Hong Kong are named after Paul Chater . The legacy of Mantashyants and Aramyants in Georgia and France is eye-catching . In this volume we will tell about the founder of the first major Pan-Armenian structure of the Armenian reality – Armenian General Benevolent Union- Poghos Nubar , about Alex Manoogian who later continued Poghos Nubar ' s work ; about the most famous and influential Armenian dynasty - Lazaryans , etc . Kirk Kerkorian , who made a great contribution to the Independence of the Republic of Armenia , and Gerard Cafesjian , who gave the center of Yerevan a special charm and European breath , also found their place in the book . We also introduced Charles Aznavour in this volume , as he was also a major philanthropist . In the two of our previous editions , we have already told about Aznavour as a musician and actor ; here we will present his charity programs . The staff of the Panarmenian Geographic Association expresses the deepest gratitude to Viva- MTS and personally to the General Director of the Company Armen Avetisyan . Thanks to this cooperation , for many years we have introduced the famous Armenians and their huge legacy to the Diaspora and to the Armenian community around the world .
We wish you a pleasant reading !
Panarmenian Geographic Association Yerevan , 2022
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