Nicolai Romashuk
8 juni · Gedeeld met Je vrienden
Dear friends,
Many compatriots of mine requested me to inform them about Armenian books that were printed in Amsterdam.
As we all know, at the time of the printing invention in Europe, by the German inventor Johann Gutenberg in 1445, Armenia was too much weakened because of wars and invasions, for that reason Armenia had a backlog of many decades in book printing. It is a fact that After the the printing invention, it took a decade until the first printed book was published in 1455.
The first Armenian books were published, 70 years after the printing invention in Veneice by Hagob Meghapard, with the following titels, 1) Barzadomar in 1512, 2) Badarakadedr in 1513, 3) Oorpatakirk, and 4) Dagharan.
The clergyman, Apkar Tokadetsi or Yevtogiatsi, was the second Armenian who published the first Armenian calender also in Venice in 1565, the title of the calendar was ” Kharnapntoor dumari keghetsig yev bidani ”, The second country where Armenian books were published was Constantinoel, because, in 1567, the Armenian clergyman Apcar had moved his printing house to Constantinopel.
After a couple of decades other printing houses were established in other countries, like for example, in 1594 in Rome, in 1616 in Lvov, in 1621 in Milaan, later on, other Armenian books were printed in other countries but thes printing houses didn’t belonged to Armenians, on the 7th place on the list with Armenian printing house was New Julfa, established by the Armenian clergyman Khachadour Gesaratsi, between 1636-1637 and the first book that was printed there was in 1638, according to the archives, there were four titels of books were printed in New Julfa, 1) Saghmos I Tavit in 1638, 2) Harants Vark in 1641, Khorhrtadedr in 1641 and 4) Jamakirk Adeni in 1642.
Back to Amsterdam, the clergyman Matheos Tsaretsi was the was the administrator of the Catholicos of all Armenians Philippos I, from 1633-1655, Catholicos Hagop IV Chughayetsi followed Catholicos Philippos in 1655-1680, during his youth, he had learned the proffession of printing in New Julfa, one of the wishes of Catholicos Hagop Chughayetsi’s was to fulfill printed Armenian Bibles and other printed Armenian books.
Catholicos Hagop Chughayetsi, to fulfill his wishes, he requsted that Matheos Tsaretsi, to establish a printing house in Europe, in May 1656, Matheos Tsaretsi started his trip from Smyrna (Izmir), after many ups and downs, aftr fourty days he arrived ro Venice,after being upset in Venice, and loosing more than a year by doing nothing in Rome, he ended up in Amsterdam, in 1658, after signing a contract with typefounder (letters) and stamp puncher Christoffel van Dijck for the price of F1400,00 Dutch Florin, he bought also used wooden bible egravings, produced by Christoffel van Sichem, which were in the past were also used for the printing of a Catholic Bible, the produced Armenian letters were produced according to the hand writing of Movses Tatevatsi.
The small printing house of Matheos Tsaretsi was located on the Krom Boomssloot, behind the New Market where many Armenian merchants were housed.
Matheos Tsaretsi started printing the first Armenian book with the title ”Hisus Ordi ” which stand for, “Jesus the Son of God”, the typograafs who were helping Tsaretsi were Dutch and had no knowledge about the Armenian language, for Tsaretsi it was a very difficult task to fulfill the printing, a if that was not enough, before the first Armenian book was published, Tsaretsi became very sick and he passed away on a Saturday evening, at 23 0 clock, on the 22th of January 1661 burdened by debts.After his death, an Armenian merchant, Avedis Ghlichentsi has paid all the debts and completed the printing of the book “Jesus the Son of God” and published it and didtributed it, please pay special attention here, Avedis Ghlichents was the brother of Woskan Erevantsi who published the first Armenian Bible in Amsterdam between 1666-1668.
WOSKAN EREVANTSI.
Dear Compatriots, please don’t get confused, In the history, Woskan Erevantsi is known and mentioned at least in three different names, His original last name is Ghlichents, like his brother Avedis, but because his parents were inhabitants of Erevan, Woskan adopted also the last name Woskan Erevantsi and Woskan Vartabed, because he was also a clergyman.
The brother of Woskan Avedis Ghlichents, was not good educated in Armenian literature, because of that reason, he made some mistakes during the completing of the book ”Jesus the Son of God ” which was coordinated by Matheos Tsaretsi.
After completing the printing of the first Armenian book in Amsterdam, Avedis sended an urgent request to his brother Woskan to come to Amsterdam and take care of the Armenian printing house.
Woskan was a very good educated person and master in different languages, including the Latin language, in the early days Latin was very important for comminication.
Woskan, after recieving tha message of his brother, for him, it was not so easy to leave Armenia immidiately because of his very important responsibilities, because of that, after the permission of the Catholicos IV Hagop Chughayetsi of all Armenians, Woskan sended one of his students, Garabed Adrianatsi to Amsterdam to make preparations for the printing of the first printed Armenian Bible.
Woskan, who was the Vicar of the Saint Sarkis church in Ushi in Armenia, he departed from Echmiadsin in September 1662, after many ups and downs, Woskan reached to Italy (Livorno) in 1663, there he met his brother Avedis who transferred all the needed documents of the Armenian printing house to Woskan.
Before arriving to Amsterdam, woskan had requested his student Garabed Adrianatsi to make all the preparations for printing of the “Sharagnots” as a test before starting the printing of the Holy Bible, Sharagnots is a book full with spiritual songs, musical notes and approximately with fifty engravings lended from the first book, ” Jesus the Son of God”.
Woskan’s main goal was to print and spread the first printed Armenian Bible, after recieving the financial support from three Armenian merchants for printing the Armenian Bible, Woskan continued his trip and arrived in Amsterdam in the autumn in 1664, He stayed in Amsterdam from1664-1669, during the Woskan Erevantsis era, from 1660-1669, 23 titels of Armenian books were printed in Amsterdam.
Woskan Erevantsi, His Ups and Downs, His Meeting with Rembrandt van Rijn.Upon his arrival, Woskan Yerevantsi took the responsibility of the Armenian printing house from Garabed Adrianatsi over, In order to start with the printing of the first Armenian Bible, there were some big problems to be solved, 1) the letters that his predecessor had used, were stylish but were not useful to Print the Bible, because they were too big, Woskan used smaller letters 2) because of the financial problems of Matheos Tsaretsi in the past, some of the letters were sold by auction and became the property of the family Elseviers, the owners of the world famous printing house Elsevier brothers, Daniel and Louis in Dutch Daniel and Lodewijk.Woskan Erevantsi paid a visit to brothers Elseviers, with success he purchased the missing letters, he even became the teacher of the daughter of Lodewijk Elsevier, Julia, in Latin.
To complete his mission, thanks to the mediation of Julia Elsevier, they went to meet the world famous art painter Rembrandt van Rijn, during the introductory meeting, Rembrandt van Rijn asked who the guest was, Julia told to Rembrandt that Woskan Erevantsi was from Armenian origin and came to ask a favour for designing some Armenian letters, for the printing of the first Armenian Bible.Rembrandt was too much surprised and couldn’t believe his ears and asked, did you say an Armenian? Julia said yes, have you ever heard of Armenians, Rembrandt said, yes of course, before the death of my wife Saskia Uylenburgh in 1642, the supplier of my oil paint, in powder form was an Armenian merchant and his name was Aghamir, you can see Aghamir with a black hat on his head, sitting in the middle of one of the most famous oil paintings of Rembrandt, exposed in the worlds most famous museum in Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, in Russia with the title ” The Return of the Prodigal Son ” , mostly, Rembrandt was buying the green and the red oil paint in powder form, from the Armenian merchant Aghamir, the red paint was made from red Crimson worms. « Որդան կարմիր », our ancestors decorated hondreds of manuscripts with red paint made from red Crimson worms, Rembrandt used the same red colour oil paint in most of his world famous oil paintings, To honour his merchant Armenian friend, Rembrandt portrayed Aghamir in the here mentioned masterpiece, ” The Return of the Prodigal Son”.Rembrandt apologised by saying that, because of his age (1664) his sight was not good enough to fullfill the wish of Woskan Erevantsi, instead, by writing a short letter, Rembrandt referred them to a good friend of his, besides, Rembrandt granted Julia an oil painting, with the portrait of an oriental man, for two reasons, 1) To let her remember her teacher Woskan Erevantsi and 2) Because after a couple of days, it was Julia’s birthday.
The first printed Armenian Bible of Amsterdam is decorated approximately with 160 engravings, manufactured by Christoffel van Sichem II CvS, these engravings were also used in 1657 during the printing of the Catholic Bible Biblia Sacra, published by Pieter Jacobsz Paets in Amsterdam, the old name of Amsterdam was Amstelodamum.Most of the letters which were used for the printing of the first Armenian Bible in Amsterdam were casted and punched by Christoffel van Dijck.Attached you can see the very precious memories of Woskan Erevantsi from the first printed Armenian Bible in Amsterdam.
1.” Our Father 2.” Vondel father and son” 3. ” Vondel Portrait ” 4. ” Vondel Junior In Exile ” 5.. ” The Death certificate of Rembrandt ” THE MARGIN OF MISTAKES MAY BE 5 %. AMEN.
ENJOY THIS ARMENIAN ABC PRAYER, ENJOY THE ARMENIAN ALPHABET. UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF BEING A GENIUS. ( Every word of this Armenian prayer starts with a new le… Meer weergeven
ENJOY THIS ARMENIAN ABC PRAYER, ENJOY THE ARMENIAN ALPHABET. UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF BEING A GENIUS. ( Every word of this Armenian prayer starts with a new letter of the Armenian alphabet in the order.” RECOGNISE THE WISDOM, LISTEN TO THE ADVICE, TO UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF BEING A GENIUS”
” RECOGNISE THE WISDOM, LISTEN TO THE ADVICE, TO UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF BEING A GENIOUS.« ՃԱՆԱՉԵԼ ԶԻՄԱՍՏՈՒԹԻՒՆ և ԶԽՐԱՏ, ԻՄԱՆԱԼ ԶԲԱՆՍ ՀԱՆՃԱՐՈՅ »:” RECOGNISE THE WISDOM, LISTEN TO THE ADVICE, TO UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF BEING A GENIOUS.« ՃԱՆԱՉԵԼ ԶԻՄԱՍՏՈՒԹԻՒՆ և ԶԽՐԱՏ, ԻՄԱՆԱԼ ԶԲԱՆՍ ՀԱՆՃԱՐՈՅ »:
” RECOGNISE THE WISDOM, LISTEN TO THE ADVICE, TO UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF BEING A GENIOUS.« ՃԱՆԱՉԵԼ ԶԻՄԱՍՏՈՒԹԻՒՆ և ԶԽՐԱՏ, ԻՄԱՆԱԼ ԶԲԱՆՍ ՀԱՆՃԱՐՈՅ »:
Dear compatriots,In the meantime, enjoy the manuscripts and the miniatures of the Armenian artist Avak Dsaghgogh (Avak the Bloomer) from the beginning of the 15th century, try to enjoy and understand why most of the super powers and our eternal enemies want to see the Armenian race to be destroyed.Dear compatriots,In the meantime, enjoy the manuscripts and the miniatures of the Armenian artist Avak Dsaghgogh (Avak the Bloomer) from the beginning of the 15th century, try to enjoy and understand why most of the super powers and our eternal enemies want to see the Armenian race to be destroyed.
1) is Khoran, ( Canon-table), manuscript 212, page 10. 2) First page of the Gospel John, manuscript 212, page 241. 3) Avedum, (Annuciation), manuscript 212, page 156. 4)Undsayum, (presentation, manuscript 212, page 161. 5) Entry to Jerusalem, manuscript 212, page 68, 6) Entry to Jerusalem. manuscript 212, page 69. 7) Christ at the fig tree, manuscript 212, page 245. 8) The removal of the Christ from the cross, manuscript 212, page 148. 9) Raising of Lazarus, manuscript 212, page 148. 10) Wedding in Cana, manuscript 212, page 246.
