Khachatur Abovyan is a great our public figure. He developed the Armenian public thought, favored the spreading of the democratic ideas. He is not only a great writer and founder of the new Armenian literature and language, but also an outstanding public figure. Abovyan had a strong sense of the new. He was always the first to notice the new social phenomena and expressing them in his work could give true assessments. He accordingly noticed and oriented his contemporaries, that the joining the Eastern Armenia with Russia was a great event of the Armenian people. But at the same time feeling the bitterness of tzarism, Abovyan realized that after joining Russia the Armenian people didn’t get nor national, neither social-political independence.
Derpt-‘the place of mental revival’ of Abovyan gave him not only a great stock of knowledge, but also some political belief. From 1830 to 1836 were the years of intellectual ripening of Abovyan. In virtue of his memory and innate abilities he gained necessary skills of national figure. The subsequent development and predetermination of the ideology of Abovyan were promoted by a number of circumstances: university liberties, anti-tsarizm sentiments of lectors, student’s political secret circles and revolutionary atmosphere prevailing in Europe. The rich scientific activities of Abovyan was promoted in those years and received a high appraisal by the publisher of University Annals professor K. Bloom and outstanding orientalist X. Fren. Unfortunately, we got only pieces of these valuable articles, which were lost tracelessly after being remained in editorial office for a few years. These articles were about the ancient history of Armenia and its lasting tragedy for centuries, spiritual treasures of the Armenians and their existence and development of national culture.
In 1834 Abovyan went to Petersburg, where he promoted rapid activity. First of all, he set about to get rid of compulsory service in place of getting education on account of the state. Thereupon, he made a public speech before the society of honorary people, performed an article in the local German newspaper, wrote circular papers and as the New Year letters of congratulation sent to the opulent Armenians living in Petersburg, and called them to contribute his enlightenment programs of the Armenian people, as well as paid different visits for that purpose. Before that, on 10 of June, in 1834 in his letter to Nersses Ashtaraketsi wrote about his ‘intention ti open a proper and suitable school for the Armenians, about institution and education system’.
On his return Abovyan stayed in Moscow for 70 days. During this time Abovyan made not only reciprocal visits, but to this relations and friends, but he had unfinished business to solve, that mainly depended on the people living outside the Moscow. The only operating establishment in Moscow was the imperial company of Naturalists, which objects in some measure had a relation to Abovyan’s interests and they could assist Abovyan. But judging from appearances all that didn’t give him any satisfaction.
On 29 of March, on the Easter Holiday Abovyan made a speech before local community in the Armenian Church of Moscow. In itself, it was a very noteworthy thing to use a church holiday to express his enlightenment views. Unfortunately, Abovyan’s calls of activities of beneficial to nation and enlightenment projects remained without any response among opulent people living in Moscow.
On the same month, Abovyan presented a written project on the way of improvement of economic and cultural life of Armenia and the Armenian people. It is difficult to define under the present circumstances, who gave the assignment to Abovyan, some high-ranking person or the emperor itself. But one thing is undeniable: it was the result of appeals of his enlightenment projects sent to different state companies of Moscow. This project take a rare place in comparison with other writings before that. Abovyan deeply suffered for public-economic tragedy of nation, and he had an aim to put end to all that.
In 1836 Abovyan returned to his homeland. He didn’t want to work at the state school, because it couldn’t satisfy Abovyan with its programs. Abovyan desired to have his own school with wide programs and such graduates, who would be spread all over the Armenia and realize his enlightenment programs. But all his innermost wishes were rejected by clergy and Abovyan realized that Etchmiatsin not only favored and supported but was against.
In 1837 on 12 of February, Abovyan forcedly entered civil service and was appointed as an inspector and teacher of Tiflis provincial school. Abovyan taught Russian, French, History, Geography and Mathematics. Parallelly Abovyan opened a private school, where he could realize his enlightenment programs in some measure. Abovyan wanted to make national teachers for enlightenment of nation by means of his private school.
Still in Derpt Abovyan came to the belief that ashkharabar (the new Armenian language) must become the language of school and literature. And he brilliantly solved this problem by creating his first primer textbook ‘Nakhashavigh’ in the new Armenian. To understand the great importance of the book, is enough to mention that Abovyan rejected the hardened syllabic method of reading and writing and proposed the phonic method. And today, that pupils learn the alphabet in the course of a year, is one of the great services of Abovyan.
Certainly, Abovyan was the great event as a pedagogue in the reality of the time. Unfortunately, he had to live and promote activity in the midst of envious and narrow-minded persons, who didn’t want to accept and tolerate anything. Abovyan was being imposed a ban on his private school as well. The tsarist government saw that its interests were endangered. Increasingly Abovyan became persuaded that he couldn’t realize his innermost projects; close by tsarist government Abovyan saw the clergy chasing him.
In 1836-1837 Abovyan got a chance to be a professor of a chair of oriental studies at Kazan University. It was a chance for Abovyan to make cadres for the homeland. This time also Abovyan didn’t succeed by reason of usual plots of clergy. hen Kazan University made an inquiry about Abovyan, Etchmiatsin responded that they didn’t know such person.
Kazan University announced a contest for a chair o oriental studies and Abovyan sent two works to Academy of sciences. The reviewer was the academician Brosse. It would be wrong to say that Brosse didn’t apprehended the revolutionizing significance of the works for the Armenians’ rebirth. But he was inhibited by his official position and passed a resolution against Abovyan.
Thus, Abovyan’s democratic views and the new method of reading and writing were rejected. During this time Abovyan promoted an active literary activity. In 1843 Abovyan moved to Yerevan provincial school. Abovyan was painfully conscious that nothing had changed from the time, when he suffered under the clergy’s thumb. At he same time Abovyan saw that it was by the reason of indifferent attitude o the authorities towards the nation. And Abovyan began to take measures to improve the educational system.