June 20, Friday, 15:00-17:00
June 23, Monday, 17:00-19:00
Venue: Hrant Dink Foundation Anarad Hığutyun Building
Papa Roncalli St. No: 128 Harbiye, Şişli/İstanbul
*The talk will be in English and there will be no simultaneous translation.
Some journeys are about discovery, while others are about reunion. For many, certain routes lead us to our roots, even generations later. As Hrant Dink profoundly stated, "Every Armenian is a document," and he always addressed the significance of understanding history through the lived experiences of survivors. Through their descendants, the memories of survivors are revitalized and shared with new generations.
Join us for a unique conversation series that explores themes of discovery, reunion, and ancestral journeys. We start this conversation series with the family histories and ancestral routes of two Armenian women from the United States. Carolyn Rapkievian and Anahid Nazarian will share their personal stories and reflect on travels that have held deep meaning in their lives with the moderation of Aylin Vartanyan. Through their narratives and personal reflections, we will explore the intertwined histories of self, belonging, and displacement, all the while honoring the memories of their ancestors.
The series features two distinct talks:
Anahid Nazarian's Journey to Kayseri
June 20, Friday, 15:00-17:00
Anahid Nazarian, a U.S.-born Armenian with roots in Kayseri region, will kick off the series. Together with her family she will visit the 2 small villages İncesu and Cücün of her grandparents, which are in the Kayseri region. During the talk, she'll share her family's history and her personal impressions from her visit to Kayseri.
Please fill out the form to register for the event.
Carolyn Rapkievian's Journey to Kharpert and beyond
June 23, Monday, 17:00-19:00
Carolyn Rapkievian will recount a once-in-a-lifetime trip she has just completed with her sister to the ancestral villages and towns of their grandparents. From Husenig (Ulukent today), a village near the former city of Kharpert (now Elazığ), to Kayseri, to Germir (Gesi Kuzey today), to Talas, to Roomdigin (Felahiye today), to Sivas, to Tokat, and Izmir, Carolyn will share family stories from before 1915, the research process when so much has been lost, and will explore how identity continues to be rooted in place beyond the years of separation.
Please fill out the form to register for the event.
We Welcome Your Stories
This conversation series is part of a broader dialogue about ancestral journeys and the profound connections between past and present. If you are an Armenian living abroad who has undertaken or is planning an ancestral journey, we would be honored to hear your reflections and experiences. Your stories of discovery, reunion, and belonging contribute to the collective memory that Hrant Dink spoke of - each narrative adding depth to our shared understanding of heritage and home.
We invite you to share your own journey with us. Please reach out through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to connect and explore how your story might enrich this ongoing conversation.
|
Speakers: Anahid Nazarian holds the unique distinction of having worked alongside filmmaking legend Francis Ford Coppola for over 40 years. Anahid was born in New Jersey and grew up in Los Angeles. She earned a B.A. degree in Music from UCLA, playing violin, flute, alto saxophone, and bass guitar in a variety of musical groups ranging from symphony orchestras to hard rock bands. Switching careers to the film industry, she began working for Coppola's company American Zoetrope as director of Zoetrope's research library and has continued her long-time collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola as his story editor, script supervisor, and executive producer of his last four films. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. |
Carolyn Rapkievian Carolyn Rapkievian has held leadership positions in museums for over 50 years including 26 years at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. She has lectured internationally about the role of museums in understanding history, promoting reconciliation, and the politics of cultural acknowledgement. In addition to collecting and researching her family history, she currently works to document and preserve historic Western Armenian village dances in collaboration with the Houshamadyan project: Dance. Moderator:
After studying political economy and literature at Barnard College and Columbia University, Aylin Vartanyan Dilaver continued her career teaching critical reading and writing at Boğaziçi University School of Foreign Languages. Since the establishment of the B.Ü. Peace Education Application and Research Center in 2006, she has worked as a trainer, organized seminars and conferences, and participated in curriculum development efforts that blend critical pedagogy with an arts-based perspective. In 2005, she encountered Augusto Boal's Theater of the Oppressed approach. The trainings she received, supported her belief in the crucial role art plays in the context of social transformation. In 2010, she started her doctoral studies in Expressive Arts and Social Change at the European Graduate School in Switzerland and received her CAGS degree. In 2021, she became a member of the Institute of Expressive Arts Istanbul in Istanbul, where she works as an instructor and facilitates workshops. She continues her work as one of the founding members of Parrhesia Collective, a group of Armenian women academics and artists. |
