After the introduction of movable printing type to Europe by Johannes Gutenberg in Germany (circa 1439), Armenians from throughout the diaspora began to publish Armenian-language books. The first book which had Armenian letters was published in Mainz (Germany) in 1486. The first Armenian book to be published by the printing press was Urbatagirq—Book of Friday prayers—which was published by Hakob Meghapart in Venice in 1512.
History
In the 16th century there were published 31 books, in 17th century – 164 and in 18th there were 824 Armenian books printed.
The first Armenian book was published by Hakob Meghapart in 1512 in Venice (Italy). The book was called «Ուրբաթագիրք» ("Urpatakirk", "Friday Book").Hakob Meghapart project Abgar Dpir Tokhatetsi published an Armenian book in Constantinople (Ottoman Empire) in 1568. The first Armenian printing house in Persia was established in New Julfa (Isfahan, Iran) in 1636. The first book to be published in this printing house was «Սաղմոսարան» ("Saghmosaran", "Psalter"); it was published in 1638 by Khachatur Kesaratsi,Hakob Meghapart project while the first Persian book in Persia was published 192 years later in 1830. The first Armenian printing house in Armenia was established in Vagharshapat in 1771 and the first book was called «Զբօսարան Հոգեւոր» ("Zbosaran Hogevor", "Spiritual walking"); it was published in 1772 by Simeon I of Yerevan. The first Armenian printing house in Yerevan was established in 1876 by Z. Hakobyan. In 1880 E. Ter-Grigoryan became director of the printing house and worked there until the 1910s. The first book printed in the printing house was E. Ter-Grigoryan's "Trchnik" ("Small Bird") collection. The first Armenian printing house in Russia was set up in Saint Petersburg in 1781. Grigor Khaldariants' had type sent from London, and under the sponsorship of the Primate of Armenians in Russia, Bishop Hovsep Arghutian, he edited the first Armenian book to be published in the Tsarist realm, «Տետրակ այբբենական» ("Tetrak aybbenakan", "ABC Reader") in 1781. He then printed works such as «Բանալի գիտութեան» ("Banali Gitut'ean", "The Key to Science"), «Շաւիղ լեզվագիտութեան» ("Shavigh Lezvagitut'ean", "Linguistic Guide"), and «Ընդհանրական»("Endhanrakan", "Encyclical Letter") by Nersés Shnorhali.
20th century After the sovietization of Armenia, Yerevan becoming the center of the Armenian printing, where in 1921 organized by the State Publishing House. It assumes the functions of editing and organization publications. Makes its political, artistic, scientific, publications for children with relatively large circulations. Separated from the State Publishing House publishing house “Luys” (Light), specialized mainly in the publication of textbooks. In 1964 from publishing Armenian State Publishing House (HayPetHrap) was renamed “Hayastan” (Armenia). In 1976 have been separated from the last publishing “Sovetakan Grogh” (Soviet writer), which it published in the most artistic and literary works. Academy of Science of Armenian SSR published a monograph of scientific and other research literature, and publish works of Armenian classical and scientific texts from the Matenadaran as well. Publishing house of Yerevan State University publishes textbooks, collections and scientific monographs since 1922. From this period also involved in publishing the National Library, “Gitelik” (knowledge) and several others. In 1980 have acted in Yerevan on 20 printers. From 1922 until the end of 1970 in Armenia were published about 45 thousand titles of books. In the last years of Soviet power in Armenia each year were printed about 1,100 titles. During this period, books and periodicals published in the Armenian language as in other republics of the USSR.
Since 1920 (the sovietization of Armenia) to the 1980s main centers of the Armenian printing press in the diaspora were Istanbul, Cairo and Beirut (the latter now is its main center). At this moment the Armenian Diaspora was published about 21 thousand titles. Total number of items of Armenian newspapers in 1512 and 1980, more than 80 thousand.
Armenian printing houses worldwide
The following table is a list of the Armenian printing houses from 1512 to 1800.Albert Parsadanyan. Intelligence Warehouse-5. VMV-Print, Yerevan, 2007, p. 28
Year Place Book Publisher Year 1512 Venice «Ուրբաթագիրք» ("Urbathagirq", "Friday Book") Hakob Meghapart 1512 1513 Venice «Պարզատումար» ("Parzatumar") Hakob Meghapart 1512 1513 Venice «Պատարագագիրք» ("Pataragagirq") Hakob Meghapart 1513 1513 Venice «Աղթարք» ("Aghtarq") Hakob Meghapart 1513 1513 Venice «Տաղարան» ("Tagharan") Hakob Meghapart 1513 1565 Venice «Խառնափնթուր տումարի գեղեցիկ եւ պիտանի» ("Kharnapntur tumari geghetsik yev pitani") Abgar Dpir Tokhatetsi 1565 1567 Constantinople «Փոքր քերականութիւն» ("Poqr qerakanutyun", "Brief Armenian Grammar") Abgar Dpir Tokhatetsi 1567 1584 Rome «Տոմար Գրիգորեան» ("Tomar Grigorian", "Gregorian Calendar') Dominico Basa 1584 1616 Lviv «Սաղմոսարան» ("Saghmosaran", "Psalter") Yovhannes Karamatanents 1616 1621 Milan "Dictionarium Armeno-Latinum" (Armenian-Latin Dictionary) Collegium Ambrosianum 1621 1633 Paris «Բառգիրք Հայոց» ("Bargirq Hayots", "Dictionarium Armeno-Latinum") Antonius Vitray 1633 1638 New Julfa «Սաղմոս ի Դավիթ» ("Saghmosaran", Psalter) Khachatur Kesaratsi of the Vank Cathedral 1638 1641 New Julfa «Հարանց Վարք» ("Harants Varq") Khachatur Kesaratsi of the Vank Cathedral 1641 1641 New Julfa «Խորհրդատետր» ("Khorhrdatetr", Missal) Khachatur Kesaratsi of the Vank Cathedral 1641 1642 New Julfa «Ժամագիրք Ատենի» ("Zhamagirq Ateni") Khachatur Kesaratsi of the Vank Cathedral 1642 1644 Livorno «Գիրք եւ Սաղմոսք Դաւթի որ եւ Սաղմոսարան կոչի» ("Girq yev Saghmosq Davti vor yev Saghmosaran kochi", "Psalter") Yovhannes Jughayetsi 1644 1647 New Julfa «Գիրք տումարաց որ եւ պարզատումար կոչի» ("Girq tumarats vor yev parzatumar kochi") Yovhannes Jughayetsi 1647 1660 Amsterdam Հիսուս Որդի "Hisus Vordi" (Jesus the Son) Matteos Caretsi and Avetis Ghlitshents 1660–1661 1672 Marseille «Սաղմոսարան» ("Saghmosaran", "Psalter") Oskan Yerevantsi 1672 1676 Smyrna «Մաշտոց» ("Mashtots", "Ritual") N/A 1676 1680 Leipzig "Obadias Armenus" ("Armeno-Latin") Justinus Brand 1680 1690 Padua «Դաշանց թուղթ» ("Dashnats tught", "Lettera dell amicitia") Timoteos Garnuk 1690 1736 London Movses Khorenatsi, «Պատմություն» ("Patmutyun", "History") (Mosis Chorenensis, Historiae Armeniacae) Armenian and Latin William and George Whiston 1736 1771 Vagharshapat «Սաղմոսարան» ("Saghmosaran", "Psalter") St. Gregory the Illuminator Press 1772 1776 Trieste «Աղօթք Յուսկան» ("Aghot Yuskan", Prayer of our Holy Hierarch Yusik) Mkhitarist Press 1774 1781 Saint Petersburg «Ժամագիրք» ("Zhamagirq", "Breviary") Grigor Khaldareants 1783 1786 Nakhichevan-on-Don «Սաղմոսարան» ("Saghmosaran", "Psalter") Holy Cross Monastery Press 1790 1796 Astrakhan «Հրովարտակ» ("Hrovartak", "Decree") Arghuteants press 1796 1796 Calcutta «Վիճաբանութիւն ար շահ Սլեմանն պարսից» ("Vitsabanuthyun ar sah Slemann parsits", "Dispute Before the Persian Sah Suleyman") Hovsep Stepanosyan 1797 1810 Bombay 1812 Vienna 1820 Moscow 1823 Tiflis 1828 Shusha 1833 Jerusalem 1848 Bahçecik 1856 Shamakhi 1857 New York City 1858 Van 1859 Feodosia, Crimea 1863 Muş 1863 Manchester 1865 Cairo 1871 Sivas 1872 Baku 1874 Elisabethpol 1875 Rostov-on-Don 1876 Yerevan 1877 Alexandrapol 1877 Focşani 1883 Tokat 1884 Varna 1888 Alexandria 1888 Akhaltsikh 1889 Tabriz 1890 Nor Bayazet 1891 Geneva 1891 Ruse 1892 Athens 1894 Tehran 1899 Boston
See also Global spread of the printing press Armenian literature
References
External links
Armenian Rare Books 1512-1800 HyeEtch: The Art of The Book: Printing and Engraving