LALAYAN Yervand was born on March 13, 1864 in Alexandrapol (now Gyumri). An

Armenian ethnographers, folklorist and archaeologist. He finished Nersisyan school of Tiflis in 1885, worked as a teacher in Akhltskha, Akherkalak and Akexandrapol. In 1894 he graduated from the University of Geneva, received an academic degree, then worked for the Mkhitarians of Vienna. 

In 1895-97 Lalayan taught at Shushi diocesan school where he published the periodical “Azgagrakan Handes” (1895-1916). In 1900 he founded the Armenian Ethnographic publishing house in Tiflis and in 1906 the Armenian Ethnographic Society. The museum of the society was transferred to Yerevan in 1921 and Lalayan became the first head of the museum. 

He published the works “Scent of Javakhq” (1892), “Hobos” (1903), “Paravashunch” (1911), wrote down thousands of fairy-tales and fables. Lalayan carried out many excavation in the ancient Armenian sites the results of which were summarized in the book “Tombs excavations in Soviet Armenia" (1931). He published 3 illustrated albums on the monuments of Vayots Dzor, Vaspurakan and Nor Bayazet. He translated into Armenian a number of works of Russian and French ethnographers and also literary works. 

Y. Lalayan died February 21, 1931 in Yerevan. 

 

Source - "Who is Who. The Armenians" Encyclopedia, Volume I, chief-editor Hovh. Ayvazyan, Yerevan, 2007.

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