Balint Balassi Memorial Sword Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 24 (2020) Winner
Vahram Martirosyan
ヴァフラム・マルティロシャン
Vahram Martirosyan
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1959-07-27 （Gyumri, Armenia）
- Nationality
- Armenian
- Languages
- Armenian, Russian, Hungarian, French
- Residence History
- Yerevan (studies and long-term residence) → Budapest, Hungary (study, 1987–1988) → New Delhi, India (research visit, 2006) → Moscow, Russia (scriptwriting courses, 2007–2008)
Career
- Occupations
- writer, screenwriter, journalist, translator, editor, teacher
- Active Years
- 1980-2025
- Affiliations
- Writers' Union of Armenia (literary consultant), Yerevan State University (lecturer), AR Television (Vice President and Acting Executive Director, 1996–1999), Media Initiatives Center (led Lratun media museum project, 2011–2021)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yerevan State University (YSU) | Department of Armenian Philology | Armenian Philology | — | 1976-1981 | Armenia |
| Yerevan Brusov State University of Languages and Social Sciences | Postgraduate studies in Psychology and Pedagogy | Psychology and Pedagogy | — | 1981-1983 | Armenia |
| Yerevan State University (YSU) | Postgraduate studies in Russian Literature | Russian Literature | 候補論文（Candidate's thesis） | 1983-1984 | Armenia |
| Budapest (exchange program) | Hungarian language and literature studies | Hungarian Language and Literature | — | 1987-1988 | Hungary |
| New Delhi (research visit) | Development Journalism research | — | — | 2006 | India |
| Moscow (advanced courses for screenwriters and directors) | Screenwriting and directing courses | — | — | 2007-2008 | Russia |
Yerevan State University (YSU)
Department of Armenian Philology
/ Armenian Philology
Period:
1976-1981
Year of Graduation:
1981
Country:
Armenia
Undergraduate studies in Armenian philology
Yerevan Brusov State University of Languages and Social Sciences
Postgraduate studies in Psychology and Pedagogy
/ Psychology and Pedagogy
Period:
1981-1983
Year of Graduation:
1983
Country:
Armenia
Completed postgraduate studies
Yerevan State University (YSU)
Postgraduate studies in Russian Literature
/ Russian Literature
Degree:
候補論文（Candidate's thesis）
Period:
1983-1984
Year of Graduation:
1984
Country:
Armenia
Defended candidate's thesis on Alexander Blok's Armenian translations (defense in 1986)
Budapest (exchange program)
Hungarian language and literature studies
/ Hungarian Language and Literature
Period:
1987-1988
Year of Graduation:
1988
Country:
Hungary
Studied under a writer-translator exchange program
New Delhi (research visit)
Development Journalism research
Period:
2006
Year of Graduation:
2006
Country:
India
Researched India's experience with Development Journalism
Moscow (advanced courses for screenwriters and directors)
Screenwriting and directing courses
Period:
2007-2008
Year of Graduation:
2008
Country:
Russia
Diploma project: screenplay 'Adolf Hitler: Life After Death' (advisor Alexander Mindadze)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Balint Balassi Memorial Sword Award | — | — | Balint Balassi Memorial Award organization | Winner |
Balint Balassi Memorial Sword Award
2020
Organization:
Balint Balassi Memorial Award organization
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Landslide (Soghank)
2000 Novel (contemporary literature)Published in 2000; a bestseller in Armenia exploring social upheaval and personal dislocation. Translated into French and other languages.
social changeidentitypost-Soviet transition
Adaptations
- [Film] Landslide
Translations
- French: Glissement de Terrain
- English: partial translation (Chapters 1–2)
- Hungarian: excerpt translations
Disguised for the Cross
2002 Historical novelA historical novel dealing with religion and historical memory.
historyreligionmemory
Owls
2005 Collection of novellasA collection of novellas portraying fragments of society and individual lives in varied tones.
social fragmentsindividual isolation
Love in Moscow
2015 NovelA novel set in Moscow combining a love story with social observation.
urban lifelovecross-cultural intersections
Cotton Walls
2019 NovelPublished in 2019; a novel symbolically depicting divisions between individuals and society.
isolationsocial critique
Excavations from Armenian History
2024 EssaysAn essay collection re-examining Armenian history using rare sources and visual materials.
historical re-examinationarchival research
Bibliography
- Soghank (Landslide) (2000)
- Disguised for the Cross (2002)
- Owls (2005)
- Escape from the Promised Land (2004)
- Love in Moscow (2015)
- Cotton Walls (2019)
- Excavations from Armenian History (2024)
Adaptations
- Film adaptation of Landslide (KinoCenter, Armenia)
- Charents, 8-part TV feature film (screenplay, Sharm Company)
Translations by Author
- György Petri, poems 'Without' (translated from Hungarian)
- János Pilinszky, 'On the Forbidden Star' (translated from Hungarian)
- Jenő Rejtő, 'The 14-Carat Car' (translated from Hungarian)
- Paul Verlaine and others, French poetry anthology (translations)
Translations of Works
- Soghank → French 'Glissement de Terrain' (2006–2007)
- Soghank → English partial translation (Chapters 1–2, 2005)
- Soghank → Hungarian excerpts (2003)
- Several works → Russian translations (periodical publications)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- contemporary Armenian narrative voicesocial realism with satirical elementsfragmentary and polyphonic structure
- Recurring Motifs
- excavation of memory and historymedia and politicstensions between individual and state
Legacy
Vahram Martirosyan is an important contemporary Armenian writer known domestically and internationally for works such as 'Soghank'. In addition to his literary production he has contributed as a translator, screenwriter and media preservation curator, influencing interpretations of Armenian culture and media history.
In Popular Culture
- Film adaptation of 'Landslide' increased recognition in popular culture
Trivia
- Organized a demonstration in 1978 supporting the Armenian community of Beirut.
- Studied Hungarian language and literature and has translated Hungarian authors.
- Founded the magazine Bnagir in 2001, which became a center for non-conformist culture.