Anna Hormouz

Anna Hormouz (Armenian: Աննա Հուրմուզ), also known as Mrs. Anna Raffi, was the wife of renowned Armenian novelist Raffi and mother of Aram and Arshak Melik-Hakobian.[3] Anna was largely responsible for the publication of her husband's works in London after he passed, as well as, a devoted scholar of the Armenian question.[4]

Anna Hormouz
Anna Hormouz in the traditional Armenian dress of Salmas, circa 1860
Borncirca 1850
Qajar Persia
DiedJune 1920[1]
London, United Kingdom
NationalityAssyrian
Occupation(s)scholar and publisher
SpouseRaffi (novelist)[2]

Biography
Anna Hormouz with her two sons, Aram and Arshak Melik-Hakobian, in Tabriz

Anna Hormouz was born in Qajar Persia to an Assyrian Protestant family. In 1863, she married her husband Raffi, an Armenian author and leading figure in 19th-century Armenian literature, whom she met in Salmas. They went on to have two sons, Aram and Arshak Melik-Hakobian, and a daughter, Esther, who died at a young age. Anna was widowed in 1880 by the death of her husband. She and her two sons left Tbilisi for St.Petersburg due to financial difficulties. She eventually ended up in London at the end of the 19th century where she became an active scholar of the Armenian question. Anna went on to devote the rest of her life to the publication of her husbands works with the help of the Mekhitarist congregation in Vienna. Additionally, she worked on fixing the mistakes in the biography of her husband.[3]

Anna Hormouz studying in London

One of Raffi's best friends, M. Veratsin, who had been close to them for many years, described Anna Hormouz in an article published in the "Hayrenik" magazine about "Raffi and his family (memories and reflections).

Mrs. Raffi was a middle-aged woman with delicate and regular features, very polite, educated and very hospitable. She attended the Urmia Missionary Girls' School. She was of Assyrian descent and I heard that she was the daughter of an Assyrian king. Her maiden name was day. Anna Hurmuz. His brother lived in the United States from 1900-1908 and visited Chicago several times, where he settled. I do not remember whether Mrs. Anna had other brothers or sisters. Mrs. Anna spoke and wrote very fluently in Armenian and Assyrian. She also knew Atrpatakan Turkish, Russian and Georgian. She spoke, read and wrote in English. I have often seen Mrs. Raffi's beautiful correspondence with her relatives in Assyria.[5]

Anna Hormouz died a widow in London in June 1920.[4]

See also

References
  1. The Times, 21 June 1920, p. 18.
  2. "Anna Hormouz-Biographical Summaries of Notable People". myheritage.com.
  3. Vardan R. Grigorian-Doctor of Historical Sciences (June 8, 2015). "About Raffi's wife and sons". alikonline.ir.
  4. The Near East (Great Britain and the east). Vol. 18. United Kingdom: (n.p.). 1920. p. 53. A correspondent writes of Madame Raffi , whose death we recently recorded : - For over a quarter of a century Madame Raffi had resided in London , and devoted all her time and energies to the publication of the works of her husband
  5. Hayrenik" magazine, 16th year, No. 5 (185), March, 1938, p. 141
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