Aramashot Papayan

Aramashot Papayan (September 15, 1911- November 26, 1998) was a Soviet Armenian playwright, screenwriter, actor and director.

Originally named Ashot, he changed his name to Aramashot upon the death of his nephew Aram Papayan in memory.

Papayan was born as Ashot Papayan on September 15, 1911 in Batumi, Adjara.

His parents, Grap and Petros, fled from Bitlis during the massacres of the Armenian population in the Ottoman Empire, which preceded the Armenian Genocide.

His aunt married a Pasha, who saved her life and allowed her to resettle elsewhere.

Many of his extended family was killed during the genocide.

At the age of fifteen, Papayan’s father Petros and uncle Hyrapet both died, leaving him to be the main source of income for his family.

Papayan did hard labor at the start of his life in order to support his immediate and extended family.

He took on the responsibility of several different jobs such as a cobbler, a gatherer at a tea plantation, a construction worker and a cargo transporter.

His difficult childhood played an instrumental role in his love for comedic playwriting.

He felt that through laughter one can overcome the darkest moments in life.

Papayan once said, “Optimistic, healthy laughter enthuses me.

My preference for laughter comes from those living, natural and lively sources, from that native cauldron that gives shape to natural temperament.”

Papayan graduated from the Shahumian School of Batumi in 1926.

In 1930 he studied at the Rostov-on-Don Pedagogical Institute.

In 1930, he, and a few theatre lovers, reinstated the Rostov-on-Don Armenian dramatic theatre.

They invited the Armenian director Arshak Burjalyan to help them reinstate the Rostov-on-Don theatre.

He stayed for two seasons and dramatically improved the theatre.

They also invited the Armenian actor Hovhannes Abelyan, who encouraged Papayan in his career.

Papayan’s first large role was the character President

Von Walter in the play “Intrigue and Love” by Friedrich von Schiller.

He soon gained recognition as an extraordinary talent who had a gift for acting.

He began to gain more fame and recognition with his roles of the characters Othello in William Shakespeare's “Othello” and Brother Balthazer in Hakob Paronyan's “Brother Balthazar.” During this time he would work with other famous Armenian actors such as Martin Lucinyan, Hayk and Isabella Danzas.

At this time he also gained support from the famous director A. Bouzchahian.

Papayan's success opened doors for him and his colleagues at the Rostov-on-Don theatre to be able to perform in other cities.

Papayan also worked at the Kirovakan and Echmiadzin theatres.

Papayan soon transitioned from acting to writing and staging plays.

Of the transition he said, “Although my artistic career as a theatrical artist remained incomplete, you can say that it gave me an important experience for my playwriting career.” Through acting he was able to become familiar with plays and the designs of the set.

He was able to see the inner workings of the theatre as well as its schedule.

All of this led him to understand and know what the audience expected.

In 1933 Papayan married Yeva Papazyan, a well educated woman from Sukhumi, whom he had four children with: Emma, Rafael, Seda and Aram.

In 1935, Papayan briefly dabbled into directing at the Batumi Armenian theatre, where he directed the comedy “The Bridal Auction.” He also worked at the Armenian Theatre of Krasnadar, staging the play “The Brother” and “Blind Musician” by M. Khochanyan.

He then went on to work at the Ashtarak Theatre in the 1940s, helping it gain success.

His nephew, Aram Papayan, often worked with him on these projects, but Aram Papayan's main occupation was a journalist at the “Stalinets” newspaper.

Ashot Papayan’s career was interrupted by his service in the Great Patriotic War.

He served in a military college in Baku, Azerbaijan.

His nephew served as an deputy editor of the “Zashchitnik Otechestva” newspaper, as well as the “Communist” newspaper.

In 1947-1949 he studied at Yerevan University and later graduated from Moscow’s Maxim Gorki Institute of Literature in 1951.

Papayan began his theatrical career by acting in small unprofessional roles, but his career grew as he began taking his work seriously.

During his apprenticeship at the Armenian State Theatre of the Northern Caucasus, he became the lead actor.