Zori Balayan - Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 134.19.212.55 (talk) at 19:35, 27 February 2016. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Revision as of 19:35, 27 February 2016 by 134.19.212.55 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)

File:Zoriy putana Balayan.JPG

Zori Balayan in Stepanakert (2010)

Zori Balayan (Template:Lang-hy) born February 10, 1935 in Stepanakert is an Armenian novelist, journalist, sports doctor, traveler and sports expert. He was awarded the "Renowned master of the Arts" an Armenian official title.

Biography

Born in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh AO, Azerbaijan SSR. He graduated the Ryazan State Medical University in 1963. From 1971 to 1973 he traversed the Kamchatka and Chokotskaya tundras on dog-sleds, traveling as far as the North Sea. In his essay Hearth, published during the pre-perestroika era, he tried to demonstrate the Armenian identity of Nagorno-Karabakh and identified Nakhichevan as historically belonging to Armenia. He further regarded Turks (including Azerbaijan) as an enemy of both Russia and Armenia. Azerbaijani historian Isa Gambar criticized Balayan's book in an article entitled Old Songs and New Legends. British journalist and author Thomas de Waal called Zori Balayan "chauvunistic intellectual warrior," whose book "Hearth" "might never have been allowed to spread".

In 1988 he and Armenian poet Silva Kaputikyan were received by Mikhail Gorbachev and discussed the absence of Armenian-language television programs and textbooks in Nagorno-Karabakh schools as well as other concerns of Karabakh's majority-Armenian population.

In October 1993, he signed the Letter of Forty-Two.

Balayan is a journalist for the weekly Russian-language publication Literaturnaya Gazeta.

Controversy

There exists an allegation mainly from mainstream Azerbaijani and Turkish media that Zori Balayan confessed to the killing of a Turkish child. The allegations are purported to be from a paragraph in a book entitled "Revival of Our Souls" or "Revival of Our Spirits", supposedly written by Zori Balayan. Zori Balayan as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia have come out denying having ever written such a book. Ayse Gunaysu, member of the Committee Against Racism and Discrimination of the Human Rights Association of Turkey (Istanbul branch) has said "it should be quite obvious, from the language used in depicting the torture, that the quotation was wholly made up." Onur Caymaz, a progressive, democratic-minded Turkish writer who originally backed the allegation, has stated that he was wrong and that Balayan hadn't written such a book.

Interpol

The authorities in Azerbaijan allege that Balayan was involved in a terrorist bombing of the metro in Baku in 1994. General secretary of Interpol, in a letter to Balayan, stated that the agency considered the complaint politically motivated and that it had removed Balayan from its wanted list as a result.

Critics in Armenia

Balayan's views and alleged lobbist activities were criticized also by Armenian authors, including Igor Muradyan and Levon Ter-Petrosian. Balayan's letter to Vladimir Putin met harsh criticism in Armenia and Karabakh in 2013.

Books

My Kilikia, (Russian), Yerevan, 2004
Zim Kilikia (Զիմ Կիլիկիա (Armenian)), Yerevan 2005
Kilikia (Կիլիկիա (Armenian)), vols. 2 and 3, Yerevan 2006 - 2007
Chasm, (Armenian and Russian), Yerevan, 2004
Heaven and Hell (Armenian, Russian and English) Los Angeles, 1997, Yerevan, 1995
Hearth, Moscow 1984, Yerevan 1981
Between Two Fires, Yerevan 1979
Blue roads, Yerevan 1975
Required Man's opinion,(Russian) Yerevan 1974

References

Template:Persondata

Categories: