Memorial stone to Armenian writer and translator unveiled in Gyumri

A memorial stone to Samvel Mkrtchyan, a renowned Armenian writer, translator and publicist, was unveiled in the second largest city of Gyumri to mark the first anniversary of his death.

The stone stands in the yard of the house were the great intellectual lived.

The ceremony was attended by Mkrtchyan’s relatives and pen-mates, as well as the mayor of Gyumri and representatives of the Ministry of Culture.

In one of his last interviews, Mkrtchyan made the following remark, “If I am ever asked ‘what do you do, Mr Mkrtchyan, in these times of great plunder,’ I would reply, ‘I was translating [James Joyce’s] Ulyses.’ ”

Mkrtchyan’s Armenian translation of the great Irish author’s masterpiece was published in Yerevan in 2011.

A nominal award to eternalize the great translator’s name will be launched in 2016 to honor the best works of the translation art.