03:17, 19 May 2003

Tserents

Real name: Ovsep Shishmanyan.

Armenian writer.

Born September 16 (28), 1822, in Constantinople, Turkey. In 1831-1837, studied in Venice, in the school at the Armenian religious society of Mkhitarists, then received medical education in Paris (1848-1853). Since 1853, lived in Constantinople and Cyprus, was a pedagogue and a scientist. Since 1878, lived in Tiflis, worked as a teacher in Nersisyan Armenian gymnasia. Died in Tiflis on February 1 (13), 1888.

Together with Raffi, Tserents was the founder of Armenian historic novel. The novel Toros, Son of Levon (1877) is dedicated to the tragic events in the history of the Armenian Kylikian State in 12th century. His best novel, In the Pains of Birth (1879), reflects the liberation struggle of the Armenian people against the Arab Caliphate in 9th century. Tserents's novel Teodoros Rshtuni (1881) contains the description of the historic struggle of the 7th century for a strong centralized state in which his character participates.