Հայ աւետարանական եկեղեցու բռնադատուած քարոզիչները (1937-1938 թթ.) (ըստ պետական անվտանգութեան կոմիտէի փաստաթղթերի)
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2003
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Soviet Armenian, like other parts of the Soviet world, witnessed a fierce anti-religious campaign from the first days of the Communist regime. Many churches were closed down and destroyed, Armenian Apostolic, Catholic and Evangelical clergymen were persecuted.
The documents published, introduced and annotated by Knarik Avakian focus on the page of Armenian Evangelical pastors in Armenia. Rev. Vahan Mikayelian, one of the very first in this group, was exiled to and died in Siberia. The documents detail the interrogation of Revs. Rafayel Melik-Adamian, Trdat Manukian, Yeprem Mkrtchian and Yervand Ter-Galoustian. They were all charged with treason, found guilty in hastily-arranged political trials, imprisoned and eventually either exiled or shot. Avakian was unable to trace archival documents regarding the case of a fifth Armenian Evangelical pastor, Sargis Sargsian.
Avakian notes that the pastors were forced to sign translated, Russian language versions of their alleged testimonies, without actually being able to read or understand Russian. The whole process of apprehension, interrogation and execution did not last for more than a few days. Their appeals to higher courts were turned down. However, they were all eventually rehabilitated after Stalin's death. The relevant court then admitted that there was no evidence to prove their actual guilt.
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Աւագեան, Ք., «Հայ աւետարանական եկեղեցու բռնադատուած քարոզիչները (1937-1938 թթ.) (ըստ պետական անվտանգութեան կոմիտէի փաստաթղթերի)», «Հայկազեան հայագիտական հանդէս», 2003, Պէյրութ, էջ 441-495