AN EXHIBITION OF POSTMARKS UNDER “MY FAVORITE BROTHER; ARMENIANS IN TURKEY 100 YEARS AGO” OPENS IN THE MOSCOW THEATRE

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS:An exhibition of postmarks under “My favorite brother; Armenians in Turkey 100 years ago” opened today in the Moscow theatre. It is organized by the Armenian “Civilitas” foundation and Turkish “Birzamanlar” publication. Postmarks on the life of Armenian communities in the Ottoman Empire during 1900-1910 are presented in the exhibition. They were issued at the beginning of the previous century in the Ottoman Empire by the Armenian and foreign publishers. They tell about the life of Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire at those years, Armenian churches, schools, and numerous factories belonging to Armenians, restaurants, hotels and other establishments. The collection of postmarks and envelopes telling about the everyday life of Armenians living in Ayntap, Marash, Zeytun, Kesaria, Moush, Van, Erzroum, Kars and numerous other towns as well as the charity works conducted by the international organizations in the Armenian districts and different historical places and events belongs to the Italian Orlando Kalumeno, whose mother was Armenian. On the efforts of Turkish historian and publisher Osman Kyocker the exhibition of nearly 500 postmarks was for the first `time` presented in Istanbul in 2005. According to O. Kyocker it found a great feedback and had 7000 visitors. O. Kyocker noted that in Turkey the history is presented from the viewpoint of Turks. Started from the third grade the non-Muslims are negatively presented in the schools noting that they had no role in the construction of towns. “The circumstance that Turks came to Anatolia from the 11th century and at the `time` of their arrival these towns have long been established is not signified at all. Teaching of the history in this way will educate a generation which will neglect the other nations and will support threats and war,” O. Kyocker said. According to him to somehow break such historical perception 10 years ago he wrote “Armenians in Turkey 100 years ago” book and organized an exhibition. The postmarks were two `time`s exhibited in Istanbul, then in Munich, Köln, Frankfurt, Valencia and Geneva. The exhibition in Yerevan will be open by September 28.