Lists of Armenians

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of notable Armenians.

1st row: Hayk • Artaxias I • Tigranes the Great • Trdat III • Gregory the Illuminator
2nd row: Mesrop Mashtots • Vardan Mamikonian • Movses Khorenatsi • Anania Shirakatsi • Grigor Narekatsi
3rd row: Levon II • Toros Roslin • Momik • Sayat Nova • Khachatur Abovyan
4th row: Ivan Aivazovsky • Andranik Ozanyan • Hovhannes Tumanyan • Komitas • Mkrtich Khrimian
5th row: Tovmas Nazarbekian • Aram Manukian • Yeghishe Charents • Arshile Gorky • Gaia Gai
6th row: Artem Mikoyan • Ivan Bagramyan • Aram Khachaturian • Viktor Ambartsumyan • Tigran Petrosian
7th row: Martiros Saryan • Kirk Kerkorian • Sergei Parajanov • William Saroyan • Charles Aznavour
8th row: Vazgen I • Karen Demirchyan and Vazgen Sargsyan • Cher • Monte Melkonyan • Serj Tankian

By country

Americas
Caucasus
Europe
Middle East
Word

Leaders and politicians

Armenia

Main article: List of Armenian monarchs
Gagik I Artsruni, King of Vaspurakan
Leo II, queen Guerane, and their five children
Alexander Miasnikian, Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of Soviet Armenia

Royalty

Main pages: List of Byzantine emperors of Armenian origin, Category:Byzantine people of Armenian descent, and Category:Medieval Armenian people
Leo V the Armenian, Byzantine emperor
Teodora wife of Theophilos, Byzantine empress regnant and Byzantine empress consort

Aristocracy

Politicians

Main article: List of politicians of Armenian descent
Soviet statesman Anastas Mikoyan managed to remain at the highest levels of power from the days of Lenin to his retirement under Brezhnev.

Military figures

Antiquity

Middle Ages

See also: Category:Byzantine people of Armenian descent and Category:Armenian people from the Sasanian Empire

There have been a lot of Armenian commanders throughout history, there were many Armenian commanders among the troops of Byzantine Empire, Sasanian Iran, the Georgian Kingdom and other states.

Vardan Mamikonian died in 451 while leading the Armenians at the Battle of Avarayr, which ultimately secured their right to practice Christianity
Vahan Mamikonian, was a marzban (governor) of Persian Armenia
Narses, one of the great generals in the service of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I during the Gothic War

Early modern period

See also: Category:Armenian people in the Ottoman Empire

There were many Armenian commanders among the states of the Ottoman Empire, Russian Empire and Safavid Iran

Roustam Raza, mamluk served Napoleon for fifteen years, travelling with the First Consul and subsequent Emperor on all of his campaigns

Russian Empire

See also: Category:Armenian people in the Russian Empire
Mikhail Loris-Melikov, General of the Cavalry, Minister of the Interior of Russian Empire (1880–1881)

Armenian national liberation movement, First Republic of Armenia

Andranik Ozanyan, military commander. From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, he was one of the main Armenian leaders of military efforts for the independence of Armenia

Soviet period

Main article: List of Armenian Heroes of the Soviet Union

During World War II 500,000 Armenians served in the war from Soviet Union, 108 Armenians honoured Hero of Soviet Union, Armenians have 4 Marshals, 8 Colonel generals, 31 Lieutenant generals, 109 Major general, 1 Admiral, 3 Vice Admirals[6]

Armenian Marshals of the Soviet Union
Ivan Bagramyan
Hamazasp Babadzhanian
Sergei Khudyakov
Ivan Isakov

United States

Diaspora

Missak Manouchian, considered a hero of the French Resistance

First Nagorno-Karabakh War

Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan, the Armenian military leader at the capture of Shushi in May 1992
  • Simon Achikgyozyan (1939–1991), considered a hero in Armenia
  • Samvel Babayan (born 1965), became a hero among Armenians for the military victories achieved under his command
  • Gurgen Dalibaltayan (1926–2015), colonel-general, National Hero of Armenia
  • Garo Kahkejian (born 1962), first Armenian from the diaspora who volunteered to go and fight in the Artsakh conflict
  • Tatul Krpeyan (born 1965), leader of paramilitary units in Getashen and Martunashen villages in Shahumyan District of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast
  • Mikael Harutyunyan (born 1946), 7th Defence Minister
  • Kristapor Ivanyan (1920–1999), fought in both World War II and the First Nagorno-Karabakh War
  • Monte Melkonian (1957–1993), Armenian-American revolutionary, National Hero of Armenia
  • Seyran Ohanyan (born 1962), Minister of Defence of the Republic of Armenia
  • Vazgen Sargsyan (1959–1999), military commander and politician, and was the first Defence Minister of Armenia
  • Sedrak Saroyan (born 1967), general and politician who served in the Parliament of Armenia
  • Vardan Stepanyan (born 1966), he is considered a hero in Armenia
  • Norat Ter-Grigoryants (born 1936), lieutenant-general who played a leading role in developing the Armed Forces of Armenia
  • Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan (1939–2021), also known by his nom-de-guerre Komandos

Religious leaders

Main articles: List of Catholicoi of Armenia, List of Armenian Catholicoi of Cilicia, List of Armenian Catholic Patriarchs of Cilicia, List of Armenian Patriarchs of Constantinople, and List of Armenian Patriarchs of Jerusalem
Gregory the Illuminator lost icon from Hagia Sophia
Nerses V Ashtaraketsi portriet
Mkrtich Khrimian (Khrimyan hayrik)

Cultural figures

Actors

Main article: List of Armenian actors
Mher Mkrtchyan, stage and film actor. Mkrtchyan is widely considered one of the greatest actors of the Soviet period among Armenians and the USSR as a whole

Theatre

  • Hovhannes Abelian (1865–1936), actor, People's Artist of the Armenian SSR
  • Petros Adamian (1849–1891), poet, writer, artist and public figure who worked in the Ottoman and Russian empires
  • Güllü Agop, Ottoman theatre director as well as an occasional actor
  • Vardan Ajemian (1905–1977), theatrical director and actor, Hero of Socialist Labour
  • Nikita Balieff (1877–1936), vaudevillian, stage performer, writer, impresario, and director
  • Olga Gulazyan (1886–1970), Soviet actress of film and theater
  • Azniv Hrachia (1859–1920), Ottoman actress and director
  • Verkine Karakashian (1856–1933), Ottoman actress and soprano
  • Yeranuhi Karakashian (1848–1924), actress in Ottoman Empire
  • Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko (1858–1943), Russian theatre director, writer, pedagogue
  • Aghavni Papazian, first professional female actors in the Ottoman Empire and thereby the Middle East
  • Arousyak Papazian, first professional female actor in the Ottoman Empire
  • Yenovk Shahen (1881–1915), actor and director who lived in the Ottoman Empire
  • Siranush (1857–1932), one of the few whose work is tied to an entire era of theatrical history
  • Loreta (1911–1998), an Iranian stage and film actress

Activists

  • Yelena Bonner (1923–2011), human rights activist
  • Movses Gorgisyan (1961–1990), one of the leaders of the Nagorno-Karabakh movement
  • Marietta Shaginyan (1888–1982), one of the most prolific communist writers experimenting in satirico-fantastic fiction
  • Serhiy Nigoyan (1993–2014), Euromaidan activist, first protester killed by shooting during the protest

Archeologists

  • Ashkharbek Kalantar (1884–1942), archaeologist and historian who played an important role in the founding of archaeology in Armenia
  • Joseph Hekekyan (1807–1875), archaeologist and civil engineer, who lived most of his life in Egypt
  • Martiros Kavoukjian (1908–1988), architect, researcher, Armenologist and historian-archaeologist
  • Hagop Kevorkian (1872–1962), archeologist, connoisseur of art, and collector
  • Ruben Orbeli (1880–1943), Soviet archeologist, historian and jurist, who was renowned as the founder of Soviet underwater archeology
  • Yervand Lalayan (1864–1931), ethnographer, archaeologist, folklorist, and also the founder and the first director of the History Museum of Armenia

Architects

Main article: List of Armenian architects

Ballet dancers

Agrippina Vaganova
  • Agrippina Vaganova (1879–1951), her technique of ballet is one of the most popular techniques today
  • Vilen Galstyan (1941–2021), he was popular in the former U.S.S.R. and especially in Armenia. He was awarded by the People's Artist of Armenia honorary title.[1]
  • Vanoush Khanamirian (1927–2011)
  • Rudolf Kharatyan (born 1947)
  • Ruben Muradyan (born 1989)
  • Tamara Tchinarova (1919–2017), she contributed significantly to the development of Australian dance companies and was a Russian–English interpreter for touring ballet companies

Composers

Main articles: List of Armenian classical composers and List of Armenian composers
Komitas Vardapet, founder of the Armenian national school of music, one of the pioneers of ethnomusicology
Aram Khachaturian, Soviet Armenian composer and conductor. He is considered one of the leading Soviet composers

Conductors

Clergy

Folk musicians

Norayr Mnatsakanyan performing in Luxembourg

Filmmakers

Main article: List of Armenian film directors
Rouben Mamoulian, an American film and theater director. Mamoulian's film Becky Sharp was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry
  • Haig Acterian (1904–1943), Romanian film and theater director, critic, dramatist and journalist
  • Hamo Beknazarian (1891–1965), was an Armenian film director, actor and screenwriter
  • Frunze Dovlatyan (1927–1997), a film director, screenwriter and actor
  • Atom Egoyan (born 1960), Canadian filmmaker
  • J. Michael Hagopian (1913–2010), filmmaker
  • Hughes Brothers, filmmakers
  • Jerzy Kawalerowicz (1922–2007), Polish film director and politician, having been a member of Polish United Workers' Party
  • Noura Kevorkian, filmmaker, writer, director, producer
  • Edmond Keosayan (1936–1994), film director and compere of the State Variety Orchestra of the Soviet Union
  • Vilen Kolouta (1930–1999), cinematographer
  • Lev Kulidzhanov (1924–2002), Soviet film director, screenwriter and professor at the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography
  • Sergey Parajanov (1924–1990), he is regarded by film critics, film historians and filmmakers to be one of the best filmmakers in cinema history
  • Artavazd Peleshyan (born 1938), director of essay films, a documentarian in the history of film art, a screenwriter, and a film theorist
  • Henri Verneuil (1920–2002), was a French-Armenian playwright and filmmaker, who made a successful career in France
  • Mikhail Vartanov (1937–2009), filmmaker
  • Rouben Mamoulian (1897–1987), was an American film and theater director
  • Tigran Khzmalyan (born 1963, aka Xmalian), filmmaker, screenwriter and producer
  • Henrik Malyan (1925–1988), film writer and director
  • Karen Shakhnazarov (born 1952), filmmaker, producer and head of the Mosfilm studios

Producers

Animation

Illustrators

Opera singers

Anahit Mekhitarian as Anoush

Journalists

Main article: List of Armenian journalists

Painters

Main articles: List of Armenian painters and List of Armenian women artists
Ivan Aivazovsky, considered one of the greatest masters of marine art
Martiros Saryan, founder of a modern Armenian national school of painting

Pianists

Arno Babajanyan, Soviet composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Soviet era

Other Musicians

Poets

Medieval

Modern

Main article: List of Armenian writers
Hovhannes Tumanyan, national poet of Armenia

Photographers

Yousuf Karsh, known for his portraits of notable individuals. He has been described as one of the greatest portrait photographers of the 20th century
  • Kegham Djeghalian, an Armenian-Palestinian photographer, known for his photographs documenting daily life and political events over four decades
  • Abdullah Frères, photographers of international fame during the late Ottoman Empire
  • Anita Conti (1899–1997), French photographer, and the first French female oceanographer
  • Jean Pascal Sébah (1872–1947), was a Syriac photographer
  • Samvel Sevada (born 1949), an Armenian artist, photographer and poet
  • Yousuf Karsh (1908–2002), Canadian photograph, famous for his The Roaring Lion portriet
  • Van Leo (1921–2002), Egyptian photographer who became known for his numerous self-portraits and portraits of celebrities of his time

Models

Classic

Modern

Kim Kardashian

Sculptors

  • Sargis Baghdasaryan (1923–2001)
  • Ghukas Chubaryan (1923–2009) He authored numerous works that later became symbols of the Armenian capital.
  • Hakob Gyurjian (1881–1948) He was the author of over 300 sculpture portraits and his famous work includes (Feodor Chaliapin, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Ludwig van Beethoven, Vahan Terian, Martiros Saryan, Georgy Yakulov, etc.)
  • Ara Harutyunyan (1928–1999) He is the creator of monumental statue Mother Armenia installed on the heights of Yerevan, which became one of the most popular symbols of Armenia.
  • Mihran Hakobyan (born 1984) He created the 2014 Wikipedia Monument in Słubice, the first dedicated to the online encyclopedia.
  • Hagop Ishkanian (born 1938) his notable work includes Tsoghik (granite) this work was awarded the first place gold medal in the Republic festival.
  • Rafik Khachatryan (1937–1993) his work includes sculptures and memorial complexes made for the martyred freedom fighters. His works are exhibited in many foreign countries including Portugal, Bulgaria, Romania, Czechia, Slovakia, and Germany.
  • Yervand Kochar (1899–1979) was a prominent sculptor and modern artist of the twentieth century and a founder of Painting in Space art movement.
  • Haig Patigian (1876–1950) his impressive work includes the McKinley statue (1906), Arcata, California (removed February 28, 2019 and moved to Canton, Ohio)
  • Ara Sargsyan (1902–1969) his awards include Honored Art Worker of the Armenian SSR (1935), Two Orders of the Badge of Honour (1939, 1945), People's Painter of the Armenian SSR (1950), Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1956), People's Painter of the USSR (1963), State Prize of the Armenian SSR (1971, posthumously), Medal "For the Defence of the Caucasus", and Medal "For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945".
  • Stephen Sacklarian (1899–1983) Sacklarian's works are in the permanent collection of over 60 museums worldwide.
  • Ara Shiraz (1941–2014) Shiraz's paintings and sculptures are found in many private collections throughout the world: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tbilisi, Yerevan, Beirut, Paris, London, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and Montreal.
  • Yervant Voskan (1855–1914) He is the first known sculptor in modern Turkish sculpture history and as the first sculpture teacher at the Sanay-i Nefise he educated the first generation of Turkish sculptors

Singers

Charles Aznavour, regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time and an icon of 20th-century pop culture
Cher, becoming the female solo artist with the most number-one singles in US history at the time
System of a Down known to be one of the most influential metal bands of the 21st century

Scholars and scientists

Medieval

Mesrop Mashtots, founder of moderen Armenian alphabet, Albanian alphabet
Movses Khorenatsi, called the "father of Armenian history", and is sometimes referred to as the "Armenian Herodotus"
  • Prohaeresius (3rd–4th century), Christian teacher, one of the leading sophists of the era along with Diophantus the Arab and Epiphanius of Syria
  • Mesrop Mashtots (362–440), Armenian linguist, composer, theologian, statesman, and hymnologist in the Sasanian Empire. He is venerated as a saint in the Armenian Apostolic, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Churches
  • Koriun, earliest Armenian-language author, his Life of Mashtots contains many details about the evangelization of Armenia and the invention of the Armenian alphabet by Mesrop Mashtots
  • Elishe (410–475), historian, best known as the author of History of Vardan and the Armenian War
  • Agathangelos (5th century), pseudonym of the author of a life of the first apostle of Armenia, Gregory the Illuminator
  • Faustus of Byzantium (5th century), historian, describes in detail the reigns of Arshak II and his son Papas Pap, and portrays the Mamikonians
  • Ghazar Parpetsi (5th–6th centuries), Armenian chronicler and historian
  • Hovnan Mayravanetsi, was an Armenian theologian and philosopher
  • Movses Khorenatsi, was a prominent historian from late antiquity and the author of the History of the Armenians
  • Sebeos (7th century), bishop and historian
  • Movses Kagankatvatsi (7th century), historian, author of the book History of the World from Aghvan
  • Anania Shirakatsi, polymath and natural philosopher, author of extant works covering mathematics, astronomy, geography, chronology, and other fields
  • Leo the Mathematician, Byzantine philosopher and logician associated with the Macedonian Renaissance
  • Anania Narekatsi, chronicler, theologian, philosopher, commentator, leader of Narekavank and founder of the school
  • Tovma Artsruni (9th–10th centurys), historian, authored the History of the House of Artsrunik
  • Zenob Glak (10th century), historian who became the first abbot of the Glak monastery
  • Joseph Genesius (10th century), Byzantine author and chronicler
  • Stepanos Asoghik (10–11th centuries), was an historian
  • Hovhannes Imastaser (1045–1129), medieval multi-disciplinary scholar known for his works on philosophy, theology, mathematics, cosmology, and literature
  • Samuel Anetsi (12th century), known for his writing of history and chronicles a book where he is the first author to use the Armenian Chronology
  • Mkhitar Heratsi (12th-century), considered the father of Armenian medicine
  • Matthew of Edessa (12th century), historian in the 12th century from the city of Edessa
  • Hovhannes Erznkatsi (1230s–1293), scholar and philosopher
  • Gregory of Akner (13th century), historian, famous for his important source for the Mongol conquest of the Near East
  • Vardan Areveltsi (13th century), historian, geographer, philosopher and translator
  • Hayton of Corycus (14th century), medieval nobleman, monk and historiographer

Early Modern

Mkhitar Sebastatsi mosaic
  • Gregory of Tatev (1346–1409 or 1410), philosopher, theologian and a saint in the Armenian Apostolic Church
  • Thomas of Metsoph (1378–1446), cleric and chronicler who left an account of Timur's invasions of the Caucasus
  • Amirdovlat of Amasia (1420–1496), physician and writer, wrote several works on medicine and science
  • Hakob Meghapart (16th century), first Armenian printer, the originator of printing in Armenia
  • Giorgio Baglivi (1668–1701), Croatian-Italian physician and scientist
  • Esayi Hasan-Jalalyan (1677–1728), historian and catholicos of Aghvank
  • Mkhitar Sebastatsi (1676–1749), monk, scholar and theologian who founded the Mekhitarist Order
  • Mikayel Chamchian (1738–1823), was an Armenian Mekhitarist monk, historian, grammarian and theologian
  • Grzegorz Piramowicz (1753–1801), Catholic priest, educator and philosopher
  • Shahamir Shahamirian (1723–1797), writer, philosopher, and wealthy merchant in Madras
  • Joseph Emin (1726–1809), traveler, writer and patriot who sought to achieve the liberation of Armenia from Persian and Ottoman rule
  • Gheorghe Asachi (1788–1869), Romanian prose writer, poet, painter, historian, dramatist, engineer, border maker, and translator
  • Ioan Mire Melik (1840–1889), Romanian mathematician, educator and political figure

Modern

Main article: List of Armenian scientists
Viktor Ambartsumyan, Soviet Armenian astrophysicist, he was the president of the IAU (1961–1963)
Abraham Alikhanov, experimental physicist, was one of the Soviet Union's leading physicists

Inventors

Main article: List of Armenian inventors and discoverers

Medicine

Nobel Laureates

Main article: List of Armenian Nobel laureates

Laureates

Nominees

Sportspeople

Main article: List of Armenian Olympic medalists

Boxers

Main article: List of Armenian boxers
  • Arthur Abraham, professional boxer, WBO and IBF world champion
  • Madame Bey, American boxing trainer who ran a boxing camp for world champion boxers.
  • Khoren Gevor, German professional boxer, European Champion who fought for the WBA, IBF, and WBO world titles.
  • Mekhak Ghazaryan, retired amateur boxer who won the European Championship title in the 1987 European Amateur Boxing Championships.
  • Susi Kentikian, German former professional boxer, former WBO, WBA, and WIBF world champion.
  • Kirkor Kirkorov, retired Bulgarian boxer who won the World Amateur Championships in 1991.
  • Vanes Martirosyan, American former professional boxer, who challenged for the WBA, WBO, and the IBC world championships.
  • Vladimir Yengibaryan, Soviet light-welterweight boxer, who was an Olympic champion, three-time European champion and three-time Soviet champion.

Chess

Main article: List of Armenian chess players
Tigran Petrosyan, chess grandmaster and the ninth World Chess Champion
Levon Aronyan, the fourth highest-rated player in history

Gymnasts

Albert Azaryan

Footballers

Main article: List of Armenian footballers
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, professional footballer

Wrestlers

Main article: List of Armenian wrestlers
Artur Aleksanyan

Weightlifters

Kickboxers

Mixed Martial Arts

Arman Tsarukyan

Tennis Players

Andre Agassi
  • Andre Agassi, he is regarded by many as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.[11]
  • Elina Avanesyan, she has a career-high WTA singles ranking of No. 36, achieved on 17 March 2025 and a best doubles ranking of No. 163, achieved on 12 August 2024. She is currently the No. 1 singles player from Armenia.
  • Sargis Sargsian, he reached career-high rankings of World No. 38 in singles and World No. 33 in doubles, winning one singles and two doubles titles on the ATP Tour. Sargsian finished 8 seasons in the top 100 ATP year-end rankings.
  • Karen Khachanov, professional tennis player, who was ranked by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) as high as world No. 8 in singles.

Other sportspeople

Businesspeople

Main article: List of Armenian businesspeople
See also: List of Armenian merchants
Alexander Mantashev, prominent Russian oil magnate, industrialist, financier, and a philanthropist, become one of the world's wealthiest individuals

Economists

Other

Fictional

Statue of David of Sassoun from national epic Daredevils of Sassoun

Legendary

References

External links

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