Chair of History and Literary Criticism of Modern Armenian Literature

The Chair of History and Literary Criticism of Modern Armenian Literature was founded in 1968. It was previously called the Chair of Soviet-Armenian Literature, and in 1991 was renamed the Chair of Modern Armenian Literature with the justification that it covers not only Soviet-Armenian but also Diaspora-Armenian and modern literature of the post-Soviet period. As a result of the structural transformation of the chairs of the Faculty of Armenian Philology, it was renamed the Chair of History and Literary Criticism of Modern Armenian Literature in 2022.

From 1968 to 1981, the chair was led by Hrant Tamrazyan, Academician of RA National Academy of Sciences, and from 1981 to 2015, by Doctor of philological sciences, Professor Vazgen Gabrielyan.

During more than five decades of its existence, the Chair has done significant work in the study of modern Armenian literature, scientific coordination, teaching, and training specialists.

The Chair prepares specialists who receive Bachelor's, Master's, and Postgraduate degrees, specializing in modern Armenian literature and literary criticism. The Chair staff studies and teaches courses devoted to the history of the classical and modern periods of modern Armenian literature, the works of individual authors (including the literature of both Armenia and the Diaspora), the theory of criticism, and the history of Armenian critical thought.

Many professors of the chair are well-known in the educational, scientific, and literary life of the Republic. They are members of the Writers' Union of Armenia, engaged in literary criticism, and are authors of school and university textbooks.

The Charentsian scientific sessions initiated by the Chair and the ten volumes (1973-2017) of the collection entitled "Charentsian readings" composed of articles presenting the extended versions of the reports read during them are worth mentioning. Since the 2000s, conferences entitled "Mathevosian readings" have been regularly organized, in which the voluminous articles written based on the reports presented were summarized in four collections of the same name (2006-2022).

The Chair of History and Literary Criticism of Modern Armenian Literature continues its scientific work even today. Monographs, studies, and articles are written, which are published in separate books, scientific journals, and literary presses.

The chair offers the "Armenian Language and Literature" Undergraduate and Master's (full-time and part-time) educational programs, as well as the "Armenian Literature" Master's program.