"Armenian Heroes of the French Resistance" conference held at YSU

An international conference titled "Armenian Heroes of the French Resistance" was held at Yerevan State University as part of the events organized within the framework of "Manouchian Week." The academic event was initiated by the Sate-Atgh Theater Union and the Art-Image Cultural Organization. Its primary goal was to honor the legacy of Missak Manouchian and promote the Armenian-French historical and cultural dialogue.

In his opening address, YSU Rector Hovhannes Hovhannisyan welcomed the participants of the event, stating, "We are delighted to host the participants of this important event at Yerevan State University today. This gathering is significant not only in terms of global civilization and history but also from the perspective of strengthening Armenian-French relations. The Manouchian family embodied a historical memory that had been interrupted by the Ottoman Empire. They fully understood the importance of statehood, sovereignty, and freedom. YSU is ready to contribute to strengthening Armenian-French academic cooperation, as well as enhancing the public recognition of the Armenian heroes of the resistance movement."

Mkhitar Gabrielyan, Dean of YSU Faculty of History, highlighted the importance of the event for students. "Unfortunately, there is often a lack of sufficient knowledge about the activities of our compatriots and the histories of various countries. Events like these provide an opportunity to fill these gaps, especially considering the strategic importance of Armenian-French relations," he pointed out.

During the conference, a series of presentations were made, focusing on Missak Manouchian and his comrades-in-arms, as well as the role of the Armenian community in France's resistance movement.

Edik Minasyan, Head of the Chair of Armenian History at YSU, emphasized the role of the Armenian community in the resistance movement. "The Armenian community in France significantly contributed to the organization of the resistance movement by participating in partisan warfare, which helped in the liberation of France," he stated.

The conference concluded with discussions in which participants reminisced about the heroic deeds of the Armenian heroes of the resistance and deliberated on the necessity of publicizing their stories at both academic and societal levels.

The conference featured presentations by Edouard Zohrabyan, Head of the Chair of History of Neighboring Countries of Armenia at YSU, Marine Ghazaryan, a lecturer at YSU, Denis Peschanski, Director of the National Center for Scientific Research of France, Jean-Pierre Sakoun, President of the Missak Manouchian Pantheonization Committee and Unité Laïque Organization, Christelle Rovedan, Director of the Armenian Heritage Center (Valence), and Jean-Baptiste Roman, Director of the Mont Valerien Memorial in France.