“Highlighting the Armenians in Romanian life doesn’t seek to separate them from the nation that adopted them, nor does it seek to link them only to Armenian cultural affairs. Our aim is to emphasize once more the attachment that the Armenian people have shown towards the land that welcomed them all those centuries ago and ultimately identifying with the natives’ soul and ideal sand finally being assimilated with them”.
H.Dj. SIRUNI, Armenian historian and orientalist; a great friend of the Romanian scholar Nicolae Iorga
(About “Armenian Figures in the Romanian life”, Armenian cultural magazine ANI – 1936)
The Armenians settled on Romanian land approximately one thousand years ago. Throughout the centuries, Armenians have played an important role in all sectors of public life: Ioan Vodă Armeanul (‘John III the terrible’) – 16th century ruler; Spiru Haret – mathematician and astronomer, had an important role in the development and organization of the educational system in Romania; Gheorghe Asachi – poet, writer, and playwright; Garabet Ibrăileanu – writer amongst many other things; Vasile Conta – philosopher and writer; Virgil Madgearu – economist, sociologist, and politician; Grigore Trancu-Iași – politician, economist, and more; Ana Aslan – gerontologist, whose gerontology clinic still exists today, and holds the same prestige it did during her lifetime; Dumitru Bagdasar – neurosurgeon; Mihail Jora – composer and conductor; Garbis Dedeian – saxophonist. The list of Armenians who have made significant contributions to life in Romania goes on.
Good sources of information on the remarkable individuals in Romania are the books: Dictionary:” Armenian Figures from Romania / Figuri de armeni din România”: Dicționar (ed a II-a), 2008 by Arșag Bogdan Căuş and the book by Madeleine Karacașian “With and About Armenians” (several volumes).
Amongst the Armenian community in Romania, a person of great significance is Vasken I Balgian(1908 – 1994), who became Catholicos Vasken I (1955-1994), the Supreme Patriarch of All Armenians. Today, the Armenian community contribute in different sectors of the country, such as Varujan Vosganian – writer and politician; Varujan Pambuccian – mathematician and deputy of Armenian Union from Romania (1996 – present), Agop Kirmizian – businessman; Harry Tavitian – jazzman; Capriel Dedeian – guitarist; Dumitru Avakian – musical critic; Corina Chiriac – singer; Ștefan Agopian – writer; Bedros Horasangian – publicist and writer; Madeleine Karacașian – translator and journalist; Florin Halagian – football trainer; Gheorghe Haic Chivorchian – former general secretary of the Romanian Football Federation; Emanuel Terzian – journalist and sports commentator; Maricel Agop – physicist; Florin-Eduard Exergian – neurosurgeon; Mircea Ghemigian – surgeon; Vartan Arachelian – journalist and writer, and many others who have made significant contributions to Romanian society.