March 8 marked the 150th anniversary of the birth of the prominent Armenian linguist and lexicographer Hrachya Acharyan.
On this day, the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia, Zhanna Andreasyan, Chairman of the Committee for Higher Education and Science, Sargis Hayotsyan, Chairman of the Language Committee, Siranuysh Dvoyan, Director of the Museum of Literature and Art, Syuzanna Khojamiryan, as well as members of the academician’s family, visited his grave and laid flowers, paying tribute to the memory of the outstanding Armenian scholar.
On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Hrachya Acharyan’s birth, a special commission will be established by the decision of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia to properly celebrate the jubilee of the renowned scientist and value his scientific heritage. Zhanna Andreasyan emphasized that the jubilee year is an important opportunity not only to honor the scientist’s memory but also to raise awareness of his work.
“Today, it is very important to talk about our language and implement programs aimed at the vitality of the language. The legacy of Hrachya Acharyan is also at the heart of these discussions, as many of the issues and linguistic approaches we are working on today stem from his scientific work. All of this is also important from the perspective of the development of linguistics. What Acharyan did for the Armenian language in his time was progressive, and today it is our great responsibility to preserve that legacy. If he was able to do such great work in the conditions of his time, then we are also obliged to continue on that path,” noted Zhanna Andreasyan.
Members of Academician HrachyaAcharyan’s family expressed gratitude for the work carried out to preserve and publicize the scientist’s legacy. They noted that in recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in interest and awareness of Acharyan’s activities in schools and among youth. Family representatives also expressed their willingness to provide the necessary supporting materials for organizing exhibitions and to support organizational work.
The events planned for the “Acharyan 150” jubilee year were also discussed. These include holding an international conference, conducting scientific workshops and various educational initiatives, organizing readings and cognitive programs in schools, and an exhibition in cooperation with the Museum of Literature and Art and the Matenadaran. The full program of events for the jubilee year will be discussed and approved at the upcoming session of the commission to be established by the decision of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia.
It is noteworthy that the 150th anniversary of the birth of Academician Hrachya Acharyan has been included in the UNESCO “Calendar of Famous People and Important Events for 2026–2027”. In this context, the importance of organizing appropriate events to present the scientist’s activities to a wider audience was also emphasized.
Hrachya Acharyan (1876–1953) is one of the exceptional representatives of Armenian and world linguistic thought, whose scientific legacy is of fundamental importance for the development of the humanities. Acharyan’s versatile scientific activity covers almost all the main areas of the Armenian language: dialectology, historical-comparative linguistics, lexicology, grammar, onomatopoeia, and the history of Armenian writing.