الوصف
This rare set of Armenian diaspora documents traces a moving story of survival, education, and reconnection across generations.
In 1941, during the turmoil of World War II, a handwritten Armenian postcard was sent from Nicosia, Cyprus, by the Melkonian Educational Institute to Alep (Syria) — then a central hub for Armenian refugees. The letter, bearing Cyprus stamps and British censorship marks, speaks of financial support and communication between the school and a student’s family. It likely references the tuition or welfare of a young Armenian orphan or pupil under the care of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (A. G. B. U. ).
The small commemorative booklet featuring the Melkonian brothers, the school’s founders, celebrates their mission: to educate and shelter children of the Armenian diaspora scattered after 1915.
Decades later, the 1975 official letter from the same institution—beautifully handwritten on Melkonian letterhead—shows that contact between the family and the Institute endured through generations. It may mark the continuing education or reunion of a descendant, symbolizing the enduring link between displaced Armenian families and the institutions that preserved their identity.
Together, these artifacts embody one family’s journey through the wider Armenian diaspora experience — from loss and separation to education and reconnection — anchored by the Melkonian Institute’s humanitarian mission.