The armenian church of the Feodosia recorded on July 17, 1817 the birth of the would-be painter "Hovhannes, son of Gevork Ayvazian" in the register of births and baptisms. The father of two daughters and three sons was in financial difficulties because of the plague that swept over Feodosia in 1812. With her needlework, Hripsime, the artist's mother, helped the family to make a living.
Hovhannes, who displayed exceptional artistic and musical talents, went to the local armenian school and later attended the gymnasium in Simferopol. In 1833 he left for St. Petersburg to be admitted to the Arts Academy. In 1837 he graduated from the Academy and was awarded a gold medal, which entitled him to overseas scholarship.
In 1840 Aivazovsky left for Italy. During his four-years stay in Italy, Aivazovsky painted and exhibited more than one hundred canvases. Travelling in Europe he took part in international exhibitions in Paris.
Aivazovsky, who was sent on mission abroad, returned to St. Petersburg not only ahead of schedule but also as a renowned seascapist, member of several European academies. In his home country the title of academician was bestowed upon the 27-year old artist. Simultaneously the tsar nominated him as artist of the chief military-naval headquarters.
Nevertheless, Aivazovsky did not succumb to the temptations of exceptional reputation, material security or the royal court. He made up his mind to leave St. Petersburg for good and settle in his home town.
Aivazovsky built an atelier-residence on the shore of his home town. Almost every year he put on exhibitions in major cities of russian and Europe.
However, Aivazovsky's public and benevolent activities have been many-sided. Besides founding an armenian school, an armenian printing house in Feodosia, building and renovating of armenian churches; he erected an arts school, a historico-archaeological museum, constructed a chapel in memory of general Kotlyarevsky, hero of the Caucasus, helped supply drinking water in the town and assisted the laying of a railroad.
In 1857 the artist and his brother arrived in Constantinople. In those days he donated one of his works to his friend Sarkis Balian, the chief architect of Turkish royal structures, who accompanied him. The latter made a gift of the painting to Sultan Abdul-Aziz. The fascinated Sultan, a great amateur of pictorial art, commissioned new canvases and in 1874 invited Aivazovsky and decorated him with "Osmanye" , the highest award of the country. In the words of the artist he had by that time executed forty paintings, part of which he had sent as a gift. He had also donated one painting to the newly opened Arts School in Constantinople.
The armenian people acclaimed with joy the capture of Kars and part of Western armenia by the russian troops in 1877. Parallel to painting military-naval scenes, Aivazovsky, the patriot was anxious to meet the participants in the battle of the eastern front, including general Ter-Ghoukassov, of armenian stock. In the meantime (1880 ) Aivazovsky built an art gallery near his house which was virtually the third museum operating in the russian Empire.
Happy with his second marriage to Anna M. Bournazian, this is what the artist wrote in 1882:" Thanks to this marriage I drew closer to my nation". In fact, the artist had now more often recourse to the armenian theme, and developed, in addition, fervent patriotic activities. His ties with armenian men of culture got closer and more useful.
Everything seemed to move on a normal course, but in 1895, something unexpected took place. To eliminate " the armenian Question" Sultan Abdul Hamid embarked on a manslaughter during which hundreds of thousands of armenians were killed. Monuments of culture were demolished. These horrific events petrified Aivazovsky and revealed what had remained "undisclosed" in him. In his letter addressed to Catholicos Khrimian in Echmiadzin, Aivazovsky wrote:" I am deeply distressed to hear of the appalling, unprecedented massacre of the helpless armenians". The artist produced the canvases " The Massacre of the armenians in Trebizond", "Shiploaded armenians", "armenians Thrown into the Sea Alive" and others, and exhibited them in Moscow and Odessa. His daily concern was now to provide shelter for his compatriots escaping from the slaughter and arriving in Feodosia. The artist threw away the Ottoman orders into the sea, and kept the Turkish consul informed of his action, adding: "Your sultan aiso can throw my paintings into the sea; I won't be sorry for them".
The overwhelming feelings of the great humanist are conveyed in his last pieces. His unfinished work "The Explosion of the Turkish Ship" which he started a day before his death on May 2, 1900, is the expression of his anguish and wrath.
In compliance with his last will Aivazovsky was interred in Feodosia, near the armenian church of St. Sarkis.

Gulumian Armine