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The statue of Armenian writer, playwright and journalist Hakob Paronyan was unveiled on October 5 in Shishli national cemetery of Istanbul. The opening ceremony was chaired by
Bishop Sahak Mashalian who serves as Locum Tenens of the Armenian Apostolic Patriarchate of Constantinople. As the Patriarchate Facebook page reported, Mashalyan noted in his remarks that Paronyan had been one of the remarkable figures of the renaissance of the Armenian literature.

“All his major works emphasize the good and criticize the deficiencies through a satire. The people of his time tended to disapprove that style of writing, yet the real acknowledgment and recognition came years after his works became popular. Paronyan’s statue should remind all visitors of his legacy and his satire,” Mashalyan noted in his remarks.

To note, the Shishli (Şişli) Armenian Cemetery is an Armenian cemetery in the same district of Istanbul, Turkey which is operated and served to the local Armenian community. The cemetery’s history dates back to the 19th century in which a Sultan’s decree ordered its handover to the Armenian community. In the 1930s, its ownership was transferred to the Istanbul Municipality. Yet, Armenian families were allowed to bury their deceased next of kin in the cemetery even though they had no official deeds for the plots.
Among the cemetery’s notable occupants are Arman Manukyan, a notable professor of economy from Bogazici University, opera singer Toto Karaca, composer Onno Tunc, Armenian patriarchs, and Armenian lawmaker Berc Keresteciyan Turker.