The Armenian Spirit of Survival

As Harry Mazadoorian (Elizabeth Mazadoorian's son) said it best in his Armenian Community Archive Interview,

“My mother and father were both survivors of the genocide. They are strikingly unique people and had incredible experiences which brought them face to face with danger, with horrendous conditions, and great depravity. They had to be resourceful. They had to be courageous. They had to make split-second decisions, which would be life-altering decisions. And they had to decide immediately who they would trust and who they did not trust.”

Like Harry points out, the survivors of the Armenian Genocide not only consist of brave and courageous women like those discussed in this exhibit but also the brave Armenian men and children as well.

These women's stories in this exhibit also display happy ending with each woman ending up in the United States, having the ability to start a family, and leaving their traumatic Genocide experiences in the past.

Unlike these three women, many other Armenians didn't make it out alive. Their stories live on though, through books and novels about the Genocide and also through family, friends, or through exhibits like these.

"...My family’s history with the Genocide is definitely central to my identity...You know, I am obviously not any kind of a soldier or superhero or anything like that, but I could convince myself... somewhere in my genes, there’s some toughness because...my grandparents went through so much and they made it out...It’s like my secret superhero inside."

        ~ Lisa Natcharian

                   (grandaughter of Elmas Melikian)