Elmas Melikian's Herstory

A younger Onnik and Elmas Melikian posing for a photograph

Elmas was born in 1897 in a village called Prapert (which is now Sivas) and was born into a family with high status. Elmas was the granddaughter of a prominent leader in the village named Nazareth Melikian, who was known as Nazareth Agha. Similarly mentioned in Margaret’s story, Agha is a title that represents a high standing and great influence in society. Before the Genocide, Elmas got engaged to her future husband and second cousin, Onnik. Both of their families had made the decision that they should get married but wanted to wait as they thought they were a little too young.

Elmas (on the left) and her older sister Mariam posing for a photograph with their father Mgrdich Melikian

As the Armenian Genocide entered the picture after the Turkish soldiers took away all the Armenian men and weapons, Elmas’ family ended up being the last to leave the village. Nazareth Melikian believed that due to his family's high social status, the Turks would spare him and his family. Unfortunately, this ploy of potentially bargaining with the soldiers for preferred treatment did not work, leading to the systematic killing of him and his family. Although Elmas’ mother along with her two younger sisters did survive violence associated with mass shootings as they were forced into the desert by means of a "death march”, each was never heard from again. At first, the family was forced to convert to Islam, but most died before ever getting the chance to do so. In the end, her family's high standing did little to protect Elmas from the Turks, and she and her sister were taken in as slaves by Turkish families. They acted as servants for the families, while remaining hidden from the war and violence raging on in the background.

An older Onnik and Elmas Melikian posing for a portrait photograph, circa 1967

Eventually, Onnik was able to get Elmas to the United States on March 30, 1927. She landed in Providence, RI, and married Onnik shortly after on April 19, 1927. They then started a family in the Indian Orchard section on Rhode Island, with their Post-Genocide life moving forward from there.