Today is Armenian Press Day, which has been officially celebrated in the Republic of Armenia since 2004. The celebration has over 200 years of history.

On October 16, 1794, in the Indian city of Madras, the first Armenian printed periodical, Azdarar, was published, and that day became a holiday of national pride for the sake of the press.

Azdarar magazine, which was founded by Harutyun Shmavonian, has been published until 1796 and managed to publish 18 issues, whose pages were filled with not only news and a summary of events but also fiction, translations and historical hints

In fact, Armenians working in the media have two professional holidays, national and international. The UN General Assembly declared May 3rd  to be World Press Freedom Day.

Tht day is not only the day of freedom of press assessment, but also the day of commemoration of journalists who died while doing their professional duties.

And October 16 is a day of pride and honor.

At the end of the 18th century, the publication of printed media testifies to the sober perception of the moment of dictation and the skillful use of innovative technology.

Of course, today’s communication tools and printing technologies have changed indefinitely, but remembering the first Armenian-language magazine is a good opportunity to congratulate all those who have accumulated, generated and made public information for centuries.

We congratulate journalists, editors, proofreaders, layout editors, photographers, printers and all those thanks to whom the news chain has been functioning for years,even if some professions have been lost through history.   

Nune Hakhverdyan