The Armenian Golgotha: A Haunting Memoir of Genocide

Recommending A Book About The Armenian Genocide

In this article, I am recommending a book to my readers that probably few of you have heard of, but is one of my all-time favorites in the history genre. It is titled “Armenian Golgotha: A Memoir of the Armenian Genocide, 1915-1918”. It was written by Grigoris Balakian in 1922. I own the 2010 translation by Peter Balakian.

This book was both a banned book and an obscure book for a very long time. Few read it. Even now, it’s not very well known. We didn’t even have an English version until relatively recently (2009), because the author is Armenian and wrote in originally only in Armenian. It was also kept out of circulation for a long time. But it’s still worth a read. As many of you know, oftentimes, the lesser known books are some of the best.

This book covers the Armenian genocide by the Turks. This particular atrocity is probably the most unrecognized genocide and ethnic cleansing in history. The Turks to this day still do not even admit it, nor take responsibility. The latter being not particularly surprising, given the history of that wicked Turkish state.

Given what happened, it’s truly a miracle any Armenian survived.

The most interesting part about this book is that the author is not some historian or foreign reporter—He was an Armenian that survived through it. I have always considered Balakian as a parallel to Solzhenitsyn but for the Armenians. He lived the evil, but also had a gift for retelling it.

Here is a brief history of Balakian:

• “Grigoris Balakian was a prominent Armenian intellectual, priest, and eyewitness survivor of the Armenian Genocide. Born on May 27, 1876, in the town of Harput, located in what is now modern-day Turkey, Balakian grew up in a thriving Armenian community within the Ottoman Empire.”
• Balakian studied theology and philosophy in Germany and Switzerland as a youth. He returned to the Ottoman Empire and was later ordained as a celibate priest in the Armenian Apostolic Church.
• As tensions between Armenians and the Ottoman government escalated in the early 20th century, Balakian became increasingly aware of the threats facing his people. He was a vocal advocate for Armenian rights and was actively involved in efforts to resist the oppressive policies of the Ottoman regime.
• In 1915, as the Armenian Genocide unfolded, Balakian found himself among the countless Armenians targeted for deportation and extermination. Despite facing immense danger, he documented his experiences meticulously, keeping a detailed diary throughout the genocide.

The book I am recommending you read from Balakian stems from this diary. He used the diary to write the book. It gives the firsthand account of the atrocities committed against the Armenian people during the Turk’s Genocide.

For the survivalists out there, it also demonstrates how he survived (which may be helpful in the years to come).

After surviving the genocide, Balakian dedicated himself to preserving the memory of the Armenian Genocide and advocating for recognition and justice for its victims. He continued his intellectual pursuits, writing extensively on Armenian history, culture, and theology. He died a hero in many Armenian’s eyes, and is still considered one to this day in their country. It is a shame he is not as well known outside of its borders.

The quick summary of the book is this: In the early 20th century, there was a systematic extermination of over a million Armenians by the Ottoman Turks. This book recounts living through that ordeal, against all odds.

The book covers the below timeline, following Balakian’s extensive diary:

• Description of the Armenian community in the Ottoman Empire before the outbreak of WWI.
• Account of the initiation of the Armenian Genocide by the Ottoman government at the direction of the Turks.
• Narration of the systematic deportation of Armenians from their homes.
• Depiction of the mass killings and atrocities committed against Armenian men, women, and children. (Most difficult to read are the specific accounts of what they did to many of the Christian women).
• Recollection of the forced marches and death marches endured by Armenian survivors.
• Reflections on the profound loss and despair experienced by the Armenian people during this period.
• Tribute to the Armenians who perished in the genocide.
• Exploration of the broader historical and social implications of the Armenian Genocide and where they are now (back then).

When we look at human history, there are certain evil acts that stand out from the rest. My research into the Armenian genocide makes me always include it on any list of the worst of the worst. It is especially wicked given the fact that no one was ever punished, nor have the genociders ever even admitted fault or error. At the end, the people suffered and justice was never delivered. The Armenians still to this day struggle because of these events.

This book is also a unique work because it is from the eyes of a priest—a spiritual leader—at such a horrible time. A tragic but profound interplay works out in the book when he speaks about the horrors he witnessed and how he responded as a celibate man of God.

Balakian, much like Solzhenitsyn, really captures the overall “feeling” (spirit) of the tragedy. Something that is no simple task to do as a writer.

It is simply shocking to read about how vibrant and interesting the Armenian community was in the Ottoman Empire pre-World War 1, before that government began the campaign of ethnic cleansing. It all happened very fast. As the saying goes: It started slowly and then suddenly.

Much of this disaster involved marches through the desert where thousands died. After reading this book, I, for one, never have a desire to step into the Syrian desert. That much is for sure.

I encourage all of my readers to read this book. It is powerful. Much like other first-hand accounts of the evils of humanity, it can shape or reshape your worldview.

But I believe this book is especially necessary for Christians, as Armenia was, and still is, a staunchly Christian state that was massacred by non-Christians. There are countless lessons here, and modern Christians rarely take the time to learn them.

Tribulation is coming, and we need to learn from history, for when this inevitably happens again. Because this time, it just may be you living through it.

Read Next: A Quick Summary Of Two Thousand Years Of Christian History

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