Hovhannes Tumanyan

Hovhannes Tumanyan (Հովհաննես Թումանյան in Armenian) ( born February 19, 1869 - died March 23, 1923), born in the village of Dsegh in Lorri, Armenia, is considered one of the greatest Armenian poets and writers. His work was mostly written in tragic form, often centering on the harsh lives of villagers in the Lorri region.

Tumanyan's inspiration for his writing came considerably from his parents. With his father the village's priest and his mother an avid storyteller with a particular interest in fables, Tumanyan had incorporated many of the themes from his mother's stories and his father's preachings into his writings.

Tumanyan is usually regarded in Armenian circles as "The poet of all Armenians". He earned this title when the Catholicos of Armenia had ordered that Armenian refugees from the west not enter certain areas of his church and house, since he is considered to be "The Catholicos of all Armenians". Tumanyan in response decried that decision claiming that the refugees could seek relief in the Catholicos' quarters under order of "The Poet of all Armenians".