We present the micro-history of the Filisian and Papazian families, accompanied by numerous photographs and memory objects.
The Filisian family hailed from the Medz Nor Kyugh (present-day Yeniköy) of Boursa, while the Papazian family hailed from Rodosto/Tekirdagh. The two families‘ fates converged after their deportation. Surviving members from both families settled in the Greek city of Thessaloniki. It was there that Denchali Filisian and Onnig Papazian married. They would later emigrate to Argentina, where their families‘ heirlooms are still kept.
One of the main characters in the history of these two families was Father Ghougas Filisian. He was ordained as a priest in his birthplace, Medz Nor Kyugh. In the early 1920s, he was forced to leave his homeland permanently, and emigrated to Plovdiv (Bulgaria), and thereafter moved to Greece, where he initially settled
with his family in Kavala, then in Komotini (Gyumyuldjina). Wherever he went, Father Ghougas continued serving as a priest.
Later, Father Ghougas and his family moved to Thessaloniki, where he served as the priest of the local Armenian parish until 1964. Many of the photographs provided on this page chronicle his active participation in the community‘s spiritual, cultural, and social life.
Here is the link to the
page:
https://www.houshamadyan.org/oda/americas/filisian-collection-arg.htmlThe article was translated into English and Turkish respectively by Simon Beugekian and Sevan Deirmendjian.
Best wishes,
Houshamadyan Editorial Board
