The Ruins of Ani

Reviews / Votes

"This fine English translation breathes new life into a crucial, and yet neglected source for the celebrated medieval Armenian city of Ani, and for the brief but important period of Russian control in the region." - Christina Maranci (author of Medieval Armenian Architecture: Constructions of Race and Nation) "Peter Balakian's translation and recasting of his great uncle's memoir combines sensitive Armenian religious and cultural history with a clear focus on the cultural dimension of genocide. It is a remarkable and invaluable study." - Robert Jay Lifton (author of Nazi Doctors: Medical Killing and the Psychology of Genocide) "This is an enthralling account of the 1909 pilgrimage of an Armenian priest to the ruins of the Armenian city of Ani. Introduced by his great-nephew, the distinguished poet Peter Balakian, this memoir is a powerful expression of Armenian pride and longing for the land on which they lived for a millennium. Written a bare six years before Ottoman forces carried out the Armenian genocide, this document underscores forcefully how central cultural destruction was and is in the unfolding of that crime against humanity." - Jay Winter (author of War beyond Words: Languages of Remembrance from the Great War to the Present) "Vartabed Balakian describes Ani as an 'Armenian genius,' a title befitting of Balakian. His eye on the ancient capital is intricate and mournful, and creates a new depth post genocide." - Donna-Lee Frieze (editor and transcriber of Totally Unofficial) "Krikor Balakian's rhapsodic narrative is a scholarly, flowery mix of architectural history and a travelogue of his much-anticipated pilgrimage. He writes lovingly about church ornamentation and holy day services held among the architectural ruins; he also thunders against bloodthirsty marauders and unworthy, greedy priests in Armenia's past. The text is accompanied by numerous richly toned photographs of Ani's dramatic ruins, which are critical evidence of lost history."

(Foreword Reviews) "Krikor Balakian's The Ruins of Ani published by Rutgers University Press," by the Armenian-American Spectator (The Armenian-American Spectator) "[The Ruins of Ani] documents the history, genius, and tragedy of the Armenian civilization as refracted through its ancient capital. It also illuminates one of those rare places that leaves visitors feeling they might have to dust off the word mystical to describe the experience." (The Arts Fuse) "Balakian's book explores both the ancient and modern versions of the city of Ani, unknown to many non-Armenians. The intertwined legacy of the Balakian family and their connection to a revered city provides a moving and enduring account of history." (Armenian Weekly) "This book is a valuable contribution to the scholarly study of the art, architecture, and archaeology of Ani, and its translation into English will help it to reach a wider audience." (Comitatus: A Journal of Medieval and Renaissance Studies) "This new edition of The Ruins of Ani is not merely an informative description of a dazzling city that became a 'great museum of the arts and crafts of Armenian antiquity'. It is also an intriguing document of trans-historical and cross-generational imagination. The 'richness and opulence' that 'always [aroused] the greed of conquering rulers" when Ani was in its prime have long vanished, but eyes are converging on the city once more.'" (Times Literary Supplement)