Hrachya Kochar

Hrachya Kochar was born in Gumluputchakh village of Western Armenia. During the Armenian Genocide in 1915 he migrated to Vagharshapat. He worked as a miner in Alaverdi, was a shepherd. In 1927 he settled in Yerevan. From 1929-1931 studied at Yerevan State University (Faculty of Philology). Hrachya Kochar worked at “Avangard”, “Soviet Armenia” magazines. In 1934 edited “Rya Taza” newspaper, 1946 to 1951 “Soviet literature”, in 1954 “Vozni” newspapers. He took his father’s name as his literary nickname. From 1941 to 1945 Hrachya Kochar participated in the Second World War, was a front-line correspondent on various fronts. From 1946 to 1951 was a Secretary of the Board of the Writers' Union of Armenia. He is an author of novels, fairy tales and short stories. He published several collections. His writings were translated into 24 languages. Kochar also wrote journalistic, literary-critical articles and studies, script for the film “Northern rainbow” (by Armenfilm, 1961). In 1943 Hrachya Kochar was awarded with “For Military Merit” medal, in 1945 medal “For the Defense of Stalingrad", and in 1945 – received the “Order of Red Star”. Died in Yerevan.