Vardan Mkrtich Achemyan

Vardan Achemyan was born in the city of Van. In 1915 he migrated to Yerevan. From 1924 to 1926 he studied at the Armenian Drama Studio and in 1927 graduated from Proletkult Directing Courses in Moscow. In 1928 he became one of the organizers of the Second State Theatre in Armenia (now V. Achemyan Gyumri Drama Theater), where he also worked as an actor until 1933. From 1931 to 1940 and from 1943 to 1947 he was the artistic director of the theatre. In 1938 he became the director of the G. Sundukyan National Academic Theatre (chief director as of 1953). From 1947 to 1950 he was the chief director of the H. Paronian Musical Comedy Theatre in Yerevan. In 1944 he started teaching at Yerevan Fine Arts and Theater Institute (as a Professor from1964). He was awarded the State Prize of the USSR in 1951 and of the Republic of Armenia in 1970. He was a recipient of several orders and state awards. He was awarded the title of People's Artist of Armenia in 1945 and of the USSR in 1965. He died in Yerevan.