Pepo (1st Part)

She was born in Tiflis. She graduated from the parish school of the Kharpukh quarter of Tiflis. At 16, on the recommendation of the actress Siranuysh, she was admitted to the theatre troupe of the Dramatic Society. Her first role was Nato in G. Sundukyan's play "Eli mek zoh" (One More Victim) (1900), for which she earned the author's encouragement. She began her professional career in 1901 at the Armenian theatre in Tiflis. She toured to Baku, Constantinople, Nor Nakhichevan, Moscow, St Petersburg, Yerevan, Alexandrapol, Shushi and Gandzak. She was one of those representatives of the old generation of actors who took part in founding the Armenian Soviet theatre. In 1921–26 she played at the Armenian Drama Theatre in Tiflis. In 1926 she moved to the First State Theatre of Yerevan (now the G. Sundukyan National Academic Theatre), where she worked until the end of her life. She played more than 300 roles in Armenian, Russian and Western European classical and modern plays. She also acted in films. In 1945 she published the book "Husher" (Memoirs). She was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of Soviet Armenia of the 4th convocation. In 1935 she was awarded the title of People's Artist of Armenia; she received the State Prize of Armenia in 1967 and the State Prize of the USSR in 1952. She died in Yerevan.