Usta Karo

Born in Alexandrapol (now Gyumri). From 1889-92 he studied at the Gevorgyan Seminary in Echmiadzin. In 1895 he joined the ranks of Dashnaktsutyun party and was arrested in 1896. After serving one year in Yerevan prison, he was deported to Odessa. After being released, he studied literature and history of philosophy at the University of Zurich. In 1902 he returned to Armenia and then moved to Tbilisi. In 1908 he was arrested again together with 158 Armenian politicians, and after spending half a year in a Tbilisi prison, he was freed. He left Armenia in 1911 and lived abroad. In 1926 he visited Soviet Armenia. He migrated again in 1930 and lived in diaspora until 1936. He returned to Armenia in 1936. In 1946 he was awarded the USSR State Prize. From 1946-57 Isahakyan was the president of the Writer’s Union of Armenia. He was a member of the Supreme Council of Armenia. He was awarded the Order of Lenin twice as well as other medals. In 1943 he joined the Armenia оф Academy of Sciences as an academician. He died in Yerevan.