ABOUT

After the Armenian Genocide, many survivors and their descendants settled in Minnesota and made this welcoming state their hope.

Some of the families, even today, hold historic photos and precious keepsakes in memory of the survivors. “Treasures of Memory and Hope” showcases the descendants of Armenian Genocide survivors pictured with their family keepsakes. The images focus on life and hope, tell stories of survival and perseverance.
“Treasures of Memory & Hope” is organized by St. Sahag Armenian Church to preserve & revive the legacy of survivors, share and inspire the communities around us.

From Armenia to Minnesota, it was here they found their dreams, their futures, and their families. Their lives inspire reflection on the value of freedom and the enduring human spirit.

VISION

Our aim is to honor the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and their descendants in our state. By sharing their stories and memory with neighboring communities and with generations to come we aim to inspire and encourage by the examples of hope despite the challenges, perseverance, endurance and faith.

These stories are not only stories of tragedy but also of hope, perseverance, happiness, and a better future. “Treasures of Memory and Hope” is a touring exhibit open to any public and private organization to host the exhibit.

SUPPORTED BY

The exhibition is supported by The Ohanessian Fund for Justice & Peace Studies.
Additional support is provided by the Armenian Community in Minnesota.

BROCHURE

Download the Exhibition brochure

FORGET-ME-NOT FLOWER

Click below to learn more about the Forget-me-not flower, the logo of the exhibition.

PHOTOGRAPHER

Artyom Tonoyan

A native of Armenia and a grandson of Armenian Genocide survivors, Artyom Tonoyan, Ph.D., is a sociologist who studies the intersection of religion and conflict. As an educator he has made it his lifelong pursuit to educate the next generation about the importance of human rights regardless of one’s ethnic or religious belonging. He is also an avid photographer.

Although his paternal grandparents survived the Genocide, they were orphaned, having no material connection to their family homes or their lost homeland. The opportunity to photograph the descendants of survivors with their precious family keepsakes was also an opportunity to connect the story of his grandparents with those of other survivors in an act of intergenerational remembering.

EDITOR

Lou Ann Matossian

Lou Ann Matossian has been active in Minnesota Armenian affairs for thirty years. An East Coast native, she is the firstborn daughter of an American historian and an Armenian physician with common roots in the city of Aintab (Antep), Turkey. American missionary traditions of education and service deeply influenced both sides of her family and continue to inspire Lou Ann’s bicultural work today.

Emerging public awareness of the Armenian Genocide often evokes large themes: nationalism and empire, international human rights, mass trauma and collective memory, and the struggle against denial. Yet for most of the twentieth century this “forgotten genocide” was mainly recalled through family stories and treasured keepsakes like those shared here. We offer them in honor of survivors whose resilience inspires hope.