11.03.2015


The Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute published Aurora Mardiganian's book «Ravished Armenia» translated into Armenian. The book presents a young Armenian girl Aurora Mardiganian's (Arshaluys Martikian) recollection on the excruciating sufferings and inhuman tortures she and her expelled nation have passed during the Armenian Genocide. There are thousands of survivor’s stories passed to their heirs; however Aurora's story has a unique feature that attracts everyone's attention: rescued by a miracle Aurora found herself in the USA, where the book “Ravished Armenia” was written and published based on her life story in 1918. The same year a silent film «Auction of Souls» made for charitable aims appeared on the screens, where Aurora played herself and became the first Armenian film actress.

«I dedicate my book to every mother and father of this beautiful country - the USA - who has taught their daughters to believe in God.

I saw my mother’s body flung onto the desert because she taught me Jesus Christ was my Saviour. I saw my father dying in pain, because he told me, his little girl: “Trust in Lord; His will be done”.

I saw thousands of beloved daughters of their gentle mothers dying under the Turk’s whips or knifes, or from the torture of hunger and thirst, or carried away into slavery because they would not renounce the glorious crown of their Christianity.

God saved me to bring to America the message from those of my people who are left, and every mother and father would understand what I am going to tell in these pages are the words of love and thankfulness to God for my escape».

Avrora Mardiganian

Latam, New York, December, 1918