Haroutyoun Shmavonyan

In October 1794 he founded the Armenian journal "Azdarar" (Ազդարար). It was the first Armenian periodical publication ever published and Father Shmavonyan is considered a pioneer because of his initiative and father of Armenian journalism. Financing of the new publication had been secured, but the number of readers was not very large. Shmavonyan went on to publish 18 issues of "Azdarar" before it stopped in 1796.

Father Harutyun Shmavonyan died in 1824.