An Armenian Doctor in Turkey: Garabed Hatcherian: My Smyrna Ordeal of 1922

Description

Dr. Hatcherian’s journal is a chronicle of the Smyrna catastrophe in 1922. It is written in the general form of a diary, chronicling the most significant events in Smyrna in September 1922. The narrator’s thoughts and concerns during these events are recorded on a day-by-day basis. The manuscript is comprised of 52 tightly-written pages, covering the period between August 28, 1922 and April 7, 1923. The journal can be broken down into three distinct structural segments: Introduction, Story, Epilogue. The Introduction reports on the twelve ominous days between August 28 and September 8, preceding the 1922 Smyrna catastrophe. The events are presented in their gradual development, preparing the reader for the central episodes in the journal. The Story, which describes the Hatcherian family’s last two weeks in Smyrna, encompasses the time from September 9 to September 24. This section is a detailed account of what Dr. Hatcherian and his family of eight endured in those fifteen horrifying days. The Epilogue depicts the seven months (September 25, 1922 to April 7, 1923) that the refugee Hatcherian family spent on the Greek island of Mitilini.

The names of places and people in the journal are so accurately documented, and the chronological descriptions of the unfolding political and military events so vividly detailed, that one is tempted to believe that each entry of the journal was made either concurrently with, or immediately following each event. Considering the difficult circumstances, however, this hypothesis is almost certainly excluded. A brief Postscript section supports the idea that the main part (Aug. 28 – Sept. 24) was written within days of the events, evidently upon arrival in Mitilini. There, as a survivor, Dr. Hatcherian probably felt the compelling urge to testify; moreover, he must have felt the need to analyze the events intellectually. As for the Epilogue and the final copy of the journal, it was completed in Salonika. This is confirmed by the date and place inscribed below Dr. Hatcherian’s signature under the manuscript: June 1, 1923, Salonika (p.52). The meticulous care the author provided for the manuscript is strong proof that he was aware of how crucial it was to preserve the story for posterity, and to record the details as soon as possible.

Զմյուռնիա- 1922 . Բժիշկ Կարապետ Խաչերյանի Օրագիրը