Negotiating Identity Through Epitexts of Translated Fiction: The Armenian Press in Tiflis (1858–1905)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15826/csp.2025.9.4.369

Abstract

This study investigates the role of epitexts in Armenian newspapers published in Tiflis (1858–1905) as tools for shaping cultural identity through translated fiction. Drawing on Gérard Genette’s concept of epitexts and José Yuste Frías’s notion of paratranslation, it analyzes paratexts in four major Armenian periodicals—Meghu Hayastani, Mshak, Nor-Dar, and Ardzaganq. Examining 210 news items and articles, the research shows how these texts constructed auto- and hetero-stereotypes by framing cultural identity through the Self/Other binary. This process reflected deep cultural divisions among Armenians, notably between those living in the Russian and Ottoman Empires and Armenians in Western countries. Additional factors complicating Armenian identity included religious differences—between followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church and other denominations—and linguistic divides between Eastern and Western Armenian literary languages, unlike the unified literary language in countries such as Germany and Austria. The study highlights the role of the Armenian press in mediating foreign cultural influences, critiquing translation quality, and fostering debates on national identity, language modernization, and intercultural exchange. The ideological split between liberal and conservative newspapers further reveals contrasting approaches to cultural assimilation, with epitexts serving as platforms for negotiating Armenian identity within a broader socio-political context. This research underscores the importance of epitexts in understanding how Armenian cultural identity was both challenged and reinforced amid shifting political and cultural landscapes.

Author Biographies

Natalia E. Nikonova, Tomsk State University, Tomsk

Natalia Ye. Nikonova, Dr. Sci. (Philology), Prof., Head of the Department of Romano-Germanic and Classical Philology at TSU. N. Nikonova, Deputy Chairman of the Dissertation Council for Philological Sciences at TSU. She is the supervisor of five successfully defended PhD theses and three grant projects over the past 5 years.

Taron R. Danielyan, Yerevan State University, Yerevan

Taron R. Danielyan, Associate Professor at the Department of New Media and Communication, Yerevan State University, and Associate Professor at the Department of Armenian Language and Literature, Vanadzor State University. He holds degrees in Philology (specialization: Armenian Language and Literature) and Theatre Arts (specialization: Theatre and Film Acting). In 2012, he earned his PhD in Philology. Throughout his career, he has worked in theater as an actor and director, as well as on television and radio. He has taught at Vanadzor State University since 2006 and at Yerevan State University since 2022. His research interests include theory and history of journalism and mass communication. In recent years, he has actively studied the history and development of Armenian and Russian press and advertising in Tiflis during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

David V. Petrosyan, Yerevan State University, Yerevan

David Petrosyan, Dr. Sci. (Philology), Prof., Head of the Department of New Media and Communication, Faculty of Journalism, Yerevan State University. He has worked in various editorial offices and publishing houses in the Republic of Armenia. His research interests span across the history of the Armenian press, contemporary trends in the development of new media, online and print media, and the professional identity of journalists.

Lilit A. Mkrtchyan, Yerevan State University, Yerevan

Lilit Mkrtchyan holds Master’s Degree in Public Relations and Communication Technologies, Faculty of Journalism, Yerevan State University. During the first year of her Master’s studies, she studied at the University of Minho in Portugal through the Erasmus+ international academic mobility program. She is currently employed as an Assistant to the Chairperson of the Language Committee at the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of the Republic of Armenia. Her research Interests include media and communication, advertising strategies, media literacy, and cultural studies with a focus on imagology in both traditional and digital media.

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Published
2025-12-29
How to Cite
Nikonova, N., Danielyan, T., Petrosyan, D., & Mkrtchyan, L. (2025). Negotiating Identity Through Epitexts of Translated Fiction: The Armenian Press in Tiflis (1858–1905). Changing Societies & Personalities, 9(4), 1128-1144. doi:10.15826/csp.2025.9.4.369
Citation Formats
Issue
Vol. 9, No. 4 (2025)
Section
Articles in the Special Section