Mapping China in Armenian: Dancho’s 1927 Cartographic Contribution

In 1927, Yegiazar Martiros Gabuzyan (Եղիազար Գաբուզյան), known by his pen name Dancho (Ե. Դանչո), created an exceptional map of China in Armenian, which remains an essential work in the history of not only Soviet-Armenian cartography but also Armenian cartography as a whole. Published by the Pethrat Publishing House, the map measures 71 x 51 cm, features vivid colors, and is drawn to a scale of 1:8,000,000. It was lithographed under the catalog number 1184 and is currently housed at the National Library of Armenia. The map provides a meticulous rendering of China’s frontiers, rivers, mountain passes, provinces, and toponyms, showcasing a careful attention to geographic detail. While it reflects the Soviet perception of China during the time, the map is especially valuable for being one of the rare works in Armenian about the Chinese landscape. At a time when there was limited Armenian-language literature and printed material on China, this map stands out as a cultural and cartographic achievement.
The map’s creation was set against a backdrop of critical historical events, including the Shanghai Massacre and the Nanchang Uprising, which ignited the conflict between the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Communist Party of China (CPC). However, the map’s value lies more in its detailed geographical portrayal than in its political context. It represents a time when there was a notable gap in Armenian publications concerning China, making it an important cultural artifact. It is comparable to the 1927 City Plan or Map of Harbin, China, in Cyrillic, by the Russian-Jewish cartographer Lev Markovich Abramovich, another notable figure in the field of cartography, who lived and published in Harbin. It’s worth mentioning that the Armenian community in Harbin was formed in the early 1900s, when Armenians arrived as part of the Russian Empire’s expansion into Manchuria during the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway. By the 1920s, nearly 300 Armenians lived there, establishing an Armenian Apostolic parish (1923), cultural associations, and commercial networks.
Yegiazar Gabuzyan, born in 1894 in the city of Van in Western Armenia, was a man of many talents—an artist, writer, actor, and lithographer—whose life was tragically cut short by political repression. From a young age, his artistic abilities were evident. He was educated at the Vanyan Haykazyan Central Secondary School, where his passion for drawing flourished. He created charcoal portraits of prominent Armenian literary figures such as Khachatur Abovyan, Raffi, Shirvanzade, Hovhannes Tumanyan, and Hakob Paronyan. In addition to his art, Dancho worked as a typesetter at a local printing house, making him one of the first in Van to occupy that role. He also performed in local theater productions, earning acclaim for his portrayals of female roles, such as Desdemona and Ophelia in Shakespeare’s plays.
In 1915, Dancho actively participated in the self-defense battles of Van during the Armenian Genocide. After the atrocities of the genocide, he fled to Tbilisi with his family and resumed his work as a typesetter. During the 1920s, he became known for his political cartoons, which were published in various Armenian periodicals. His work gained the admiration of many, including Yeghishe Charents, the renowned poet, who, while heading the Pethrat Publishing House’s art department, sought to publish a collection of Dancho’s cartoons. However, the political environment of the time prevented the project from being realized.
Dancho was also a prolific writer. He penned numerous essays, articles, and poems, with his work being praised by Alexandr Myasnikyan, the head of Soviet Armenia. He was a founding member of the Armenian Association of Proletarian Writers and contributed to its first board. Among his literary works was the novel The Prostitute(Պոռնկուհին), as well as several illustrated textbooks, showcasing his dual talents as a writer and lithographer.
Sadly, Dancho’s promising career came to an abrupt end during the Great Purge. In 1937, he was arrested and accused of being a member of the Ramkavar (Armenian Democratic Liberal) party, a charge he vehemently denied. After enduring brutal torture, he died that same year in the Central Prison of Yerevan. Despite the horrors he faced, a final message was smuggled from his prison cell, found on the wall of a bathhouse, where he wrote, “Շատ լավ եմ, ուտելիք ստանում եմ, դու պինդ կաց” (“I am very well, I receive food, you stay strong”).