From ancient times, Armenian women have been renowned for their talent and beauty. Their role in world history is also invaluable. These outstanding women have become distinguished not only by manners and grace but also by their natural smartness.
We present the names of Armenian women who are rightfully admired not only in Armenia but also in Turkey, Singapore, the US, and many other countries of the world.
Anna Porphyrogenita was the daughter of Byzantine emperor Romanos II and the wife of the great Kyiv prince Vladimir the Great. Only a few people know that Princess Anna, an Armenian by birth, played an exceptional role in the history of Russia.
Princess Anna was born on March 13, 963. Anna’s mother, Queen Theophano, had been born into a simple family of a tavern-keeper, and she also was an Armenian by birth. She was distinguished by her amazing beauty and the extraordinary mind.
Having become the Grand Princess of Kievan Rus’, Anna took up to spread Christianity and construct many churches in Kievan Rus’. The first temple laid under her was the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kyiv.
Anna Davidovna Abamelik-Lazareva was a famous beauty, talented poetess-translator, and socialite of Armenian descent. She was born on April 15, 1814, in St. Petersburg into the noble and wealthy Armenian family of Abamelik princes.
Since childhood, Anna has been distinguished by her love of literature and by her exquisite taste. The princess was fluent in five languages and was engaged in literary translations for her entire life. On April 20, 1832, Nicholas I signed a decree appointing her as the Empress’s lady-in-waiting.
Zabel Yesayan was a well-known journalist and writer of the Armenian Renaissance period. Zabel Yesayan entered the top five of the most fearless women in the world according to the American portal Refinery29.
Yesayan was born in 1878 in Istanbul. She published her first poem at the age of 16, and by the age of 17, she decided to become a professional writer.
Yesayan is a brilliant example of a woman who lived at a time and in a place where being smart and self-confident was very dangerous.
Flora Zabelle Hitchcock (Mangasarian) was a silent movie star and the first Broadway actress of Armenian descent. The San Francisco Call newspaper called Flora Zabelle one of the most attractive representatives of high society in Philadelphia.
The Mangasarian family had moved from Constantinople (modern Istanbul) to the United States in the late 1880s. Flora was educated in the US. Immediately after graduating from college, she decided to conquer Broadway and gained popularity. The actress married famous screenwriter and actor Raymond Hitchcock.
Anna Der-Vartanian became the first woman in US history to be promoted to Master Chief Petty Officer, the highest enlisted rank in the US Navy. This seemingly fragile woman was distinguished by special courage and strength of character.
Der-Vartanian has also held the position of the US National Military Representative to NATO (Paris). In 1963, Anna Der-Vartanian left the US Navy and joined the US Central Intelligence Agency where she would serve until retirement.
Der-Vartanian passed away on August 4, 2011, at the age of 90. She was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in a suburb of Washington with military honors.
