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Our new home is located on 5, Otets Paisiy Str. This is the former trade house of the tradesman Sarkis Kuyumdzhiyan built in 1900, architect Nigos Bedrosyan. The aristocratic Ruschuk spirit from the beginning of XX century is still presenting in the six large rooms of an area of 640 sq. m.
Michael Arlen (Dikran Kuyumdzhiyan) was born in the Sarkis Kuyumdzhiyan family in 1885. On his mother’s side he comes from the family of rich tradesmen Aslanyan traded mainly with tobacco and wool mainly in England. The upbringing of the little boy was his mother’s duty. She played piano, spoke excellently French, her library was full of world classics’ works. She was the one who directed Michael Arlen to the literature. The Aslanyans’ trading company prospered and expanded. The family decided to send Sarkis Kuyumdzhiyan to stand at the head a subsidiary company in England. The little Dikran graduated a state school there and continued his education in the very prestigious college "Saint Andrews" in Scotland. Unfortunately, his father’s company went bankrupt and he had to cut his education. He went to London and earned his livings with writing. He took the clear English name Michael Arlen there. In the beginning he wrote for newspapers and magazines and in 1920 his novel The London Venture – his life description, was released.
His debut as a writer was welcomed with a great interest. A year after that, his first collection of short stories The Romantic Lady, was released. In 1922 he was granted British citizenship and formally took the name Michael Arlen. He was highly varied as a writer. He was famous as a chronicler of young, famous and rich people.In 1924 he wrote the book The Green Hat nominated for Nobel Prize and then Russe had the chance to have another Nobel Prize winner born in the Danube city together Elias Kanetti. The novel – highly ingenious and cynical in some episodes story for the lost post-war generation was adapted for the stage and was played in West End’s Adelphi Theatre. In 1928 it was filmed starring Greta Garbo
in the leading part, who was the Hollywood’s biggest star at this time.
Young, good-looking, educated, at his literature glory’s peak Michael Arlen has an interesting social life. He could be seen in London driving his yellow Rolls-Royse as well as at Cote d’Azure where he spend a part of his life in the company of world-famous people. He has a friendships with Hemingway, Scott Fitzgerald and many others.
A gentleman with perfect manners, in 1928 he married to the countess Atlanta Merkatti. Her father - count Alexander Merkatti was a member of managers’ body of IOC and a treasurer of the king of Greece for many years. They had a son Michael J. Arlen who became writer as his father and now is among the famous Hollywood script-writers and a daughter Venice. When the World War II started the family moved to USA. Michael Arlen died in 1956 in New York
We express our great gratitude to Dr. Emil Tateosyan, a family's successor who gave us this intellectual space that we will fill with matter.
Our new home is located on 5, Otets Paisiy Str. This is the former trade house of the tradesman Sarkis Kuyumdzhiyan built in 1900, architect Nigos Bedrosyan. The aristocratic Ruschuk spirit from the beginning of XX century is still presenting in the six large rooms of an area of 640 sq. m.
Michael Arlen (Dikran Kuyumdzhiyan) was born in the Sarkis Kuyumdzhiyan family in 1885. On his mother’s side he comes from the family of rich tradesmen Aslanyan traded mainly with tobacco and wool mainly in England. The upbringing of the little boy was his mother’s duty. She played piano, spoke excellently French, her library was full of world classics’ works. She was the one who directed Michael Arlen to the literature. The Aslanyans’ trading company prospered and expanded. The family decided to send Sarkis Kuyumdzhiyan to stand at the head a subsidiary company in England. The little Dikran graduated a state school there and continued his education in the very prestigious college "Saint Andrews" in Scotland. Unfortunately, his father’s company went bankrupt and he had to cut his education. He went to London and earned his livings with writing. He took the clear English name Michael Arlen there. In the beginning he wrote for newspapers and magazines and in 1920 his novel The London Venture – his life description, was released.
His debut as a writer was welcomed with a great interest. A year after that, his first collection of short stories The Romantic Lady, was released. In 1922 he was granted British citizenship and formally took the name Michael Arlen. He was highly varied as a writer. He was famous as a chronicler of young, famous and rich people.In 1924 he wrote the book The Green Hat nominated for Nobel Prize and then Russe had the chance to have another Nobel Prize winner born in the Danube city together Elias Kanetti. The novel – highly ingenious and cynical in some episodes story for the lost post-war generation was adapted for the stage and was played in West End’s Adelphi Theatre. In 1928 it was filmed starring Greta Garbo
in the leading part, who was the Hollywood’s biggest star at this time.
Young, good-looking, educated, at his literature glory’s peak Michael Arlen has an interesting social life. He could be seen in London driving his yellow Rolls-Royse as well as at Cote d’Azure where he spend a part of his life in the company of world-famous people. He has a friendships with Hemingway, Scott Fitzgerald and many others.
A gentleman with perfect manners, in 1928 he married to the countess Atlanta Merkatti. Her father - count Alexander Merkatti was a member of managers’ body of IOC and a treasurer of the king of Greece for many years. They had a son Michael J. Arlen who became writer as his father and now is among the famous Hollywood script-writers and a daughter Venice. When the World War II started the family moved to USA. Michael Arlen died in 1956 in New York
We express our great gratitude to Dr. Emil Tateosyan, a family's successor who gave us this intellectual space that we will fill with matter.