Stepan Zorian

Stepan Zorian (Armenian: Ստեփան Զօրեան, 1867–1919), better known by his nom de guerre Rostom (Ռոստոմ), was one of the three founders of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and a very active participant of the Armenian national liberation movement.

Founding of the ARF

Zorian was born in Tsghna, Erivan Governorate. He attended college in Moscow but dropped out before graduating. He eventually went to Tiflis, Georgia, where he met Christapor Mikaelian and Simon Zavarian, all would become revolutionaries. They co-founded the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) in 1890. Their new political party had a major impact on Armenians. It gained support by demanding reforms and taking up arms to defend Armenian citizens of the Ottoman Empire.

Works and travels

Zorian moved to Geneva, Switzerland where he managed the Droshak Journal (Troshag) newspaper, as the editor. In Garin, pretending to be a teapot salesman because ARF party members were banned in Turkey, he established student unions. He later settled in Bulgaria to create cooperation between ARF and the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization in its struggle against Abdul Hamid II. He also opened an Armenian school there with his wife, Lisa Melik Shahnazarian.