Welcome, Medz Mama Vartanoush Krikorian Kaprielian!

In this episode, Vietnam veteran and trauma psychologist Michael Manoog Kaprielian shares the story of his bond with his paternal grandmother, Vartanoush—a survivor of the Armenian Genocide. From childhood memories and living by her side to honoring her legacy through global humanitarian work and a life-changing family reunion, Manoog takes us on a journey of history, healing, and rediscovery.

Vartanoush Kaprielian (1900–1986) was born in the city of Mush—known as Muş in modern-day eastern Turkey and historically part of Western Armenia. During the Armenian Genocide (1915–1923), 1.5 million Armenians were killed under the Ottoman Empire. In Mush alone, over 140,000 Armenians were targeted.

Vartanoush was one of the few who survived. She had two older half-sisters, Moulan Khatchadourian and Vardouhi Marabian. Shortly before the genocide, she fled with her mother, Gulizar, from Mush to Tbilisi, Georgia. While tending to wounded Armenian fighters there, she met her future husband, Michael Kaprielian—Manoog’s namesake—while caring for his injuries.

They fell in love, married in Tbilisi, and began a remarkable journey eastward across the Trans-Siberian Railway. After passing through Russia and reaching Japan, they eventually arrived in the United States. They settled in Providence, Rhode Island, where they raised seven children—five of whom survived—and helped build what would become a vibrant Armenian-American community of genocide survivors and their descendants. Their family was, and remains, a strong pillar of that community.

Amid the chaos of genocide, Vartanoush’s sisters and uncles were separated and eventually resettled in Yerevan, Gyumri, and the remote village of Dzorashen, Armenia. Decades later, through Manoog’s determination, a missing branch of the family was found—reuniting relatives and honoring the resilience of a grandmother whose quiet strength continues to inspire.

About Today’s Guest – Michael Manoog Kaprielian:

• Member of the Providence Armenian Relief Society
• Life member of Vietnam Veterans of America and the NAACP
• First man elected to the board of the Armenian International Women’s Association
• Recipient of honors from the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Georgia
• Lecturer on PTSD and the psychology of the Armenian woman
• Founding board member of Alzheimer’s Care Armenia

Big thanks to sound designer/musician Aris Buechele!
Follow us on The Medz Mamas Podcast.

Created by: Anoush Bargamian @themedzmamas
Story by: Michael Manoog Kaprielian
Photo: Michael Manoog Kaprielian
Sound Design by: Aris Buechele @noiseship

Support the show

TheMedzMamas™ is a place to honor and celebrate our Armenian grandmothers all across the globe. Subscribe today and share TheMedzMamas™ with friends & family!

TheMedzMamas was established in late 2020 to celebrate and honor Armenian grandmothers' lives, stories, and perspectives.

TheMedzMamas aims to amplify the voices of Armenian women, with a focus on this particular generation of women.

While we specifically feature Armenian grandmothers worldwide, anyone can enjoy the collection of stories. We serve as a multi-generational experience that teaches the value of our unique Armenian grandmotherhood experience within the fabric of our collective humanity.

"My grandmother, Kenarik Adamian, was born in Tehran, Iran, likely in 1929, despite a birth certificate stating 1925. She was one of five children and grew up in an Armenian family, passionate about design and sewing. Taught by a French-Armenian family friend, she pursued her interests despite her education being interrupted in her teens.

At around 18 or 19, my grandmother met Vahan Zolfaghari, a wealthy man from a gold and jewelry business background. They married in a grand Armenian church ceremony. Kenarik had five children, though one son died in infancy. The surviving children were Verjik, Vahram, Hilda, and Frida. She was a dedicated stay-at-home mother who designed clothes for her children and relatives.

Tehran was westernized during Kenarik's life, and Armenians were well-regarded. Her children were educated in England, frequently traveling for vacations and school. My grandmother supported my mother Hilda's marriage to my father, an American named Michael, amidst the Iranian Revolution in 1979. She attended the wedding in England, though her husband couldn't due to health and travel fears.

Post-revolution, Kenarik returned to Iran, focusing on her ailing husband and first grandchild. The revolution isolated her from her children abroad, and she fell ill with shingles. Her husband passed away during this period, leaving her to cope alone with only Verjik nearby.

In 1986, my grandmother immigrated to America after her husband's death, settling with her children in Maryland. Despite language barriers, she adjusted quickly, bringing Persian carpets, gold, and souvenirs. She lived with her children and found renewed purpose in caring for me when I was born in 1992. Kenarik's Armenian and Persian cooking was beloved, and she shared Armenian traditions and stories, becoming a central figure in my life.

I cherish her legacy of love, strength, and resilience, feeling her presence in spirit even after her passing." -Ashley M. David

You can find Ashley, @ashdave17, on Instagram.

Special thanks to sound designer and musician Aris Buechele for creating the beautiful music for Season 2. You can find Aris @noiseship on Instagram.

To stay updated on new episodes, please give us a follow on The Medz Mamas Podcast. And if you know an incredible Medz Mama, you can contact us through Instagram @themedzmamas or go to themedzmamas.com.

Created by: Anoush Bargamian @sweetangst_art @themedzmamas
Story by: Ashley M. David
Photography: Ashley M. David's library
Music by: Aris Buechele @noiseship

Support the show

TheMedzMamas™ is a place to honor and celebrate our Armenian grandmothers all across the globe. Subscribe today and share TheMedzMamas™ with friends & family!

TheMedzMamas was established in late 2020 to celebrate and honor Armenian grandmothers' lives, stories, and perspectives.

TheMedzMamas aims to amplify the voices of Armenian women, with a focus on this particular generation of women.

While we specifically feature Armenian grandmothers worldwide, anyone can enjoy the collection of stories. We serve as a multi-generational experience that teaches the value of our unique Armenian grandmotherhood experience within the fabric of our collective humanity.

Hey, beautiful people! Welcome back to The Medz Mamas!
I'm your host, Anoush Bargamian!

Today, granddaughter Violetta Sagatela honors her paternal grandmother, Amalia Abramyan.

"Amalia was born in 1924 in Khtsaberd, a village which was populated by an Armenian ethnic majority before 1989, before the displacement of Armenians from their ancestral land by the Azeri government. Since then, Khtsaberd has been renamed and now bears an Azeri name.

Amalia was always proud of her contribution to the war effort (behind the front lines) in defeating the Nazis in 1945. She often described the day she first heard the announcement of the end of World War 2 on the loudspeaker.

Amalia moved to Baku before the 1950s to find work as a seamstress and to start a family. Amalia married when she was in her mid-20s, an old maid by those standards, and had two children, the younger of whom was my father. Babo worked as a seamstress and made clothes for her children, but her dream was to attend medical school, which never materialized. A lifelong lover of the arts, she was particularly fond of theater and was the first to take me to a live show. Babo was always ahead of her time, which was not embraced in a rigid society that expected women to know their place and not deviate from the norm. Being a trailblazer, she was one of the few women not to take her husband's last name upon marriage and to leave an abusive marriage.

What is most notable about her is how fiercely she fought for me when confronted with bullying classmates or an unkind teacher. I spent many days with her as a child, and I inherited her love of plants and animals. Babo's favorites were stray cats, which she fed and gave shelter to as they passed through her home. To this day, I sing to cats, as she often did when I was a child, which always brought great joy." -Violetta Sagatela

In this episode, we referred to the Armenian Relief Society, an NGO. To learn more about the Armenian Relief Society, please visit arseastusa.org.

Special thanks to sound designer and musician Aris Buechele for creating the beautiful music for Season 2. You can find Aris @noiseship on Instagram.

To stay updated on new episodes, please give us a follow on The Medz Mamas Podcast. And if you know an incredible Medz Mama, you can contact us through Instagram @themedzmamas or go to themedzmamas.com.

Created by: Anoush Bargamian @sweetangst_art @themedzmamas
Story by: Violetta Sagatela
Music by: Aris Buechele @noiseship

Support the show

TheMedzMamas™ is a place to honor and celebrate our Armenian grandmothers all across the globe. Subscribe today and share TheMedzMamas™ with friends & family!

TheMedzMamas was established in late 2020 to celebrate and honor Armenian grandmothers' lives, stories, and perspectives.

TheMedzMamas aims to amplify the voices of Armenian women, with a focus on this particular generation of women.

While we specifically feature Armenian grandmothers worldwide, anyone can enjoy the collection of stories. We serve as a multi-generational experience that teaches the value of our unique Armenian grandmotherhood experience within the fabric of our collective humanity.