THE ARMENIANS OF CYPRUS 17 Important Personalities Throughout their history in Cyprus, Armenians have made an important contribution to its growth and development, initially as soldiers and frontiersmen, later on as merchants and land owners and finally as craftsmen and entrepreneurs, as well as people of the arts, letters and sciences. There have been many Armenian-Cypriots with significant contribution in many fields both at home and abroad. From the old Armenian-Cypriots, who were resident in Cyprus long before the Armenian Genocide, it is worth mentioning, among others, the landowners Boghos Eramian (1840-1918), Apkar Guvezian (1857-1922) and Artin Bey Melikian (1858-1921), entrepreneurs Dickran Ouzounian (1870-1957) and Movses Soultanian (1884-1977), as well as Vahram Levonian (1896-1976), Director of the Department of Water Development, Aram Kevorkian (1888-1976), Postmaster-General of Cyprus, and Apisoghom Utidjian (1853-1929), Chief Translator and Interpreter for the British administration. From the numerous Genocide refugees, certain individuals have left their mark in the history of the island, such as: renowned musician and conductor Vahan Bedelian (1894-1990), famous artist Sebouh Abcarian (1930- 2014), veteran journalist Georges der Parthogh (1923-2008), prolific publisher Manuel Kassouni (1887-1974), researcher and author of the book “Romantic Cyprus” Kevork K. Keshishian (1909-1996), photographers Haigaz Mangoian (1907-1970) and Edward Voskeritchian (1902-1990), the founder of Lombard Banking in Cyprus, Hagop Keheyan (1922-2013), Chief Scout Hagop Palamoudian (1910-1996), well-known cardiologist and Nicosia General Hospital’s Director Dr. Vatche Kalbian (1923-1992) and the Director of St. John’s Ambulance Brigade Sona Yeghiayian (1915-2007). Others excelled abroad, such as: famous violinist Manoug Parikian (1920- 1987), journalist Shahe Guebenlian (1920-2007), Armenian Archbishop of Greece Sahag Ayvazian (1929-2003) and the Catholicos of Cilicia Khoren Paroyian (1914-1983). From the younger generation, the descendants of the Genocide survivors, there are many distinguished personalities, both in Cyprus and abroad. One of them is prominent politician Marios Garoyian (1961- ), who during the period 2008-2011 served as President of the Cyprus House of Representatives and was between 2006 and 2013 the President of the Democratic Party (DIKO). l Prominent members of the Armenian-Cypriot community in front of the Virgin Mary cathedral in old Nicosia (1914).