Prominant Armenians

PROMINENT SWEDISH ARMENIANS

In different years such prominent Armenians of Sweden as architect Petros Zardarian, Doctor Shapuh Gedik, public figures Hrach Marutian, Aramayis and Jokonda Mirzakhanian, Siranoosh Gharagyoz, Ohan Vardanian, Jirair Rostomian, Garo Hakobian, Lusin Voskerichian, the philanthropist Demirians and more played an important role in Armenian national life in Sweden.

One of those intellectuals was the architect and technologian, member of Maltese Order Pierre Der Hakopian who studied at the French University in Beirut, Lebanon and the Ecole Supérieure d’ Architecture in Paris, where he graduated with honors in 1953. Der Hakopian worked as chief engineer for the Emir of Kuwait, as well as in Damascus and Beirut. In 1958 he settled in Göteborg. Der Hakopian has designed a dozen of churches for Stockholm and other cities across the country. For his activities Der Hakopian was honored with prizes and considered one of the best architectures of Sweden. Der Hakopian was also appointed as the representative of Ghana to Sweden.

One of the prominent Swedish Armenian political figures is Esabelle Dingizian (Green Party).

She was born on September16, 1962 in Baghdad in the family of Armenian businessman. In mid-1960s, her family moved to Malmö, Sweden. Since the early 1990s, she resides with her family in Stockholm.

Since her youth, Esabelle was actively involved in the social political life of Sweden. She is a Member of Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) since 2006 for Stockholm County and Vice President of the Parliamentary since September 29, 2014.

She contributed greatly to the recognition of the Arrmenian Genocide in 2010 as well as provided significant support for the estabvlishement of friendship between the parliaments of Sweden and Armenia.

Murad Artin is a prominent Swedish-Armenian politician. He was born in Iraq but his family is originally from Van.

He studied architecture in Poland in 1981-1984. Murad Artin came to Sweden 1984 and has worked as migrant consultant and employment officer in 1986-1998.

He was elected to the Swedish Parliament for 1998-2002 and was member of the Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs in 1998-2002. He was also a member of the Left Party Board and Executive Committee in 2004-2008.

Murad Artin was the first Member of the Swedish Parliament who initiated several motions for the recognition of the Genocide of Armenians, Assyrians/Syriacs and Chaldeans in 1915, He also was author to several motions about Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

In 2003-2006, Murad Artin was Vice Mayor and Member of the Municipal Council of Örebro. Currently, he Member of the Örebro Municipal Council from the Left Party.

A prominent Swedish-Armenian producer and director Suzanne Khardalian (born in Beirut in 1951) has studied in Beirut and Paris. She produces films with her husband, director Peå Holmquist.

Their film “Return to Ararat” 1987-1988) explains how Armenians publicized the 1915 Armenian Genocide. The film was awarded the “Guldbagge” prize for the Best Film and a “Red Ribbon” at the American Film and Video Festival. Their next film, “A Report from Nagorno Kh” (1990) is about the struggle for independence of the Armenian population in Karabagh. Other films of Khardalian and Holmquist include “Unsafe Ground” (1993), “From Opium to Chrysanthemums” (2000), “Words and Stones - Gaza” (2000), “Where Lies My Victory” (2003) and “I Hate Dogs” (2005, about a 99-years-old Armenian genocide survivor) and “Camelen” (2014) about Swedish Radio journalist in Egypt.

MFA RA
official website

Dual citizenship

Electronic visa

Visa applications