He was born in February 1885 to a family of tailors in
Shusha (then part of
Shusha uezd). He had 3 sisters and 6 brothers. He was sent to study at Armenian Eparchial Seminary of Karabakh at the age of 8. However, after three years, the family's difficult financial situation forced him leave the seminary and continue family business. He bought his first kamancheh at the age of 12 from his neighbour after selling a cauldron secretly from the house for 6
abbasi. Soon he learned how to play
Uzundara and
Karabakh Shikastasi. Growing up, he was acquainted by
Mashadi Isi, Hashim Keshtazli,
Jabbar Garyaghdioglu,
Sadiqjan,
Lazar Ter-Vartanesov, Bakhshi Ballujali, Avanes, Baghdagul oghlu Gosti and other mugham musicians. He frequently attended the performances of
khananda Kechachioghlu Muhammed,
tar player Grigor Shushulu ("the Little"), kamancheh player
Mirza Sattar in Khandemirov theatre, later becoming the student of Mirza. After practicing with him for a while, Armenak made his debut performance at age of 14 in a wedding taking place in the village of
Mkhitarashen with khananda Hashim Keshtazli and tar player Uzun Mardi. He was later acquainted and befriended
Mammadgulu Shushinski, Grigor Shushulu, Charikhchi Bahadir and played
Chahargah on solo in a big event in Armenian neighborhood of Shusha. He continued playing in different events, ceremonies and weddings following a group of musicians, especially Grigor for ten years. He moved to Baku together with Mammadgulu Shushinski in 1908, where he met Jabbar Garyaghdioglu,
Shakili Alasgar,
Mashadi Zeynal,
Gurban Pirimov, Tatevos Harutyunov, Shirin Akhundov and and other artists in person. Following the
Soviet takeover of Azerbaijan, he performed as a part of "Brigade of Propaganda" () in
Barda,
Yevlakh and
Aghjabadi in February 1921. He became part of Azerbaijan State Oriental Orchestra of Folk Instruments led by
Avanes Ioannesyan in 1922, giving a concert in Moscow with the orchestra in 1926. Orchestra at his time also included
Bulbul,
Seyid Shushinski,
Khan Shushinski,
Zulfu Adigozalov and others. He toured Central Asia together with Bulbul and Lazar Gabrielyan in 1931. His first recording performance happened in 1938, accompanying
Surayya Qajar on kamancheh. Armenak, who participated in the All-Union review of folk instrument players in Moscow, was awarded with a certificate of commendation in 1939. He accompanied
Gambar Zulalov and Khan Shushinski during
World War II as performed in military hospitals of Baku,
Zheleznovodsk,
Kislovodsk and
Pyatigorsk. He also performed for soldiers in field together with Mammadkhan Bakikhanov, Khanlar Hagverdiyev, and Teymur Damirov during
Baltic offensive in 1944, for which he was decorated with award and medals. Armenak Shushinski died in 1967, in Baku. == References ==