,
Aghayan, Tumanyan (sitting) and
Shant,
Demirchian (standing). Tumanyan was born on February 19, 1869, in the village of
Dsegh,
Tiflis Governorate,
Russian Empire (now in
Lori Province, Armenia). His father, Aslan (1839–1898), was the village priest known as Ter-Tadevos. He was an offspring of an Armenian princely family of
Tumanyan, branch of the famous royal house of
Mamikonian that settled in Lori in 10th and 11th centuries from their original feudal fief of
Taron. His mother, Sona (1842–1936), was an avid storyteller with a particular interest in fables. Young Tumanyan was the oldest of eight children; his siblings were Rostom (1871–1915), Osan (1874–1926), Iskuhi (1878–1943), Vahan (1881–1937), Astghik (1885–1953), Arshavir (1888–1921), Artashes (1892–1916). From 1877 to 1879, Tumanyan attended the
parochial school of Dsegh. From 1879 to 1883 he went to a school in
Jalaloghly. Tumanyan moved to Tiflis in 1883, where he attended the
Nersisyan School from 1883 to 1887.
Personal life In 1888, at the age of 19, Tumanyan married Olga Matchkalyan, age 17. They had 10 children: Musegh (1889–1938), Ashkhen (1891–1968), Nvard (1892–1957), Artavazd (1894–1918), Hamlik (1896–1937), Anush (1898–1927), Arpik (1899–1981), Areg (1900–1939), Seda (1905–1988),
Tamar (1907–1989). ==Political and public activism==