Armenian translation of "Cell No. 14" presented at YSU

The Armenian translation of "Cell No. 14," the memoir of Iran's late supreme leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, was presented at the YSU Faculty of Oriental Studies. Published in Armenian as "Blood That Became Ruby," the book explores prison life, political struggle and personal relationships against the backdrop of Iran's modern history.

"Cell No. 14" covers Khamenei's years in prison, his revolutionary activities and the events leading up to Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. The book has been translated into 25 languages, including English, German, French, Japanese, Chinese and Russian.

YSU Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Elina Asriyan emphasized that the Armenian edition is more than a translation project, describing it as the result of cooperation in education and research. She said it offers Armenian readers a new opportunity to explore Iran's historical developments, cultural characteristics and sociopolitical environment.

"The translation of this book, undertaken here at Yerevan State University, is an important resource for understanding the distinctive features of Iran's cultural, political and spiritual life, as well as gaining a comprehensive picture of the recent history of our neighboring people and state. It also reflects the development of Iranian studies at the YSU Faculty of Oriental Studies, which is becoming a bridge not only for educational, scientific and academic ties but also for people-to-people diplomacy," she said.

Ruben Melkonyan, Dean of the YSU Faculty of Oriental Studies, discussed the historical context of the events described in the memoir and highlighted the book's value for the study of modern Iranian history.

The Armenian translation took approximately nine months to complete. It was undertaken by Mariam Zazyan, a PhD student at the YSU Chair of Iranian Studies and a specialist in Iranian studies. According to Zazyan, she first encountered the book during a visit to the Cultural Center of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Armenia. She was encouraged to read it to improve her Persian language skills and later received an offer to translate it into Armenian.

One of the main challenges during the translation process was choosing the Armenian title, "Blood That Became Ruby." Zazyan sought to preserve the original meaning while finding wording that would sound natural to Armenian readers. She explained that the images of blood and the red gemstone carry symbolic meaning, making it important to retain both the original imagery and its emotional impact.

"We are well aware that Armenian has other equivalents, such as 'սուտակ', but we chose the international term 'ռուբին' to preserve the original imagery and color symbolism as closely as possible while making the title understandable to Armenian readers," Zazyan explained.

Iranian Minister of Sports and Youth Ahmad Donyamali discussed the role of young people as portrayed in the memoir, addressing their participation in and responsibility for historical and social developments.

Mohammad Asadi Movahed, Head of the Cultural Center of the Iranian Embassy in Armenia, spoke about prospects for cultural cooperation between Armenia and Iran. He said the Armenian edition could help strengthen bilateral cooperation and encourage further translation initiatives.

"The book is another contribution to our cooperation. It will give readers greater insight into the supreme leader's life. I hope this will be a step toward further translations," Mohammad Asadi Movahed said.

The presentation was also attended by YSU faculty members, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Armenia Khalil Shirgholami, members of the Iranian delegation, lecturers, specialists in Iranian studies, students and other guests.

The presentation of the Armenian edition, "Blood That Became Ruby," was organized at the initiative of the YSU Chair of Iranian Studies and the Cultural Center of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Armenia.