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On March 3, 2026, the Central Bank of Armenia puts into circulation “150th birth anniversary of Hrachya Acharyan” silver collector coin.

Collector coin dedicated to the 150th birth anniversary of Hrachya Acharyan

HRACHYA ACHARYAN (1876–1953), an eminent Armenian linguist and lexicographer, Honored Scientist of the Armenian SSR (1933), and Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR (1943).
Born in Constantinople, Acharyan received his early education at a local school before pursuing higher studies at the universities of Paris and Strasbourg, where he studied under some of the most distinguished Armenologists of his time.
From 1898 to 1923, he devoted himself to teaching in Etchmiadzin, Shushi, Nor Bayazet, Karin, Tabriz, etc. During those years, he traveled widely across historical Armenia, documenting dialects and collecting materials that referred to multiple areas of Armenology.
In 1923, Acharyan was invited to join the faculty of Yerevan State University. Awarded the academic title of professor in 1924, he later became the Head of the Department of Oriental Languages, where he lectured on a wide array of subjects: the history of the Armenian language, comparative grammar, Classical (Old) Armenian, dialectology, ancient and medieval Armenian literature, as well as French, Persian, Arabic, Sanskrit, and others.
Acharyan authored approximately 200 scholarly works, among them Armenian Dialectology (1911), Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Language (1926–1935), Dictionary of Armenian Personal Names (1942–1962), History of the Armenian Language (1940–1945), and Comprehensive Grammar of the Armenian Language (1952–1971). These monumental, multi-volume studies stand as landmarks not only in Armenian linguistics but also in world philology.
Acharyan’s scholarship extended beyond linguistics – his book History of the Armenian Diaspora reflects his work on Armenian history.
Hrachya Acharyan’s legacy endures in institutions and public life – the Institute of Language, a residential district, and an avenue in Yerevan all bear his name.

Obverse: Hracհya Acharyan’s Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Language and a fragment from his manuscript.
Reverse: Hrachya Acharyan’s graphic portrait and signature.

Designers: Haroutiun Samuelian (obverse), Ani Acharyan (reverse).
The coin is minted at the Royal Dutch Mint.

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