The Armenian Heritage Project is extremely fortunate and very grateful to Mr. Michael Martin for allowing us to reproduce photographs from the Martin family albums.
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The altar piece inside the Church
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Mrs Veronica Martin and Mrs. Zavin Davidian
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Archbishop Baliosian was a frequest visitor to the Armenian Church in Dhaka and conducted services. L-R. Mrs davidian, 2. unknown 3. Zavin davidian, 4, Archbishop Baliosian, 5. Andreas Jouhourian, 6. Angela Sarkissian, 7. Igor 8. Mr. Martin.
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The Armenian Church and Mr. Martin circ 1990s
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The altar
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Service inside the church
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Service inside the church
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Service inside the church
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Exterior of the Church
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Grave of Veronica Martin nee Gonsalves. Wife of Mr. Michael Martin.
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Burial service of the late Mrs. Veronica Martin
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Mr Martin’s three daughters, Christine Martin, Eleanor Martin and Cheryl Martin
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Christin Martin and Archbishop Baliosian
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After the baptism of Mr. Martin’s grandson Mikhail
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Christin Martin’s engagement party took place inside the Parsonage
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Christin Martin’s engagement party took place inside the Parsonage
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When Mr. Martin took over as custodian of the church in the mid 1980s he was faced with huge structural problems with the church
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The fabric of the church was in ruins
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A ceiling had collapsed
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Daylight where there should have been a roof
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Mr. Martin took on the task of repairing the church
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The church was very weak from lack of attention
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Using his own funds, Mr. Martin put a repairs programme together
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Repairs returned the church to some stability
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A great deal of work was required to save the church
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After the repairs
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Portrait of Mr. Michael Martin
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Russian Ambassador Igor Sarkissian and his wife Angela
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Mr Martin started a food assistance programme for local people using his own funds
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Mr. Martin with Archbishop Baliosian
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Mr. Martin with Archbishop Baliosian
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The Russian Ambassador Igor Sarkissian was a regular visitor to the Church and became good friends with Mr. Martin
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Mr. Martin, The Russian Ambassador Igor Sarkissian and Mr. Martin’s son-in-law Robert Simonian.
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Mr. Martin in the grounds of the Church
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The steps of the Parsonage
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The Parsonage house
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Many people will know of Sophie and Arshak Galstaun. This is her, Sophie Aidinyantz (as she was known when this picture was taken) nee Mansur. She married Arshak in 1957 in the Armenian Church Calcutta.
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Far right: Mrs Sophie Aidinyantz nee Mansur (later becoming Mrs Arshak Galstaun). Behind her Mr. Michael Martin. Far left of the photograph is Hermione Martin. The remaining people are thought to be related to Sophie, perhaps some of her Mansur family. If anyone can identify them, please do get in touch with the Project.
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Far right: Mrs Sophie Aidinyantz nee Mansur (later becoming Mrs Arshak Galstaun). Behind her Mr. Michael Martin. Beside Sophie is her sister Jilly with her little boy. Behind the girl with the camera is Hermione Martin.
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Apcar Gregory, Jilly Mansur’s husband and brother-in-law of Sophie Aidinyantz (later Galstaun)
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Mr. Martin and the Russian Ambassador Igor Sarkissian, behind the Ambassador is Kirk or Kasparian from Kuwait and Sergei Sarkissian.
Mr and Mrs Martin were the Godparents for Igor, Angela and Sergei Sarkissian who were baptized at the Dhaka church by Agha Baliosian
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The Russian Ambassaor Igor Sarkission was a familar face at the home of Mr. Martin and his family. Seen here making kebabs.
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Russian Ambassador posing with Mr. Martin’s rifle. Also seen here with Mr. Martin and Angela Sarkissian
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Visitors to the Martin family home in the parsonage are the Polish Ambassador and his son, and George Ray, a friend of Mr. Martin.
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Visitors to the Martin family home
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Visitors to the Martin family home. L-R: Angela, Eleanor Martin, Cynthia John nee Martin (Mr. Martin’s sister), Polish ambassador Román Lusakowski, a couple from Syria, Elias and Nadwa. He was sent by the U.N. to train persona in the cooking and confectionery line. Far right Christine Martin
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The Martin family outside the Parsonage
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Armenian College 1948
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Mr. Michael Martin as a young man
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Veronica Martin
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Christine says: “This is the monkey that used to visit us everyday and we used to feed him fruits from the trees and bread. He loved dad the most😊. His name was Madhu.”
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Mr. Martin’s father, Joseph Abraham Martin in the grounds of the Church.
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Mr. Martin kept a herb and vegetable garden in the grounds of the Church
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In the mid 1980’s the daunting task of saving and repairing the crumbling church fell on to Mr. Michael Martin.
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Elevated view of the Armenian Church
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In the mid 1980’s the daunting task of saving and repairing the crumbling church fell on to Mr. Michael Martin.
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Repairing and painting the Church tower
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Mr. Martin raised the graves from ground level to preserve them during flooding
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Mr. Martin raised the graves from ground level to preserve them during flooding
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Mr. Martin raised the graves from ground level to preserve them during flooding
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Repairs to the Altar
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Mr Martin pictured repairing the altar
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Although Mack Stephen’s wedding to Laila Walker took place in Calcutta, Mack was a regular part of the Dhaka community.
Mack Stephen was also a cousin of Mr. Michael Martin.
Jeannette notes: As to Mack Stephen, he was very close to my grandfather (who he would call “CC”) and he was one of grandfather’s best friends. My mother tells me that Mack was a kind and generous man. He never remarried after a very civilised end to his marriage and he eventually settled in London where he ran a hotel (more a B & B) in Barkston Gardens, Kensington, close to Earls Court Tube Station. As a young child growing up in Calcutta in the 1950s – 1960s, I also have good memories of him because he would come and stay with us in Calcutta, usually every January – February to get away from the cold winters in the UK. Yes, he did buy a new Jaguar car from the French Motor Car Company in Calcutta. You have a scan of his car from the photos in one of the albums
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Mack Stephen’s wedding to Laila Walker.
Left bridesmaid: Noreen Martin. Right bridesmaid: Marie Khachatur
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Mack Stephen and Laila Walker
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Mr Martin with his 3 grandchildren Mikhail, Armen and Norvik