28.Ap.2024 : How Charlie Chapline Could Help Arminia orfancollected 1.5 milion Us Dollar i

How Charlie Chaplin collected 15 million USD worth today in 1921, as donation aid for the orphans of Armenian Genicide
April 21, 2021

April 16, marks the birthday of Charlie Chaplin. He is considered as the greatest actor of 20th century and a person with unique human values. However, not many know that during the years of the Armenian Genocide Charlie Chaplin started a foundation to help Armenian children and transferred all the collected money to this fund.

Charlie traveled all over Europe in the 1920’s, where he raised 1 million USD (worth 15 million USD value nowadays) and donated all the money to help Armenian orphans fleeing the Ottoman Empire. He personally visited these children, helped build orphanages and special rehabilitation centers for Armenian orphans in Europe and the United States. It was during this time that Charlie made the famous movie “The Kid”, having co-actor a young poor boy, with sad and innocent character, somehow resembling Armenian orphans.

In 1965, world famous Armenian composer Aram Khachaturyan was invited to visit Switzerland, as part of a jury team for international musical competition. At that time Charlie was 76 years old, living an isolated life in a villa outside Geneva and rarely accepting to welcome any guest. Surprisingly, Aram Khachaturyan received an invitation message from Chaplin, requesting to host the composer as his villa.

After few hours of long conversation, Khachaturyan asked what is the mystery behind his sad face? With a silent smile, Chaplin took Khachaturyan to his private room where he opened a drawer revealing records of a violinist playing music of Armenian priest Komitas, known as the genius of Armenian music and pioneer of ethnomusicology. Chaplin said it is one of his favorites and he listens to it whenever in need of inner peace. Gifting one of the records to Khachaturyan, he added: “In life we think too much, feel too little. And the Armenian music is simply an endless ocean of pure emotions…”.
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