Alexander Mantashev - Philanthropist

Philanthropist

Along with twelve like-minded people he founded the "Armenian Charitable Society in the Caucasus". He donated 300,000 rubles towards the building of the Nersessian spiritual academy. He donated 250,000 rubles to the holy town of Echmiadzin for the building of the residence of the Catholicos of Armenia and of All Armenians (construction completed in 1914). Mantashev hand-picked fifty talented young Armenians and sent over two hundred to study at the best universities of Russia and Europe. Among them was the famous Armenian composer Komitas, Hrachya Acharyan and the controversial Communist revolutionary Stepan Shahumyan as well as others who became famous later on. The most famous donation made by Mantashev remains the Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist in Paris on Jean Goujon street. He explained that he chose Paris because that's the city where he sinned most. During its construction in 1904 Mantashev spent 1,540,000 francs. For this act, the President of France gave Alexander Mantashev the Order of the Legion of Honor.