Stepan Atamian – Cafea Sultan

…bunicul a fost un cunoscut negustor de cafea la Brasov, a avut magazin de cafea cu firma « Cafea Sultan », pe strada Republicii.

ENGLISH VERSION BELOW

S-a nascut in 1894 in districtul Kemach, satul Varii Pacaridj. Districtul Kemach (se pare ca numele vine de la « ga mahk » (schlelete) este regiunea de obarsie a regilor Arsaguniat si face parte din regiunea Erzerum (nahank). Varii Pacaridj este unul din cele 11 sate (verii Pacaridj, Zakare, Surp Nshan, Hazarig, Ureni…), etalate intre malul Eufratului si poalele muntelui Sebuh.Tatal Atam Tilkian (Tilkioghlu) si mama Heghine au avut patru fii : Suren, cel mai mare nascut in 1888, Hacig, Stepan si Tacvor.

Pe perioada Genocidului, cei patru fii se aflau in Algeria (departament francez in vremea aceea) ca lucratori, iar la intoarcerea in Turcia, din familia lor de 21 de persoane , ramasesera ei singurii supravietuitori…au plecat si au ajuns in Romania, probabil in 1921-22 si s-au ocupat, ca marea majoritate a expatriatilor « kemahti » cu negotul de cafea. Ajunsi in România , fratii s-au dispersat in mai multe localitati, deschizând magazine de cafea : Suren, la Bucuresti, str. Regala, colt cu calea Victoriei, Hacig si Stepan la Bacau in 1928, Tacvor la Roman, la fabrica de zahar, apoi cafea. Stepan s-a casatorit cu Erceanig Abahuni in 1927 si dupa câtiva ani, s-au stabilit la Brasov unde au avut un magazin de cafea si coloniale, faimos (pentru ca era singurul !) foarte apreciat de populatia brasoveana pentru calitatea si bogatia marfurilor pe care le descoperea prin acest magazin si pentru primirea calduroasa pe care o facea clientilor. Brasovenii au inceput in felul acesta sa se familiarizeze cu neamul armenesc, reprezentat in oras doar de patru familii…Felul in care Stepan Atamian tinea acest magazin, aroma cafelei prajite in magazin, apoi macinate de fata cu clientul, pe care il invita sa deguste niste bomboane, o ciocolata , niste alune sau stafide in timp ce-i punea cafeaua proaspat prajita cu o lopatica tubulara metalica, din masina de macinat, inalta, rosie, cu sigla « Cafea Sultan », vorbindu-i romaneste cu un puternic accent, razand cu toata inima, toate aceste amanunte au facut ca Brasovul sa fie cucerit de acest cuplu de emigranti deveniti o adresa inconturnabila a orasului. De altfel, scriitorul de limba germana Eginald Schlattner face referire in cartea sa « Rote Handschuhe » la familia Atamian din Brasov, descriind universul casei si pravaliei lor cu iz oriental, cu arome ce vin de departe, din trecutul nostru.

Stepan si Erceanig au avut trei copii : Sona (casatorita ulterior Pambuccian), Abel si Raffi, toti absolventi ai scolii germane, Honterus, din Brasov.

Dupa nationalizarea in epoca comunista, Stepan a ramas salariat in fostul sau magazin, soarta l-a lovit insa si mai crunt, când i-a murit fiul mijlociu de apendicita, la numai 23 ani, student la facultatea de chimie la Bucuresti. A fost inchis pentru detinere de aur iar, la iesirea din inchisoare a decis sa emigreze in SUA cu sotia, fiul cel mic si o batrâna « kemahti »pe care o adoptasera ca un membru al familiei, Keghetig Khachigian, ramasa singura dupa ce i-a fost exterminata intreaga familie la Genocid. A murit la New York in 1970.

Informatii puse la dispozitie de doamna – Alice Grigorian, nepoata lui Stepan Atamian

 

Primele doua poze sunt publicate prin amabilitatea detinatorului siteului reclamevechi.ro, restul apartin doamnei Alice Grigorian

ENGLISH VERSION

…grandfather was a well-known coffee merchant in Brasov, he had a coffee shop with the company “Cafea Sultan”, on Republicii street. He was born in 1894 in the Kemach district, Varii Pacaridj village. The Kemach district (it seems that the name comes from « ga mahk » (schlelete) is the obarship region of the Arsaguniat kings and is part of the Erzerum (nahank) region. Varii Pacaridj is one of the 11 villages (varii Pacaridj, Zakare, Surp Nshan , Hazarig, Ureni…), spread out between the banks of the Euphrates and the foothills of Mount Sebuh. Father Atam Tilkian (Tilkioghlu) and mother Heghine had four sons: Suren, the eldest born in 1888, Hacig, Stepan and Tacvor. During the Genocide, the four sons were in Algeria (a French department at that time) as workers, and upon returning to Turkey, from their family of 21 people, they were the only survivors… they left and arrived in Romania, probably in 1921-22 and, like the vast majority of the “kemahti” expatriates, they dealt with the coffee trade. Arriving in Romania, the brothers dispersed in several localities, opening coffee shops: Suren, in Bucharest, Regala str., corner with Calea Victoriei, Hacig and Stepan in Bacau in 1928, Tacvor in Roman, at the sugar factory, then coffee. Stepan married Erceanig Abahuni in 1927 and after a few years, they settled in Brasov where they had a coffee and colonial shop, famous (because it was the only one!) highly appreciated by the Brasov population for the quality and richness of the goods they sell he discovered through this store and for the warm welcome he gave to customers. In this way, the people of Brasov began to become familiar with the Armenian race, represented in the city by only four families… The way in which Stepan Atamian ran this shop, the aroma of coffee roasted in the shop, then ground in front of the customer, whom he invited to taste some candies, a chocolate, some peanuts or raisins while he put the freshly roasted coffee with a metallic tubular spatula, from the grinding machine, tall, red, with the logo “Sultan Coffee”, speaking to him in Romanian with a strong accent, laughing with all their heart, all these details made Brasov conquered by this couple of emigrants who became an unavoidable address of the city. Moreover, the German-language writer Eginald Schlattner refers in his book “Rote Handschuhe” to the Atamian family from Brasov, describing the universe of their house and property with an oriental feel, with aromas that come from afar, from our past.

Stepan and Erceanig had three children: Sona (later married to Pambuccian), Abel and Raffi, all graduates of the German school, Honterus, from Brasov. After the nationalization in the communist era, Stepan remained an employee in his former shop, but fate hit him even more cruelly, when his middle son died of appendicitis, at only 23 years old, a student at the Faculty of Chemistry in Bucharest. He was imprisoned for possessing gold and, upon leaving prison, he decided to emigrate to the USA with his wife, his youngest son and an old “kemahti” woman whom they had adopted as a member of the family, Keghetig Khachigian, who was left alone after she was the entire family was exterminated in the Genocide. He died in New York in 1970. Information provided by Mrs. Alice Grigorian, Stepan Atamian’s granddaughter