FATHER – Egia (Ilia) Khachaturian – belonged to a peasant family living for a long time in v.Upper Aza of Nakhichevan District located near the city of Ordubad bordering on Iran.
In late 1870s, the 13-year-old Ilia left for Tbilisi in search of a job. At that time Tbilisi was a large city, the center of trade and culture of the Southern Caucasus. Enterprising people from all parts of the Caucasus aspired to establish their business there.
Ilia arrived in Tbilisi in peasant shoes, having several copper coins in his pockets. Here he managed to settle as an apprentice at a bookbinder’s shop. In a short time he mastered the bookbinder’s profession and gain a good reputation among Tbilisi’s craftsmen. In early 1890s, having collected some money, he bought his master’s declining business and shortly managed to attract quite many customers. Hence at the age of 25, Egia Khachaturian became the owner of the bookbinder’s shop where his sons Vaghinak and Levon worked afterwards.

MOTHER – Kumash Sarkisovna – before marriage had lived in v.Lower Aza located next to Upper Aza, the village Aram Khachaturian’s father came from.
The composer’s parents were engaged before knowing each other, when Kumash was 9 and Ilia was 19. This distant engagement happened to be lucky. Having married the 16-year-old Kumash, Ilia took her to Tbilisi where all their 5 children were born: the eldest daughter Ashkhen (died at the age of 1.5) and 4 sons – Vaghinak, Suren, Levon and Aram.
“My Mom, – recalls Aram Khachaturian, – was a very beautiful woman: tall, with a lovely figure. Till the end of her life, she was a careful keeper of the family hearth and enjoyed my father’s deep respect – a thing rarely occuring in the East at that time.”
Aram’s mother became blind when she was rather young. She passed away in 1956 in Yerevan in Vaghinak Ilich’s home where she had been living for the last 10 years of her life. She was buried beside her husband whose remains were transported to Yerevan from Novodevichye Cemetery of Moscow.

Suren Khachaturian (Khachaturov) – Aram Khachaturian’s brother – studied in one of Tbilisi gyms and was keen of theater. Later he was to play a decisive role in his younger brother’s – Aram’s life. After graduating from the historico-philological department of Moscow University, Suren worked as a producer in the First Studio of Moscow Art Theater later renamed into the Second MHAT.
In 1919, an Armenian dramatic studio was established in Moscow due to his endeavours. At that time emerged a need to go to Yerevan and Tbilisi to recruit young students. He managed to take from the Southern Caucasus to Moscow 40-50 talented young people. Later on most of them, having finished their studies at the studio, returned to Yerevan and Leninakan (now Gyumri) forming the basis of Leninakan Theater and Armenian Sundukyan Dramatic Theater, which has gained the status of one of the best theaters of the USSR.

Karen I. Khachaturian – Suren Ilich Khachaturian’s son. Like his uncle Aram Ilich, he graduated from the composition department of Moscow Conservatory (composition class of Myaskovski). Before that his teachers were D.Shostakovich and V.Shebalin. Nowadays he is a well-known composer and professor in Moscow Conservatory. Two of his ballets – “Chippolino” and “Snow White and Seven Dwarfs” were staged in Moscow Bolshoi Theater. He has authored a number of symphonic compositions, music for plays, films, cartoons as well as the National Anthem of Somalia.

Vaghinak Khachaturian – Aram Khachaturian’s brother – graduated from Tbilisi Commercial College. A financier, he was the only of the brothers who didn’t devote himself to music. He was very close with his younger brother Aram constantly taking care of him. Later Vaghinak Khachatrian’s house in Yerevan became the basis of the current House-Museum.

Leily Khachaturian – Vaghinak Khachaturian’s daughter – is a People’s Artist of Armenia. Having got a musical education, she went on studying first in Schukinski College at Vakhtangov Theater in Moscow, then, after moving to Yerevan – in the State Theater Institute. Currently she is one of the leading actresses of the K.S.Stanislavski Russian Dramatic Theater.

Levon Khachaturian – Aram Khachaturian’s brother – was a soloist of Moscow Radio Committee. Having a beautiful voice (barytone), he nevertheless was a very bashful person and that is why he didn’t like to perform on stage. Levon Khachaturian synchronized numerous films.

Emin Khachaturian – Levon Khachaturian’s son – was a well-known conductor and People’s Artist of Russia. He graduated from Composition and Conducting Department of Moscow Conservatory. He worked as a conductor with the Moscow Regional Symphony Orchestra, since 1965 – with the orchestra of Bolshoi Theater. He was the chief conductor of the USSR State Symphony Cinema Orchestra for 10 years. Emin Khachaturian conducted many leading symphony orchestras.

Nune Khachaturian – Aram Khachaturian’s daughter – graduated from Piano Department of Moscow State Conservatory. Nowadays she is a tutor in Gnesin Institute.

Karen A. Khachaturian – Aram Khachaturian’s son – is an art critic. He graduated from the All-Union State Cinema Institute. His degree work was a book entitled “Sarian in Theater”.