In 1915 , Gorky fled Lake Van during the Armenian Genocide and escaped with his mother and his three sisters into Russian-controlled territory . In the aftermath of the genocide , Gorky 's mother died of starvation in Yerevan in 1919 . Arriving in America in 1920 , the 16-year-old Gorky was reunited with his father , but they never grew close
Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
Arshile Gorky