Gabriel Aivazovsky was born in Feodosia into a family of Armenian merchants.

He received a scientific education at the Mkhitarist Monastery on San Lazzaro Island in Venice.

His most important works are "Essay on the History of Russia" (in Armenian, Venice, 1836), "History of the Ottoman State" (also in Armenian, 2 volumes, Venice, 1841).

He was also one of the main staff of Paschal Aucher's (Harutiun Avgerian) Armenian dictionary.

In 1843, he and Ghevont Alishan founded Bazmavep, the very first Armenian scholarly journal.