After graduating the Third Female Gymnasium in Tiflis Ashkhen took classes of the Higher Female Courses. In 1911 she married lawyer Gevorg Khatisian. In 1912, during the so called "Dashnak Affaire" trial, Gevorg Khatisyan was one of Hovhannes Toumanian's lawyers. In 1914 Ashkhen’s and Gevorg’s son Hovannes (Bobik) was born. In 1922 Ashkhen moved to Stepanavan to work at the town council, afterwards she moved to Yerevan. In 1925 she was the manager of one of the sections of the Public Library of Armenia, and in 1926-1933 the Director of the same Library. Later she spent many years working at the Armenian Encyclopedia, and the Book Palace. Her relations with her husband worsened and the couple separated. Her husband died in a train accident in Kharkov in 1932. Her son Hovhannes died in 1940 from lung disease. Ashkhen Toumanian did many translations from Armenian into Russian including short story "Gikor". She was the founding director of the Museum of H. Toumanian where she served until 1968.