 Born in Constanța to an Armenian-Romanian family, he was the brother of Arșavir Acterian and Jeni Acterian.Haig studied at the Mircea cel Bătrân High School in his native city, then attended the Spiru Haret National College in Bucharest.He made his literary debut in the school magazine, "Vlăstare", with pieces which caught the attention of his colleague, Mircea Eliade.