Author: Adrine Hakobian

CalPoly Armenian Student Association Celebrates Armenian Heritage Month

Adrine Hakobian
Mustang News, California Polytechnic
April 28 2022
TINI NGUYEN

Cal Poly’s Armenian Student Association (ASA) has been celebrating Armenian Heritage Month in April with the goal of bringing the Armenian community together and commemorating the Armenian genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire, modern-day Turkey, that took place from 1915-1923.

“April marks the anniversary of the official beginning of the Armenian genocide, which happened on April 24th, 1915,” ASA Vice President and computer science sophomore Sophie Martyrossian said. “This is a really significant day for a lot of Armenians because we remember the tragedy that happened and the justice we haven’t had for the past 107 years.”

Turkey has not made reparations regarding the genocide; the Turkish government continues to deny the genocide ever occurred. When U.S. President Joe Biden acknowledged the Armenian genocide, it created a lot of backlash in the Turkish community.

“One of the things that students can do [to support Armenians] is by boycotting [products made in Turkey],” Martyrossian said.

Martyrossian gave a presentation about Armenian diasporas and the effects the genocide had on them during ASA’s general meeting on April 22.

More than seven million Armenians are living outside Armenia, Martyrossian said in her presentation. Most of them are now living in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine. The genocide has caused many to immigrate to the United States as well. Notable Armenian-Americans include Kim Kardashian and Cher, who are both half Armenian.

At the end of Martyrossian’s presentation, members of ASA shared their family’s history and how the genocide has impacted them.

“My great grandfather was actually in Wisconsin at the time looking for work and when he decided it was time to go back home, he found his wife and his kids dead,” philosophy freshman Bella Papazian said. “So, he ended up remarrying and moving to Syria, and that’s where my mom’s side of the family [ended up].”

Papazian also shared the story of their dad’s side of the family.

“[On] my dad’s side of the family, my great grandfather actually survived the genocide,” Papazian said. “He was hiding under his mother’s dress as the raids were going on . . . His mother was killed while he was under her [dress] and they didn’t find him, so he was able to flee and he actually went to Syria as well.”

Activities ASA hosted during this month include Easter egg painting on April 15 and painting the P the colors of the Armenian flag on April 17.

This week is Armenian Heritage Week, which included an ASA-facilitated discussion and reflection on Sunday, an Armenian genocide information booth and Armenian genocide memorial on Monday and an ASA general meeting on Friday, according to an Instagram post.

The information booth on Monday informed Cal Poly students about the Armenian genocide since not many are aware of it, Martyrossian said.

“We’re going to talk more in depth [about the genocide] and the side effects and what it means to us today,” Martyrossian said. “And then, in conjunction with the Armenian Genocide, there’s still the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that still hasn’t been resolved and we still haven’t gotten any justice work. We’re planning on speaking about that and what students at Cal Poly can do to help the Armenian community.”

During ASA’s general meeting, ASA Treasurer and political science senior Jenny Galoyan will present her senior thesis on the Armenian genocide in 1915 and its connection to the Nagorno-Karabakh war in 2020, which was a conflict between Armenia and Azerbajian.

According to Galoyan, fewer people understand the Nagorno-Karabakh war than they do the Ottoman-era Armenian genocide.

“I’m postulating that there was a relationship — that the legacy of the genocide affected how the war played out in 2020, which includes the war crimes, the resolution, how the relationship between [Armenia and Azerbajian] is like now and with Turkey and the rest of the pan-Turkic world,” Galoyan said.

Armenpress: Conscripted serviceman dies from gunshot wound at military base

Adrine Hakobian

Conscripted serviceman dies from gunshot wound at military base

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 07:53, 29 April, 2022

YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. A conscripted serviceman died after sustaining a gunshot wound at a military base Thursday evening, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

The Ministry of Defense said that according to preliminary data 20-year-old Private Samvel Sanoyan was shot by one of his comrades.

Authorities did not say whether or not the shooting was intentional or accidental.

“Private Sanoyan died while being transported to a hospital. An investigation is underway to reveal the circumstances of the incident,” the Ministry of Defense said.

Armenian Labor Migrants Reassess Work in Collapsing Russian Economy

Adrine Hakobian
May 1 2022
By Ani Mejlumyan for Eurasianet

Despairing of the economic options in her home country, Marine Khachatryan found work at a flower shop in Moscow’s outskirts in 2020, while her husband got work in construction.

But then came the invasion of Ukraine, which has resulted in punishing Western sanctions and a crisis in Russia’s economy.

“We came here to make money and up until the war, we were fine. Now, nobody wants to buy flowers and the owner [of the shop] keeps losing money,” said Khachatryan. “I thought about trying to get another job, but Russia is getting more expensive.” So instead she has decided to move back to Armenia. “It’s a nightmare. I can go back to working in beauty salons, but I don’t know what my husband will do.”

Every year, tens of thousands of Armenians — especially men from smaller towns and villages — travel to Russia for seasonal labor, particularly in construction.

Estimates of exact numbers vary widely. Armenia itself reports that about 80,000 go to Russia for seasonal work every year. But Russian data puts the figure at 300,000, which would be more than 10% of Armenia’s population. 

Unknown numbers of other recent migrants from Armenia live in Russia more permanently, some even gaining Russian citizenship, but still send money back to family in Armenia, a critical part of the country’s economy.

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In 2021, remittances from Russia amounted to $865 million, according to Armenia’s central bank. That was equivalent to nearly 5% of the country’s GDP. 

That figure is now set to drop dramatically. “It could be up to a 40% decrease,” Finance Minister Tigran Khachatryan told the Armenian state news agency on March 28. 

Armenian labor migrants say that many jobs in Russia are disappearing, and in the ones that remain, the salaries – once converted to Armenian drams – are unpredictable. In the early days of Russia’s invasion and the sanctions that were swiftly imposed in retaliation, the ruble lost half its value, though it has since recovered.

“Salaries have shrunk, and it’s possible that employers are not going to be able to pay at all,” said Tatevik Bezhanyan, an expert on migration at the charity group Armenian Caritas. “For now they can still pay, but if the situation doesn’t get better there definitely are going to be issues,” she told Eurasianet.

Remittances “are likely to decline with weaker economic activity in Russia, the depreciating ruble, and restrictions on financial flows from Russia,” the World Bank said in a report last month. “Under a more severe contraction in Russia, many migrants may be forced to return to Armenia putting pressure on labor markets and fiscal spending.”

Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the World Bank had projected Armenian GDP growth of 5.3% in 2022. Now it’s revised that down to 1.2%. 

Russia has not released figures so far this year measuring migrant flows and how they might have changed. Usually the Interior Ministry publishes data by April, but this year the release is late, Bezhanyan said. “My Russian colleagues say that there is just a big outflow out of Russia and so maybe they are being cautious about this,” she said. 

Seasonal migrant laborers typically start arriving in Russia in March, when the weather begins to allow construction work. So it is still early to judge the impact of the new situation on labor migration, but Bezhanyan said that initial indications are not good.

“We have already received notices that employers are having difficulties paying,” she said. One practice employers have been trying, in order to save money, is to ask workers to work off the books. “But we always advise not to agree to that, since it can result in getting deported. And if there is no contract specifying the amount of the salary, they can forget about getting paid. We have already been seeing problems like this.”

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Arsen, a construction worker (who asked that his last name not be used), has been working in Russia’s Urals region since February.  

“When the ruble collapsed we talked to our foreman, since we would be making half of what we were getting before,” he said. “After two weeks, they told us that we could get higher pay if we terminated our contracts and worked off the books. We did it, and now we haven’t been paid in two months.”

Because of international financial sanctions against Russia, transferring money back home also is more difficult, with the Russian Zolotaya Korona service now the only option for sending money to Armenia and new restrictions on the amounts that can leave Russia. 

As a result, many regular migrants are staying home this year. “Some found jobs here and are not complaining about the pay, given the costs in Russia. They can live in their houses in Armenia and see no reason to go to Russia,” Bezhanyan said. 

So far, the Armenian government has only come up with an indirect way to address the issue. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has introduced a proposal to boost the construction sector by offering subsidized loans for home renovations that include improving energy efficiency. 

“Due to well-known circumstances, uncertainties have arisen regarding our citizens going abroad for work,” he said at аn April 15 cabinet meeting. “We have decided to launch a state program, within the framework of which we offer citizens to take subsidized loans to rebuild their apartments. […] We hope that with this we will make a significant contribution to housing, the economy, small business, and poverty alleviation.”

Bezhanyan is skeptical. “This is definitely an indirect approach,” she said. “It’s clear that these people see the danger [in staying in Russia] and they are creating a foundation for themselves to be able to move to Armenia, but we need to take steps so they don't come back to Armenia and then leave for another country. There has to be a more systematic approach.”

This story was first published by Eurasianet.org.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/05/01/armenian-labor-migrants-reassess-work-in-collapsing-russian-economy-a77545

ALSO AT
https://eurasianet.org/armenian-labor-migrants-reassess-work-in-collapsing-russian-economy

Artsakh can never be a part of Azerbaijan, state minister reiterates

Adrine Hakobian
Panorama
Armenia –

The position of Artsakh’s government and people on its status remains unchanged, Artsakh State Minister Artak Beglaryan said on Saturday.

“Artsakh can never be a part of Azerbaijan. Moreover, we are all ready to face any short and long term deprivations and trials, but we will never deviate from our path,” he wrote on Facebook.

The official highlights that their stance has been publically revealed and repeatedly presented to the international community and the Armenian authorities.

“No one can afford to deviate from that course, while the Armenians who have different views should simply respect the will and right of the Artsakh Armenians to decide their own fate in their homeland,” Beglaryan noted.

“The right of the indigenous people of Artsakh to self-determination is above all other norms of international law and geopolitical interests. Meanwhile, the principle of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan has nothing to do with the right to self-determination, which, incidentally, is enshrined in the Madrid Principles approved by the mediation mission of the OSCE Minsk Group, hence by the international community.

“To this is also added the impossibility to live under Azerbaijani rule amid genocidal policies and further existential threats, which the international community should also recognize unconditionally, as it did, for example, in the case of Kosovo.

“The path we have taken is difficult and long, but it is value-based and just, and no one has the right to betray the struggle and the spilled blood of our holy ancestors, fathers and brothers as well as to fiddle with the fate of the future generations,” the official said.

‘Sona will always remain in our hearts’: Support Our Heroes mourns loss of its founding member

Adrine Hakobian
Panorama
Armenia –

SOCIETY 14:36 27/04/2022 ARMENIA

Support Our Heroes – Armenia NGO took to Facebook on Wednesday to pay tribute to its founding member, Sona Mnatsakanyan, 29, who was killed after reportedly being hit by a car of Nikol Pashinyan’s convoy on Tuesday.

“It is with great sorrow that we mourn the loss of our beloved Sona and her unborn child. Sona Mnatsakanyan was a founding member of Support Our Heroes and the leader of the Artsakh Tever IT Center project group within SOH. Sona will always remain in our hearts as an exemplary patriot and a dear friend with great human values. Our condolences to Sona's family, loved ones, friends…” the organization said.

Pashinyan addresses reactions to speech on international community’s calls to lower the bar on NK status

Adrine Hakobian

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 16:47,

YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed the discussions that were prompted by his speech where he said that the international community is calling on Armenia to lower the bar in the issue of the Nagorno Karabakh status.

Speaking at the Cabinet meeting, Pashinyan said the reactions to his statement are perplexing.

“The proposals presented by the OSCE Minsk Group in 2016 on the Nagorno Karabakh resolution are none other than a document on lowering the bar because the key meaning of that document was the indefinite delay of the status issue of Nagorno Karabakh. By saying indefinite it was meant decades, if not longer. In the 2016 proposals, the proposal on delegating the Nagorno Karabakh status issue to international bodies was also a similar lowering of the bar, moreover the kind of bodies that had already previously expressed a position around the issue within the framework of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. Such call to lower the bar was also the OSCE 1996 Lisbon summit and the 1999 idea of a ‘common state’. The 2001 Key West process was such a call to lower the bar, so were the 2007 Madrid Principles, upon which the 2016 January, July and August proposals were based. Various documents adopted by various international bodies since the 1990s contained direct or indirect calls for lowering the bar. And the fact that the meaning of these facts were carefully hidden from our public doesn’t mean that they didn’t exist,” Pashinyan said.

“In the short-term, mid-term and long-term our tactics is the following: to ensure the kind of situation or solution that Artsakhis live in Artsakh, and like I’ve said in my April 14 speech to parliament, for them to live in a way that they feel themselves Karabakhi, Artsakhi and Armenian. Any resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh issue or any development established in Nagorno Karabakh that not only would not ensure these conditions but also won’t guarantee it is unacceptable for us and will never be acceptable for us,” Pashinyan said. He said that this is the key part of the issue, everything else are "toasts".

“And the forces that want the Armenian government to adopt toasts that would result in a new war being unleashed and the exodus of Armenians of Artsakh, these forces are the ones who surrendered and are surrendering not only Artsakh but also the Republic of Armenia. But we can also be sure that we will not allow this, the people of Armenia will not allow it. We will also not allow various instigating statements that seek to deviate us from the peace agenda. We will not allow it because we are convinced that the peace agenda would ensure the future of the Republic of Armenia and Artsakh,” Pashinyan said.

Armenpress: PM Pashinyan holds telephone conversation with Charles Michel

Adrine Hakobian

PM Pashinyan holds telephone conversation with Charles Michel

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 21:07,

YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan had a telephone conversation with the President of the European Council Charles Michel, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia.

The interlocutors discussed a number of issues related to the implementation of the agreements reached during the meeting of the Prime Minister of Armenia, the President of the European Council and the President of Azerbaijan in Brussels on April 6, the situation in the region and the agenda of Armenia-EU relations.

Charles Michel reiterated the EU's commitment to promoting dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Food: Sasoun Bakery Serves Up Thin, Round Bites of Home for L.A.’s Armenian Community

Adrine Hakobian
KCET

Sasoun Bakery Serves Up Thin, Round Bites of Home for L.A.'s Armenian Community

By Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County

David Yeretsian of Sasoun Bakery transfers freshly baked lahmajune, a thin, round piece 
of dough topped with minced meat and vegetables, on a table to cool. | 
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

David Yeretsian of Sasoun Bakery shares the story of how he came to open up his bakery, the connection he feels to his community and how lahmajune is Armenian comfort food.

This article is presented in partnership with the Natural History Museum's "Kneaded: L.A. Bread Stories," a project that celebrates L.A. history, heritage and communities through the lens of bread.

Sasoun Bakery is renowned among the L.A. Armenian community for its authentic recipes and fresh, delicious lahmajune. The 37-year-old bakery was founded by David Yeretsian. To this day, he enjoys watching his customers take that first bite of lahmajune and be won over by his family's recipe. We sat down with Yeretsian and he shared the story of how he came to open up his bakery, the connection he feels to his community and how lahmajune is Armenian comfort food.

Tell us about yourself.

David Yeretsian opened Sasoun Bakery in Hollywood in 1986 and now has five bakeries in the Los Angeles area. | Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

I was born in Sasoun in 1940, which was historically in Armenia but is present-day Turkey. I lost my mother to illness at the age of two. When I was five, my father moved my sister and me to Syria. We lived in a small village and didn't have money growing up. I worked in many different trades to earn a little bit of money to help feed the family. There were not many options available for work when winter came along, so I decided to work at a local bakery. I worked twelve-hour days and got valuable experience and training. That was my first experience with baking at the age of eighteen. It was tough, but I needed to help make ends meet for my family.

In 1958, I opened up my first bakery in Syria. But in 1968, due to hardships — specifically for the bakers — I left, moved to Beirut, and immediately opened another bakery. Then in 1980, I opened my second bakery. In 1985, due to the civil war, I decided to leave everything behind and move to the United States. I left my bakeries to my siblings and started over, again, in Los Angeles. In 1986, I opened my first bakery in Hollywood, and today, we have five bakeries in the Los Angeles area.

What inspired you to get started in Hollywood?

Lahmajune dough is flattened throughout the day at Sasoun Bakery. | Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

In 1985, Hollywood had a large Armenian community with many Armenian schools and churches — so we wanted to be close to our community. Our first bakery was originally a pizza shop, so it didn't take much to get it ready to open up Sasoun. There were a few failed businesses before us there, but I believed this was the right spot for us. We took our chances, and fortunately, things worked out very well.

What do you love most about baking lahmajune?

Lahmajune is a food that is made of basic ingredients that we all know and love but made with a lot of care and passion. I love seeing the smile on our customers' faces when they first try our freshly made lahmajune; they are won over on their first bite.

What memories or emotions arise while making lahmajune?

Making lahmajune takes me back to the early days of moving to the U.S. — when times were tough, and my family's future was uncertain. My wife, four daughters, and I moved to the U.S. in search of a safer life. And seeing our lives and our bakery grow has certainly made us all happier. My wife's words are always with me — she said, "I will stand with you as long as you need me, and together we will make it through this." Together, we are now loving life in the U.S. and enjoying sharing a little bit of our culture with our wonderful community.

     My wife's words are always with me — she said,
     'I will stand with you as long as you need me, and
      together we will make it through this.'
     David Yeretsian, founder and owner of Sasoun Bakery

How do you think lahmajune binds people in the community together?

Our lahmajune is made from a traditional family recipe that has been delighting people for many years. It is the food that our community counts on and looks forward to on all occasions. Whether they are celebrating an event or just need something familiar to comfort them, the community has always turned to Sasoun for its lahmajune. In return, Sasoun has welcomed people into our family. We are passionate about giving back to our community and helping out our loyal customers wherever possible.

To see what baking at Sasoun Bakery, check out their Facebook page and explore their five locations in the L.A. area.

Aram I meets with Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon

Adrine Hakobian

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 17:42,

YEREVAN, APRIL 15, ARMENPRESS. Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I held a meeting with the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Lebanon Walid Bukhari in Beirut.

The Catholicosate said that “issues related to the domestic life of Lebanon” were discussed at the meeting.

The Ambassador and the Catholicos touched upon the upcoming parliamentary elections, as well as the Christianity-Islam dialogue and in this context the key role of Aram I.

Ex-ombudsman: Pashinyan’s statements ‘dangerous’ for both Armenia and Artsakh

Adrine Hakobian
Panorama
Armenia –

Armenia’s former Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan says Nikol Pashinyan's latest statements in the parliament are “extremely dangerous” for both Armenia and Artsakh.

“Statements of the kind, which stem from narrow political interests and are baseless, simply undermine Armenia’s security system,” he wrote on Facebook on Thursday.

Addressing the parliament on Wednesday, Pashinyan said that "all friends of Armenia" were and are waiting for Armenia to "lower the bar” on the issue of Artsakh's status. He expressed regret for not sharing details of the Nagorno-Karabakh negotiation process with the Armenian people in 2018 and 2019.

"In order to cover up their mistakes and prevent discontent, various senior Armenian officials justified and legitimized the deployment of Azerbaijani troops near our villages and on roads," Tatoyan said.

He accused the Armenian authorities of making statements conceding Armenia’s territorial rights to Azerbaijan, thus ignoring the security and the right to life of the Armenian and Artsakh people.

“These officials have consistently nullified the fundamental historical theses, starting from the fact that the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan has nothing to do with Artsakh. They ignore the fact that Baku's state doctrine considers a large part of Armenia as "historical territory of Azerbaijan" and a policy of hatred comparable to fascism is pursued against Armenians,” the ex-ombudsman said.

“All this has untied Baku's hands in the international arena and provided an opportunity to strengthen its position at the expense of false theses.”

Tatoyan condemned the promotion of the so-called "peace agenda" by the Armenian government amid Azerbaijan’s threats and criminal acts against Armenians.

“As a result, it turned out to be implemented at the expense of the rights and dignity of Armenians only because there are officials in Armenia who put their political interests and positions above the security of the country,” he stressed.

"Therefore, such statements by the head of the government or any other official have no legitimacy and cannot be put at the core of protecting the interests of our people," Tatoyan said.