15:55, 4 October, 2021
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS. The meeting of Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian kicked off in Tehran.
The Armenian FM arrived in Iran today on a working visit, his spokesperson said.
The two FMs are scheduled to give a joint press conference after the meeting.
The Armenian and Iranian FMs also met recently in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
A minute's silence will be observed in Armenia and on Monday, September 27, at 11am, to pay tribute to the victims of the 44-day war unleashed by Azerbaijan against the Artsakh Republic last year.
Prior to that, a requiem mass is set to be held at Armenian churches for the repose of the souls of the war martyrs.
A minute's silence will also be observed in Artsakh at 11:30am. All churches of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church will offer a requiem mass for the fallen heroes at 10:30am.
In the early morning of 27 September 2020, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale offensive along the Artsakh-Azerbaijan contact line. The war lasted 44 days, ending on November 10 with a statement on Artsakh’s capitulation. The Armenian side has thousands of casualties, hundreds of prisoners of war and missing persons.
Armenian soldier wounded in Gegharkunik region from Azerbaijani fire
Yerevan /Mediamax/. Armenian Ministry of Defense has stated that an Armenian serviceman has been wounded today in Gegharkunik region.
“At around 11.30A.M. private Garnik Abrahamyan has sustained a gunshot wound to his arm from the fire opened by Azerbaijani units in the direction of combat positions of Kut village, in Gegharkunik region, near the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. His life is not at risk,” the ministry said in a statement.
Hayko, an Armenian musician who represented his country in the 2007 instalment of Eurovision, has tragically passed away aged just 48 after suffering from Covid-19
ByJess Phillips
The news was confirmed by Shushan Danielyan, chief of staff at Yerevan State Medical University on Wednesday (September 29).
According to the Public Radio of Armenia, the star had been "in a grave condition" since September 21.
The musician – real name Hayk Hakobyan – rose to fame when he represented his native country in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2007, belting out the track Anytime You Need, which finished in eighth place.
His performance marked the first time the Armenian language had ever been used in a Eurovision entry.
In a social media statement, the official Eurovision Song Contest Twitter account penned: "We’re very sorry to hear of the passing of Armenian artist Hayko.
"Hayko represented his country at Eurovision 2007 where he finished 8th with his touching ballad ‘Anytime You Need’.
"You will always be in our hearts."
The country's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also issues a statement about Hayko's death, in which he referred to the late singer as "beloved".
He maintained that his music will live on in the country's hearts.
Speaking to Armenpress, he said: "With a deep sorrow I learnt about the untimely death of beloved singer, Honored Artist of Armenia Hayko (Hayk Hakobyan).
"He was one of the brightest representatives of the Armenian modern music and has gained people’s love and respect with his activity.
"His works are loved by the people, and his ballads have their unique place in the rich heritage of the Armenian music."
The statement went on: "Hayko’s music has also been performed in a number of contemporary Armenian movies which have greatly contributed to the development of Armenian filmmaking.
"I extend my deepest condolences to the singer’s family, relatives, friends and fans."
Hayko was also awarded a wealth of musical trophies in his lustrous career, including Best Singer awards at the Armenian National Music Awards in 2003 and 2006.
He released his first album in 2003, entitled Norits, meaning Again in English.
Floods of fans turned out on social media to pay their respects to the late musician, with one writing: "It’s so sad… Rest In Peace our talented Hayko.”
Someone else posted: "Undoubtedly, with the untimely death of our beloved Hayko, our contemporary musical art has suffered a great loss."
"Bloody hell, I hadn’t heard, that’s awful. He was so young. RIP Hayko," another emotional fan penned.
RIP.
13:42,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. New Ambassador of Peru to Armenia Juan Genaro del Campo Rodriguez (residence in Moscow, Russia) presented his credentials to President Armen Sarkissian, the Presidential Office reports.
The Armenian President congratulated the Ambassador on appointment, wishing productive work. He expressed confidence that the Ambassador will contribute to the deepening of the bilateral relations.
In turn the Ambassador of Peru said he is ready to take practical actions to develop the Armenian-Peruvian relations.
The meeting touched upon the development of the cooperation between Armenia and Peru, the opportunities of boosting the commercial ties. It was stated that there is potential for cooperation in high technologies, mining industry and education. The officials highlighted also the cultural cooperation, and in this context they discussed organizing cultural days in Armenia and Peru next year on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
11:48,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS North Korea has claimed that it successfully tested a new hypersonic missile called Hwasong-8 on Tuesday.
State media said the new missile was one of the "five most important" new weapons systems laid out in its five-year military development plan.
They called the missile a "strategic weapon".
"The development of this weapons system…[has increased] the nation's capabilities for self-defence in every way," North Korean state news outlet KCNA said.
Armenia and the European Union have successfully completed the negotiations on Armenia’s association to the “Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation” programme, the foreign ministry reported. The months-long negotiations from the Armenian side were led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, with the participation of the Science Committee of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, and from the European side by the Directorate General of Research and Innovation of the European Commission.
As a result of the negotiations, the parties agreed on the Association Agreement with the both sides expressing hope that the internal procedures of signing and ratifying the Agreement would be completed within the set time frames.
By joining the above-mentioned programme, the Republic of Armenia will contribute to the development of the scientific potential in Armenia, providing multiple opportunities for scientific community to participate in various grant initiatives.
“Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation” is the largest EU-funded scientific cooperation programme (95,5 bln Euros). It came to replace the “Horizon 2020” programme, in which Armenia had successfully participated in 2016-2020.
Why are medieval women largely absent from current discussions of Armenia’s past?
During the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, the Republic of Armenia established its first all-women military detachment. This was the latest in a series of developments that won women the right to serve in the Armenian armed forces since military academies first opened their doors to them in 2013. The unit was named the Erato Detachment, after a first-century Armenian queen. The inclusion of historical women in modern Armenian discourse is a relatively new and rare phenomenon and it is in large part the product of work within the field of Armenian studies over the past few years. The absence of historical female figures can ultimately be traced to the ways in which they were represented in the earliest Armenian historical narratives, which continue to play an important role in the collective Armenian memory.
P‘aranjem, the fourth-century warrior queen, is a complex and enigmatic figure in early Armenian history. A case study of the way in which her story has been recorded provides a perfect example of how some texts marginalise women from the past. While there is a brilliant range of early medieval Armenian literature, it is conditioned by traditional social constraints. The sources are, for example, primarily interested in the nobility (the naxarars), meaning our view of early Armenia is seen through a largely male and elite gaze. But some texts, such as Buzandaran Patmut‘iwnk‘, an anonymous history of the Kingdom of Armenia from AD 330 until its decline and partition in 387, contain the stories of figures such as P‘aranjem.
The roles of men and women in early medieval Armenia were primarily guided by the tenets of awrēnk, which functioned as an unwritten customary law, judging Armenians by their righteous (awrēnk) and unrighteous (anawrēn) behaviour. After the kingdom’s conversion in the early fourth century, these moralising ideals were underpinned by Christian ethics. For Armenian women this was rooted in religious models of obedience, chastity and modesty, while men were valued for their martial ability, leadership and heroism. Awrēnk also linked women to the household, certain religious settings and education, whereas men engaged in politics and the legal leadership of the family unit. Those who conformed to traditional roles were praised, but those who transgressed were criticised. Awrēnk was undoubtedly subject to change over time and it is difficult to determine how much bearing it had on everyday life, but it was clearly used by historical writers to frame conformity and transgression. The story of P‘aranjem, a woman who challenged and subverted a number of these expectations, illustrates just how much of an influence awrēnk could have on how a person was written about and remembered.
We are first introduced to P‘aranjem in Buzandaran during the reign of Aršak II of Armenia (AD 350-367/8). The daughter of the lord of Siwnik, P‘aranjem was ‘renowned for her beauty and modesty’ and became the wife of Gnel, the king’s nephew. P‘aranjem’s portrayal is critical of her beauty. According to Buzandaran, as the fame of her ‘loveliness’ grew, Gnel’s cousin, Tirit’, became obsessed with her. Filled with longing, Tirit’ slandered Gnel to Aršak, who was eventually convinced to order Gnel’s execution. Despite the murderous actions being conceived of and carried out by men, it is P‘aranjem who gets the blame. Upon learning of his execution, she exclaims ‘my husband’s death was because of me, my husband was put to death because someone desired me!’ In the eyes of the compiler, P‘aranjem had roused the dangers of carnal desire. Through no fault of her own, her appearance became a dangerous force.
Aršak subsequently took P‘aranjem as his wife, but she repeatedly spurned her new husband because he was ‘hairy of body’. This rejection marks a turning point. She is suddenly cast as anawrēn – unrighteous – and is subjected to a pointed character assassination. In response, Aršak took a second wife, Olympias. Driven by apparent jealousy, P‘aranjem had her rival murdered. This is a striking change of character: from disconsolate mourner to scheming murderer all within a matter of paragraphs. This somewhat strange switch may well be a product of the moralising tendencies of the compiler. P‘aranjem’s story is used as an example for those who might transgress awrēnk. She had refused to comply with her husband’s wishes and such unrighteous behaviour could only be followed by evil actions.
It is the last part of P‘aranjem’s story which is the most remarkable, though. In the context of an ongoing war with Sasanian Persia, Aršak was captured and imprisoned and P‘aranjem, now referred to as the Queen of Armenia, assumed the leadership of the kingdom. According to Buzandaran, she led 11,000 men in a defence against the Sasanians. Besieged in the fortress of Artagers, P‘aranjem held out for 14 months, enduring epidemic and insurmountable odds. Eventually she was forced to surrender, the fortress was captured and P‘aranjem was taken to Persia where she was killed.
These dramatic events proved a challenge for the compiler of Buzandaran. P‘aranjem had displayed brave leadership, but in so doing she had subverted the expectations of awrēnk. While the compiler praises men for similar acts, exhorting their valour at length, P‘aranjem does not receive the same affirmation. In fact, her actions are not subject to any evaluation and the epic siege is briefly recorded without praise.
The compiler even incorporated a member of the garrison into the narrative to verbally attack the queen. He admonishes the failed rule of the Armenian royal dynasty, telling P‘aranjem that ‘justly, all of this has come on you’. This suggests a woman’s agency outside of her prescribed roles – even in the most exceptional circumstances – was rarely valued or acknowledged. The text cannot, however, change the fact that P‘aranjem had led the kingdom and sacrificed herself for Armenia. This seems to have confused the compiler, who could not find a simple way to categorise her actions. In any case, P‘aranjem had already been classified as anawrēn, which made her irredeemable. As a consequence, her bravery was unacknowledged and she alone was blamed for the failings of an entire dynasty.
The story of P‘aranjem is both fascinating and frustrating. She displayed bravery and leadership, but she was scrutinised and then shamed for challenging and subverting the prescribed roles of a woman as stipulated by awrēnk. Despite her significant place in early Armenian history, P‘aranjem’s treatment has left her largely absent from current discussions of Armenia’s past. Her story highlights the need for further research on the history of women and their representation in Armenia in order to explain why their past treatment has led to their continued marginalisation.
Lewis Read researches Armenia and the early medieval Middle East.
19:08, 13 September, 2021
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. Hermine Stepanyan, a well-known actress, TV host and blogger, and designer Gayane Soghomonyan united their efforts to create a new Armenian brand – UNLIKE Fashion Outbreak.
UNLIKE collection is made of high-quality fabrics, is in line with world trends and at the same time is affordable for the wider public.
Starting from September 15, UNLIKE clothes which are now shown at Tpagrichner 4 showroom will be presented also in the "5 Concept" multi-brand store launched by Armenian designers. ARMENPRESS reports the brand's Facebook and Instagram pages are always available for those who prefer online shopping.
According to Hermine Stepanyan, the co-founder of UNLIKE brand, she had great desire to contribute to Armenia's economic progress especially after the war. And the creation of high-quality and affordable Armenian production was what Hermine thought about the first.
“I have been working with designer Gayane Soghomonyan for years. I was thinking of developing another type of cooperation with Gayane after the creation of the capsule collection by Soghomonyan Fashion for the project “Life is beautiful with Hermine Stepanyan”. The COVID-19 pandemic and the painful events of 2020 in our country made me committed to an idea that we should find a new inspiration, recover and continue creating in our land. I talked to Gayane and we realized that we are ready to make a contribution into the Armenian fashion industry and the development of the field,” says Hermine Stepanyan.
They involved partners to support their startup – UNLIKE which is made for those who appreciate stylishly designed comfortable and affordable clothes.
Gayane Soghomonyan, designer with more than 25-year-long experience in fashion industry, mentions that she has been sewing clothes for herself from the school years trying to look differ from her peers. “I pursue the principle of emphasizing the uniqueness during my whole career and I try to express it in all my collections. You know I always smile during making UNLIKE clothes because our brand is about positive mood in bright colors,” says Gayane Soghomonyan.
Why UNLIKE?
The founders of UNLIKE note that the whole team was actively involved in the creative process – deciding on the brand name, the colors of the collection, the fabrics. The choice was made for UNLIKE which means different, diverse and incomparable.
“The name of our brand should be out of box, non-stereotypical, memorable, and why not, intriguing. This name is challenging in itself, that’s completely about us; it’s our inspiration, different and original,” added Hermine Stepanyan.
UNLIKE Fashion Outbreak has also market expansion plans for the future. The customers are not only offered oversize clothes for each season, but also UNLIKE collection will be replenished with evening dresses in the near future. The Autumn-Winter collection will not be delayed.
19:58, 14 September, 2021
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS. The Governor of Syunik Melikset Poghosyan received the newly appointed US Deputy Ambassador to Armenia Chip Laitinen, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Governorate of Syunik.
The US Deputy Ambassador was accompanied by the military attaché of the embassy, the head of the political and economic office, who are also newly appointed.
According to Deputy Ambassador Laitinen, US Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Lynne Tracy wished them to start their first visit to Armenia from Syunik, emphasizing that the region is a priority in terms of the activities of the embassy.
The US Deputy Ambassador expressed the desire to get acquainted with the situation on the ground and understand how they can continue to support democratic and economic development, as well as learn about security issues.
The Governor of Syunik Melikset Poghosyan presented the situation in the region in the post-war period, the concerns of the leadership and the population of the region, the problems related to the new border situation.
During the meeting the parties discussed issues related to security, roads and traffic, economic and other issues.
The Governor expressed readiness for further active cooperation, and referring to the programs implemented by the USAID in the region, he expressed hope that they will be continuous.