Author: Hambik Zargarian

 

 

 

Two people injured in a bus crash in Russia’s Tula region are in grave condition, Armenian Minister of Healthcare Armen Muradyan told reporters today. He noted that their transportation to other medical institutions is now impossible.

“Doctors  have arrived at Tula hospital with all necessary equipment to organize their treatment,” the Minister said. He added that Russia covers all costs of the treatment in Russia, while the Armenian Government takes the expenses in Armenia.

Armen Muradyan said 10 people were taken to St. Gregory the Illuminator Medical Center in Yerevan last night, five are still in hospital. He informed that twelve of the injured passengers continue the treatment in Russia, two are in grave condition.

, a travel company located in Bristol, United Kingdom, is planning new group tours to Nagorno Karabakh.

Two tours are scheduled for May 6 and August 28, 2016. The trips will start from Armenian and last 11 days; visits to the cities of Shushi and Stepanakert, Gandzasar and Dadivank Monasteries, the Mayraberd and Tigranakert fortresses are envisaged.

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has said the trips are “illegal.” Spokesman for the Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev told APA that the Azerbaijani Embassy in the UK will inform the country’s state bodies about the “illegal” activity of the travel company and take necessary measures in this regard.

The travel company doesn’t organize trips to Azerbaijan.

 

 

 

Eugene Kaspersky, CEO of the Kaspersky Lab is the 6th recipient of the Armenian President’s annual IT Award. He will receive the prize on November 16 in Yerevan, the Head of Staff of Presidential Administration, Chairman of the Award Commission Vigen Sargsyan told reporters today.

Every year the prize is awarded to renowned persons for global contribution in the field of information technologies.

On a three-day visit to Armenia, Kaspersky will have meetings with the Armenian leadership, representatives of the IT sphere and students.

The President’s IT prize has previously been awarded to Mario Mazzola, Chief Development Officer at Cisco Systems Corporation, the former Executive Director  General of Intel Corporation, Chairman of the Board Craig R. Barrett, co-founder of the Apple Computer Corporation Steve Wozniak, Chairman Emeritus of Synaptics Company Federico Faggin and former CEO of Hitachi Company Tsugio Makimoto.

Gina Joseph,

The first time Detroit composer Dan Yessian was formally introduced to the unusual rhythms of Armenian music, he was just a teen. While playing clarinet for a rock and roll/jazz band, a group of musicians asked him to join their Armenian wedding band.

“I was 16. These guys were old men… who smoked stogies and drank hard liquor,” said Yessian, during an interview at the office of his award-winning musical production company Yessian Music. “I told them I didn’t know how to play Armenian music, but they said they could teach me and that I would get paid $10 for one night of playing. Now I am 71, and I am the old man.”

And, for the second time in his life he has been asked to create the music of his Armenian ancestry.

This time, however, he would be the one to compose the rhythms for what would become, “An Armenian Trilogy.”

This musical composition commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide will premiere at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 29.

Yessian was born and raised in America. But like many children of his generation, whose grandparents immigrated from Armenia to the United States, he grew up hearing the tragic stories that survived the genocide in Armenia, where 1.5 million Armenian citizens were murdered by the Turkish Ottoman Empire in 1915.

“My grandmother used to talk about how she carried raw meat hidden under her breasts to feed her children,” said Yessian. “The pregnant women were gutted. Unborn fetuses were removed and tossed into the air,” Yessian said, in his composer notes. “(Others) were raped in front of their husbands and children. This was a cleansing not unlike the Jewish Holocaust.” When asked by the Rev. Garabed Kochakian of St. John Armenian Church in Southfield to consider writing a commemorative piece of music evocative of those dark times he did not hesitate.

“For the past 43 years, our company, Yessian Music, has been creating original music for national television commercials, movie trailers and theme parks across the world,” said Yessian, whose sons, Brian and Michael also work for the company. “This was a different kind of opportunity and a challenge I couldn’t resist -– retelling the story of my ancestors in the way I do best, through music.”

Audiences at the Macomb Center will hear three movements written for violin and piano. Performed by Korean violinist Sonia Lee and pianist Shawn McDonald –- each movement represents the years surrounding the genocide in Armenia. From the days of freedom when Armenians enjoyed the rewards of their work and loving family along with the usual struggles of life, to the fear of being marched to their death in the desert and the final movement of faith for a brighter future ahead.

“When I write music I think in very visual ways with the intent that the listener might see what I see and feel what I feel,” said Yessian, whose company produced the music for national commercials like the iconic, “Think Ford First,” or promos for television shows like, “The Blacklist,” “Sunday Night Football,” and “The Voice.”

“And so it goes without saying that ‘An Armenian Trilogy’ is my desire for you to share this journey with me from a musical, yet, cinematic perspective.”

What follows the movement, which Yessian will eventually score for an orchestra, is a multi-media concert by Michelle Andonian that showcases photographs of the period and the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings performing a new score by Alexandra du Bois.

“In the end, I’m hopeful, aside from enjoying the music it will be an informative cultural experience,” Yessiam said.

 

 

 

Expert of Arabic studies Arayik Harutyunytan considers Russia’s actions in Syria are rather successful. He believes that by engaging in the Syrian issue, Russia comes out of the isolation of the past 1.5 years. Besides, Russia shows the West that in order to solve the issue of migrants and prevent the inflow of refugees, it’s necessary to solve the very reason of it.

The term of Russia’s presence in Syria depends on several factors, he said. “First of all, it depends on the objectives Russia pursues. Russia’s statement that it’s not possible to solve the issue through air strikes only envisages possible land operations, as well.”

Director of the “Caucasus” Institute, political scientist Alexander Iskandaryan says that “what’s happening in and around Syria is more complicated than presented by the media.” According to him, Syria will never be the same it was before the war. “Syria is divided and will remain so,” he said.

Alexander Iskandaryan considers that “the settlement of today’s complex problems in Syria exceptionally in a military way is obviously impossible.”

Arayik Harutyunyan believes that Russia and the West are destined to cooperate with each other, at least when it comes to the exchange of information on air strikes against ISIS. He considers that Russia and the United States ate in secret talks on the future developments in Syria and says the results of it will be tangible obvious in 10-15 days.

The Master Singers of Worcester and the Armenian Church of our Savior (in Worcester), the first Armenian Church in America, will honor the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide Sunday, Oct. 25, at 4 p.m., with a concert featuring sacred and secular music of Armenia. The Armenian Genocide Centennial Commemorative Concert will take place at Mechanics Hall, Worcester, reports.

The program also includes the world premiere of “A New Armenia!” by Worcester composer Stephan Barnicle and the Worcester premiere of Dan Forrest’s “Requiem for the Living,” with chamber orchestra and organist William Ness.

The Master Singers will be joined by singers and dancers from the Armenian community, and the children’s choirs of First Congregational Church and St. Mary’s Church of Shrewsbury.

The concert is funded in part by a grant from the Greater Worcester Community Foundation and supported in part by an Alfred Patterson Grant from Choral Arts New England.

President Serzh Sargsyan, who is visiting the United States of America to take part in the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, had a meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on September 29. The president congratulated the secretary-general upon the 70th jubilee of the organization, stressing that when Armenia joined the UN 23 years ago, it has felt supported by the organization from the very first day.

Serzh Sargsyan expressed his satisfaction with the successful end of the final summit of the program “Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” a few days ago, in which the UN secretary-general has played his role. Armenia’s president expressed the hope that the new comprehensive program will help raise the quality of living conditions for all people on the planet.

At the meeting, the parties touched upon the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. The president informed Ban Ki-moon about the current stage of the conflict, the present problems and especially about the tensions at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and the contact line with Nagorno-Karabakh caused by the resent ceasefire violations of Azerbaijan, which he had also touched upon at the 70th session of the UN General Assembly. The UN secretary-general expressed his concern over the current tensions, stressing the need for a settlement mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.

The interlocutors exchanged views on present-day international issues, and on worrisome events occurring in the world – new conflicts, increasing terrorism and extremism, the growing tensions in the Near and Middle East. Ban Ki-moon welcomed and thanked our country for the steps to provide refugees from northern Iraq and Syria with safe haven in Armenia. The UN secretary-general attached importance to the forum on global challenges of peacekeeping to be held in Yerevan in the near future.

President Serzh Sargsyan, who has arrived in the United States of America to take part in the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, participated in the UN Summit on Peacekeeping Operations on 28 September in New York, where he made an address.

Statement by the President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan at the UN Peacekeeping summit

Dear Colleagues,

I thank President Obama for the initiative of this summit, which is of pivotal importance from the international security perspective.

Despite the immense efforts directed by the international community toward prevention of conflicts and their peaceful resolution, peace and security remain fragile and vulnerable.

I am glad to note that despite the present tensions on our borders, Armenia’s engagement in the area of international peacekeeping has gradually expanded both geography-, and quantity-, and quality-wise. Currently Armenia is already an active contributor to the international peace and security, and in the course of the preceding decade it accumulated considerable experience.

Since 2004 Armenian peacekeepers joined the operation in Kosovo, and later the same year – the one in Iraq. Since 2010 we have taken part in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. Since 2015 we have partaken in the Resolute Support Mission in that very country, and, as we have declared on numerous other occasions, we will stand there with our international partners until that mission is accomplished.

Last year we expanded our engagement with peacekeeping missions. Now we are also present in the UNIFIL mission that is stationed in Lebanon. Moreover, this July Armenia launched its participation in the MINUSMA peacekeeping mission in Mali. And, most recently, we have undertaken new commitments to develop appropriate skills to be provided in the course of our future participation in the UN peacekeeping operations such as a Role II medical hospital and training of associated personnel, as well as training of a company of EOD/C-IED (Explosive Ordnance Disposal & Counter-Improvised Explosive Device) soldiers.

The U.S., Greece, Germany, as well as NATO structures and other member States have played pivotal role in the establishment and development of the Armenian peacekeeping capabilities, and I extend our special gratitude to them upon it.

Preservation of international peace and security is a primary responsibility for all, both great and smaller States, and peacekeeping is a major conduit to achieve that objective. Today we still need to take additional collective measures for its further consolidation. It is obvious that a peaceful and safe world may be secured solely by comprehensive, joint and careful measures to be taken.

I thank you.

Armenia ranks 43rd among 96 countries in the developed and constructed by HelpAge International.

The aim of the Index is both to capture the multidimensional nature of the quality of life and wellbeing of older people, and to provide a means by which to measure performance and promote improvements.

The HelpAge International has chosen 13 different indicators for the four key domains of Income security, Health status, Capability, and Enabling environment.

The best 10 countries to grow old are Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, Iceland, Japan, United States, and United Kingdom. The worst countries are Mozambique, Malawi and Afghanistan.

Armenia’s neighbors Georgia and Turkey are ranked 29th and 75th respectively. Armenia’s partners in the Eurasian Economic union are placed as follows:  Russia – 65^th, Kyrgyzstan – 51^st, Belarus – 64^th.

Armenia ranks moderately on the Index, at 43 overall. It ranks highest in the capability domain (9). It also ranks high in the income security domain (32) with 100% pension income coverage. It ranks low in the enabling environment domain (73) with the lowest value in its region for the civic freedom indicator (42%). It ranks lowest in the health domain (74), with below average life expectancy at 60 compared to other countries in this region.

Historians believe they have unearthed tombs dating back over 2,800 years in Van, present-day eastern Turkey, The Daily Mail reports.

The pithos burial chambers, which are like large ceramic jars, are thought to be from the Kingdom of Uratu, which ruled from the mid-ninth century BC until its defeat by the Medes.

Van was the capital of the Urartian Kingdom until it fell early in the sixth century BC.

Every summer a team of around 50 archaeologists take part in an annual excavation at Van Fortress in a bid to uncover treasures that have been buried for thousands of years.

With permission from the country’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism university teams have been working together.

They are currently working at the top of the fortress, where a palace was located, and the northern quarter.

Just 38km from Van excavation work is also taking place at Uratu Castle. This year they discovered part of the walls.

Urartu or Kingdom of Van was an Iron Age Kingdom in the Armenian Plateau.

By 9th c. BC the Urartu kingdom had established its regional power far beyond its capital at Tushpa (present day Van), invading Mesopotamia, and unifying the tribes in the Armenian plateau into one centralized state.

The rise of the empire of Urartu is centered around three kings: Menua, Argishti and Sardur I.

Remains of the Urartian Empire in Armenia include the citadels of Erebuni, Karmir Blur, Armavir (Argishtikhinili), and three fortified cities on Lake Sevan.