Author: Lilit Nahapetian

High Commissioner Zareh Sinanyan considers options of helping Syrian-Armenians in COVID-19 response

Lilit Nahapetian

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 16:52,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 14, ARMENPRESS. High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan says discussions are underway to understand how they can help Armenians living in Syria in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking at a press conference on August 14, Sinanyan said Armenians in Syria face not only financial but healthcare problems.

“Indeed, this issue exists and it was raised by our Syrian-Armenian compatriots. We are considering how we can help. The problem concerns medication, the most basic medications have become unavailable [there]. We are now thinking how we can [quickly] help our compatriots", he said. 

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

European Parliament’s 2nd largest group calls for Azerbaijan to be “immediately expelled” from EP

Lilit Nahapetian

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 18:40,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 14, ARMENPRESS. The European Parliament’s second-largest political group has today called for Azerbaijan to be “immediately expelled” from the Eastern Partnership . The call came as part of a statement published ahead of an emergency meeting of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council to discuss the on-going situation in Belarus, ARMENPRESS was informed from Brussels-based NGO ''European Friends of Armenia''.

Labelling the elections a sham, the statement strongly condemned the subsequent violent crackdown against protestors and honoured their bravery. Drawing parallels between the flawed elections in Belarus this month and Azerbaijan six months ago, Vice President of the Socialists and Democrats, Kati Piri MEP said:

“We cannot be in partnership with countries where we witness the violent repression of political opposition and civil society. Dictators are the enemies of free societies. Both Belarus and Azerbaijan should be immediately expelled from the Eastern Partnership Programme.”

This statement comes just ten days after the same group called for sanctions to be imposed upon leading members of the Azerbaijan government in response to increasing levels of human rights abuses in the country.

Speaking from Brussels on behalf of the European Friends of Armenia, William Lavender said: “Democracy, the rule of law, and human rights are the foundations upon which the Eastern Partnership is built. Too often we see some in the European Parliament willing to overlook these principles for the sake of other interests. Sadly to say, those interests are often at the expense of Armenia. I’m pleased to see that at least one group in the European Parliament is taking these principles seriously and I hope that we will soon see other groups support this honourable position”.

EuFoA is Brussels-based NGO seeking to build bridges between Armenia and the European Union. EuFoA does not influence and/or impact the topics of interest selected by the journalists, nor the content of the material produced, the articles and stories published in the news headlines and media outlets they represent or work with. The organisation is interested in objective and transparent coverage of the situation in the region.




Exclusive footage published from fight, murder in densely-Armenian populated town in Georgia

Lilit Nahapetian
News.am, Armenia
Aug 9 2020

23:10, 09.08.2020
                  

Armenia has some of the World’s Most enchanting Monasteries

Lilit Nahapetian
The Daily Beast
Aug 9 2020
PEACE AND QUIET

Because secluded mountain-top churches and unspoiled nature have never sounded more appealing.

Published Aug. 09, 2020 6:28AM ET 

By now you’ve no doubt found a coping mechanism for COVID angst—maybe you fold down into child’s pose, zone out with some deep inhales, or simply pour yourself a stiff drink. Me, I like to close my eyes and conjure up one of the most peaceful places I know: Geghard monastery, in the mountains of Armenia. Some days I can almost taste the air inside, cool and pure and sweet with frankincense. Around me, candles flicker in the dimness against rough-hewn walls blackened by smoke and time. Ethereal harmonies spiral up to the soaring cupola, from which a skylight casts a beam of light that warms my forehead if I stand just so. I’m not religious, but in Armenia’s monasteries, I found a glimmer of divine serenity that followed me home.

You’re never far from a church in Armenia, a deeply Christian country bordered by Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Iran. Today more than 90 percent of Armenia’s citizens—and millions of diaspora Armenians abroad—belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church, an ancient Oriental Orthodox institution that shares similarities with Coptic, Syrian, Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Indian Churches. In fact, Armenia was the first nation to make Christianity its official region, in 301 AD, some 80 years before the Roman Empire did the same. That head start is one reason the country’s most breathtaking Christian sites are also some of the world’s oldest—take, for example, Echmiadzin Cathedral, said to be the first cathedral on earth, completed (in its first iteration) in 304 AD. 

But you don’t have to know this history—much less follow the Gospel—to be blown away by the buildings themselves, and to find rejuvenating quietude within their walls. Crowned by conical domes that pierce through clouds and tower over forests and meadows, Armenian churches are dramatic, and drool-emoji photogenic, especially viewed from afar. Get closer, and you might spot zoomorphic carvings of suns or grapevines or (long-extinct) Persian lions, holdover motifs from Armenian Zoroastrianism. Step inside, and hypnotically interlaced stone crosses, faded frescoes of wide-eyed saints, and secret nooks and passageways will jump-start your imagination and make you want to go exploring like a kid in a haunted house. 

A word of advice to first-time visitors to Armenia: Lest monastery fatigue set in, limit yourself to two or three churches a day. Skip the umpteen-stop package itineraries. Roads in Armenia are notoriously curvy, tours long and information-packed, and monasteries filled with curiosities that merit your slow, clear-eyed attention. There may be more churches in Armenia than there are seeds in a pomegranate, but these seven monastic sites—ranging from tiny chapels to grand ecclesiastical complexes—are especially pilgrimage-worthy.  

Khor Virap, Ararat, Armenia, Europe

Khor Virap

Plastered on t-shirts, printed on postcards, and painted wistfully on walls of Armenian restaurants from Los Angeles to Tbilisi to Paris, Khor Virap is one of the most celebrated symbols of Armenia. When it comes into view, you’ll understand why: The monastery appears to float above a parched plain that stretches to the foot of Mount Ararat, the snow-capped dormant volcano where Noah’s ark supposedly came to rest. It’s all phenomenally scenic, especially on windy winter mornings when the air is at its clearest. Though remnants remain of the original 7th-century chapel, the current structure, with one lone spire, dates to the 1600s. Inside, take the wobbly steel ladder down into the pit where Armenia’s chief evangelizer, Gregory the Illuminator, is said to have been jailed for 12 years by the pagan King Tiridates III. 

Etchmiadzin Cathedral 

Etchmiadzin is to Armenian Apostolic Christians what St. Peter’s Basilica is to Catholics and the Western Wall is to Jews: a place of unparalleled religious significance. Called Mayr Tachar (“Mother Church”) by Armenians, it is the seat of the catholicos, the Armenian equivalent of the pope. Its 65-foot-high cupola, ornate bell towers, and central nave blanketed in florid Persianate frescoes make it one of the grandest religious sites in the Caucasus. The site was previously a pagan altar to the fire god Vahagn, so when Gregory the Illuminator built the cathedral, it symbolized the nation’s embrace of Christianity over paganism. Tip: Luckily for travelers crunched for time, Echmiadzin is a 30-minute drive from the capital city of Yerevan, but before striking out, contact Armenia’s Tourist Committee to ensure the interior isn’t closed due to ongoing construction. 

Tatev 

To Armenian art scholars, Tatev Monastery is synonymous with medieval manuscript production, its prestigious specimens once shipped as far afield as Crimea and Italy. But today the complex is better known for its Wings of Tatev cable car, the “world’s longest reversible aerial tramway,” according to Guinness World Records, which swoops a whopping 5,800 meters up to the 9th-century mountaintop monastery over a clover-green gully. 

Garni Temple

Garni

What is a Parthenon-like Greco-Roman temple doing in the backwoods of Armenia? No one is quite sure, but theories abound: Some scholars believe Garni is a shrine to the Zoroastrian sun god Mihr, while others have posited that it’s the tomb of a Romanized Armenian king or even of the Roman emperor Trajan himself. Though not a church per se, the site holds major spiritual importance for thousands of Armenian Neopagans (newfound adherents to Armenia’s pre-Christian rites) who gather there for ceremonial dances, nature worship rituals, and—until a law forbade it a few years ago—animal sacrifice. Note the smattering of gray slabs interspersed with the lighter stone of the colonnade—these were incorporated in the temple’s reconstruction 1975 for easy differentiation from the original building materials.   

Keghart

Geghard is arguably the crown jewel of medieval Armenian architecture, its chapels hewn into a cliffside set among steep, scrubby peaks. Khachkars, uniquely Armenian “cross stones” bearing mesmerizing carvings of crosses, suns, and other religious and nature motifs, are strewn throughout the complex; you’ll find yourself stopping to simply stare at them as you would a trippy psychedelic animation. As you walk the grounds, ducking into the various churches, chapels, and old priests’ quarters cut into the rock, make a point to seek out Proshyan Dynasty’s zhamatun, or tomb. The doorway to this room is crowned with a primitive pagan relief of two lions with dragon tails flanking a ram’s head. What’s going on is anyone’s guess—so linger for a few minutes and let your imagination run wild. Tip: Combine a visit to Geghard with Garni, a 15-minute drive away. 

Noravank Monastery

Noravank

One of the most splendid church façades in all of the Caucasus can be found at Noravank, a monastery and one-time residence of the Orbelian Dynasty. Momik is the mastermind builder behind the cantilevered stairs (an astonishing architectural feat for the 13th century) that trace up the front entrance; he also carved the lace-like khachkars still standing at the site.  See if you can spot the tympanum bearing an uncannily East Asian-looking representation of God; legend has it that invading Mongols spared Noravank because they saw themselves reflected in that image. Indeed, in both architecture and in manuscripts, Armenians would often depict their subjects with the features of the enemy du jour in hopes that their work would not be destroyed.  

Sevanavank 

Lake Sevan sprawls 1,900 square miles and covers nearly one sixth of Armenia’s surface area. It’s beloved by Armenians for its tranquil beaches and sweet, rosy-fleshed trout, but to visitors, the lake’s main attraction is the 9th-century Sevanavank monastery. It takes a wheezy hundred-step climb to reach the small yet charming church, but the panoramic lake and mountain views from an altitude of 6,200 feet are well worth the sweat stains. Among the twenty-some khachkars spread around the grounds is a unique example bearing a depiction of Jesus on the cross, one of only three such cross stones known to exist. 

https://www.thedailybeast.com/armenia-has-some-of-the-worlds-most-enchanting-monasteries?ref=scroll


Why Armenia and Azerbaijan Are Shooting at Each Other

Lilit Nahapetian
Atlantic Sentinel
July 31 2020

This time, it’s not in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Written by

Kristijonas Medelis

In what have been some of the worst clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan in years, sixteen soldiers and one civilian have been killed in the last two weeks. Armenia has threatened to bomb an Azerbaijani reservoir. Azerbaijan has threatened to destroy an Armenian nuclear plant. These may be empty threats, but they speak to the level of tension between the two countries.

What exactly happened, why, and what is the likely outcome?

Armenia claims Azerbaijan initiated hostilities with an attempted drone strike against the town of Berd, north of Lake Sevan. Azerbaijan insists they were fired on first.

The fact that the conflict didn’t start in the disputed region of Karabakh gives credence to the Azerbaijanis.

As a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, Armenia could count on the support of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan if it were attacked. However, Nagorno-Karabakh isn’t internationally recognized as part of its territory. Azerbaijan, which also claims the region, has staged provocations there in the past. Since the ongoing hostilities broke out farther north, it is more likely a case of Armenian brinksmanship gone wrong.

The conflict is related to Nagorno-Karabakh. In short, the region is occupied by Armenia but internationally recognized as belonging to Azerbaijan.

Both sides have reasonable claims to the territory, and both sides engage in unreasonable historical revisionism going back to the fourth century.

The most recent relevant date is 1923, when the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast was established within the Azerbaijani Soviet Republic. During the Soviet period, the dispute was largely moot. When the Soviet Union began to collapse, the majority-Armenian enclave declared its independence from Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan responded with a heavy hand, prompting Armenia to intervene. A full-scale war lasted two years. A ceasefire was signed in 1994. Armenia and Azerbaijan fought another, four-day war in 2016.

Some remain optimistic. The EU has been trying to reconcile the two parties by facilitating dialogue. However, European inconsistency on questions of self-determination and territorial integrity make it an imperfect mediator.

Even if the EU had more credibility and will, it might not accomplish much. The capture of Nagorno-Karabakh plays an important role in the Armenian national consciousness. It’s hardly less a matter of pride for Azerbaijan. Neither has shown a willingness to compromise on the issue. Both have been willing to fight for it — to the death.

July 30, 2020July 31, 2020

in:

Explainer





Music: Around 45,000 people followed Music 20 International Festival in Armenia

Lilit Nahapetian
Public Radio of Armenia
July 31 2020


<img width="1643" height="1080" src=”"https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/xLUS_4569-scaled.jpg.pagespeed.ic.Hqq09KOj2M.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/xLUS_4569-scaled.jpg.pagespeed.ic.Hqq09KOj2M.jpg 1643w, https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/xLUS_4569-300×197.jpg.pagespeed.ic.7dsTiWf3aT.jpg 300w, https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/LUS_4569-1024×673.jpg 1024w, https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/LUS_4569-768×505.jpg 768w, https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/LUS_4569-1536×1009.jpg 1536w, https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/LUS_4569-2048×1346.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1643px) 100vw, 1643px" data-pagespeed-url-hash="1776253439"/>

Almost 45 thousand music lovers from Armenia, Russia, Germany, Malta, UK and many other countries were following the “Music 20” online international festival, held on July 10 through 28 in Armenia. The official website music20.am was created to broadcast the performances throughout the festival days.

Along with local Armenian artists, a large number of celebrated musicians were hosted in Armenia as guest performers of the festival – cellists Alexander Ramm, Boris Andrianov, violinists Andrey Baranov, Francesca Dego, Haik Kazazian, conductors Marius Stravinsky, Rustem Abiazov, Alan Chircop, Gianluca Marciano, pianists Nikita Mndoyants, Alexander Gindin, Gloria Campaner and clarinet Igor Fedorov.

<img src=”"https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/xLUS_4741-1-1024×678.jpg.pagespeed.ic.8qsrtNwZ4I.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-116986" srcset="https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/xLUS_4741-1-1024×678.jpg.pagespeed.ic.8qsrtNwZ4I.jpg 1024w, https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/LUS_4741-1-300×199.jpg 300w, https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/LUS_4741-1-768×509.jpg 768w, https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/LUS_4741-1-1536×1017.jpg 1536w, https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/LUS_4741-1-2048×1356.jpg 2048w, https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/LUS_4741-1-scaled.jpg 1630w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" data-pagespeed-url-hash="668343157"/>

The festival was organized owing to the joint efforts of the European Foundation for Support of Culture and the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concerts Complex. The Armenian State Symphony Orchestra was the official orchestra of the festival.

The invited musicians were sharing their emotions on the “Music 20” festival “feeling like a breeze of fresh air amid the limitations of the Covid-19 pandemic, introduced by the organizers and allowing thousands of listeners to savor high-quality music”, as was shared by many of them.

<img src=”"https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/LUS_5098-1-1-1024×678.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-116989" srcset="https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/LUS_5098-1-1-1024×678.jpg 1024w, https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/LUS_5098-1-1-300×199.jpg 300w, https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/LUS_5098-1-1-768×509.jpg 768w, https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/LUS_5098-1-1-1536×1017.jpg 1536w, https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/LUS_5098-1-1-2048×1356.jpg 2048w, https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/LUS_5098-1-1-scaled.jpg 1630w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" data-pagespeed-url-hash="3242312795"/>

Rustem Abiazov, the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Kazan “La Primavera” Chamber Orchestra, admits his disbelief that “Music 20” would even be possible to carry out. “Of course, I knew that the President of the European Foundation for Support of Culture, Konstantin Ishkhanov, always achieves the goals he targets. Despite this, I was traveling to Armenia with certain concerns over the possibility to organize something like this under the present conditions. However, I arrived in Yerevan to witness a festival with an unusual format. A large number of orchestras around the world are streaming their concerts online these days, and I am thrilled that Armenia is in leading position in this respect”, Rustem Abiazov said.

Violinist Haik Kazazian emphased that there is no other festival of a similar scale held across the world which demonstrates the big love of Armenia for classical music.

Sergey Smbatyan, the Principal Conductor and the Artistic Director of the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra sums up the outcomes of the “Music 20” festival, stating that today highly demanded artists around the world admit to be given a second breath with this initiative presented by Armenia. “For me it is valuable to show the paramount importance of classical music for Armenia. We had brilliant concerts. The Symphony Orchestra overcame challenges with world-scale artists. Remarkably, the events in the cultural life of Armenia have been exposed to the whole world for the past two weeks. Around 45,000 views evidence that what we offer to the global cultural life is highly demanded, meaning that amid the cultural standstill of the world  something is being created in Armenia that goes against the flow and works out well”, Sergey Smbatyan said.

All anti-pandemic security measures were ensured during the festival.

Karen Ghazaryan, the Director of the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concerts Complex, emphasized that under these challenging circumstances we were able to carry out the “Music 20″ festival successfully, with all safety measures in place. “We had a large number of views, and, most importantly, no cases of infection were reported during the festival. This shows that with proper organization and operational responsibility it is possible to hold events that present no threat to public health”, Mr.Ghazaryan noted.

To diversity concert program included 19 symphony and chamber concerts, as well as a series of recitals featuring works by Mozart, Beethoven, Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky, Skryabin, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Grig, Shor, Khachaturian, Ghazaros Saryan, Alexander Arutiunian, Edward Mirzoyan, John Ter-Tadevosian, Stepan Shakaryan, Tigran Mansurian, Eduard Hayrapetyan and other composers.

Turkish press: Azerbaijan, Turkey to launch large-scale joint military exercises

Lilit Nahapetian
 ANKARA DIPLOMACY 
JUL 27, 2020 1:26 PM GMT+3
Azerbaijani soldiers patrol at the border of the Tovuz region of Azerbaijan, where deadly clashes with Armenia took place recently, July 26, 2020. (DHA Photo)

The Azerbaijani defense ministry on Monday announced that Ankara and Baku are going to launch large-scale military exercises as part of the Agreement on Military Cooperation between both countries.

“Azerbaijani-Turkish Live Fire Joint Large-Scale Tactical and Flight-Tactical Exercises will be held in our country with the participation of the Land Forces and the Air Force of both countries,” a written statement of the ministry said.

It added that the joint exercises will involve military personnel, armored vehicles, artillery mounts and mortars, as well as military aviation and air defense equipment of the armies of the two countries.

“According to the plan, exercises involving the Land Forces will be held from Aug. 1 to 5 in Baku and Nakhchivan, and exercises with the participation of military aviation will be held from July 29 to Aug. 10 in Baku, Nakhchivan, Ganja, Kurdamir and Yevlakh,” the statement added.

Turkey and Azerbaijan have been reiterating cooperation in every field, especially the military, after an Armenian attack took place on Azerbaijan’s border on July 12.

The recent rise in tensions was triggered when the Armenian army attempted to attack Azerbaijani positions with artillery fire in the direction of the northwestern Tovuz border district, withdrawing after suffering losses following retaliation from the Azerbaijani military.

Twelve Azerbaijani soldiers, including a major general and a colonel, were killed and four others were injured in the recent border clashes.

Azerbaijan has blamed Armenia for the "provocative" actions, with Turkey throwing its weight behind Baku and warning Yerevan that it would not hesitate to stand against any kind of attack on its eastern neighbor.

A week after the attack, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Azerbaijani Deputy Defense Minister Ramiz Tahirov and Kerem Mustafayev, army chief of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, an exclave of Azerbaijan bordering Armenia, Turkey and Iran, came together and discussed the recent situation.

On the security of Azerbaijan and the region, Akar said Turkey and the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) will continue to do what they have to do, adding, "No one should doubt that."

The two ex-Soviet republics have been locked for decades in a conflict over Armenia’s illegal occupation of Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The territory was seized by ethnic Armenian separatists in a 1990s war that claimed 30,000 lives, though the recent fighting broke out on a northern section of their shared border far from Karabakh.

VIDEO: Armenian-Americans Marched in 1918 July 4th Parade in New York

Lilit Nahapetian
July 6, 2020

[See Video]

The Armenian National Committee of America on Saturday shared footage from July 4th, 1918 showing Armenian Americans participating in the July 4th Independence Day parade in New York City and heading to White House celebrations the same day, urging U.S. support for a newly established independent Republic of Armenia.

2020 marks the 100th anniversary of U.S.-Armenia relations, with the United States officially recognizing the Republic of Armenia on April 23, 1920, and welcoming Dr. Karekin Pasdermadjian (Armen Karo) as the first Armenian Ambassador to the U.S.

COVID-19: Artsakh confirms 5 new cases

Lilit Nahapetian

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 12:29, 8 July, 2020

YEREVAN, JULY 8, ARMENPRESS. 5 new cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Artsakh in the past one day, bringing the total number of cases to 141, the Artsakh ministry of healthcare reported.

The total number of recovered patients has reached 112.

The number of active cases is 29.

91 citizens are quarantined.

So far, a total of 2,437 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Artsakh.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan




Aravot.am: Armenian deputies had received rewards once before transferring to COVID-19 fund

Lilit Nahapetian
News.am, Armenia
July 10 2020

22:48, 10.07.2020