EVN Report’s first of four Armenian Election Study polls ahead of the June 7, 2026 parliamentary elections offers a methodologically rigorous snapshot of voter preference, groundbreaking results on non-committed (undecided) voters and party performance, revealing cautious optimism on security and economy, and a competitive but incumbent-leaning race.

With Maria Titizian and Nerses Kopalyan

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance’s upcoming visit to the South Caucasus, Washington’s evolving engagement, and what the TRIPP framework could mean for Armenia and the wider region are at the center of the first episode of “State of Play”, featuring EVN Report editor Maria Titizian in conversation with political scientist Nerses Kopalyan.

The regional order in the South Caucasus is shifting. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance’s back-to-back visits to Yerevan and Baku, following the Washington Accords and the launch of TRIPP, signal a new phase of U.S. engagement in the region. Major defense, nuclear and technology agreements are reshaping strategic calculations.

But peace cannot be built on imbalance. Nearly five years after Azerbaijani forces crossed into internationally recognized Armenian territory, key issues remain unresolved: occupation, detainees and the absence of an unequivocal recognition of Armenia’s territorial integrity. In this episode, Maria Titizian breaks down what the new U.S. role means, and what still stands in the way of durable peace.

Nearly half a century later, Ararat-73 still looms large in Armenia’s collective memory. More than a football triumph, the team embodied national pride under “apricot socialism,” blending Soviet structure with Armenian identity and leaving behind a legacy that continues to shape nostalgia, culture and belonging.

Tracing how power reshapes cities, Heghine Pilosyan’s essay moves from Paris to Yerevan to show how architecture, land and urban form have served as instruments of authority, across monarchy, socialism and post-Soviet capitalism, revealing striking continuities beneath shifting ideologies.

Reflecting on the 2025 film year, Sona Karapoghosyan traces how global cinema engages with gender, grief, revenge, and political catastrophe, from Gaza to migration, while questioning trends, festival politics and what films reveal about the world we live in.

An in-depth look at Armenia’s shift from institutional child care to family-based welfare explores the roles of poverty, disability, stigma and law. Tigran Melikian examines recent positive reforms, remaining gaps and what it will take to ensure every child grows up in a family.

Transitions