Armenia’s Quiet Defiance

Beyond Borders

Armenia’s Quiet Defiance

Apr 14, 2025

Amid rising authoritarianism in Georgia and Azerbaijan, Armenia stands as a fragile outlier of democratic

pluralism. Olesya Vartanyan examines whether it can withstand the regional tide of repression, or if pluralism is the country’s final safeguard for resilience.

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An Unfinished Peace: Armenia, Azerbaijan and the Fragile Path Forward

Olesya Vartanyan

Mar 17, 2025

Baku and Yerevan have declared their negotiations over, a moment that should, in theory, mark

a diplomatic milestone. Yet the actual signing and implementation of a peace agreement remains elusive, if not outright uncertain. With the process stalled in an ambiguous interim phase, this new reality necessitates a careful assessment of the risks and uncertainties defining this transitional period.

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Georgia’s Authoritarian Drift Accelerates

Olesya Vartanyan

Feb 17, 2025

Georgia’s leadership continues to tighten its grip on the ongoing protests, fueling suspicions that the

country is drifting toward an authoritarian model similar to Azerbaijan. Armenia remains one of the few regional allies still willing to engage with Tbilisi’s embattled government.

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Tech Matters

Investing in the “Software” of Innovation

Raffi Kassarjian

Mar 11, 2025

Silicon Valley’s success is driven by a combination of talent, capital and culture. Raffi Kassarjian

explains how Armenia can apply these principles to boost its own tech ecosystem, highlighting local strengths, growing investment and the importance of global connections.

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The Coming Age of Artificial Intelligence: Challenge or Opportunity for Armenian Tech?

Raffi Kassarjian

Jan 24, 2025

As AI reshapes industries worldwide, Raffi Kassarjian explores its implications for Armenia’s tech sector. From

algorithmic bias to AI-assisted development, he examines how local firms can adapt, innovate and compete in a rapidly evolving global landscape.

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Armenian Tech 2024 Wrap-up: Positioning for the Next Wave of Growth

Raffi Kassarjian

Dec 20, 2024

Armenia’s tech sector closed 2024 with notable achievements, from ServiceTitan’s $10 billion IPO to SuperAnnotate’s

$36 million Series B funding. Government initiatives like the Starlink rollout and tech-sector incentives, coupled with diaspora collaboration, signal a transformative year positioning Armenian tech for global growth in 2025 and beyond.

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Unleashed

Party of One

Sheila Paylan

Apr 7, 2025

In this deeply personal reflection, Sheila Paylan challenges cultural norms and redefines autonomy, asserting that

womanhood should not be predominantly defined by motherhood. Instead, she advocates for the freedom to craft a meaningful life on one's own terms, embracing a broad spectrum of female identities and experiences.

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Are You Sure That We Are Awake?

Sheila Paylan

Mar 10, 2025

In a world increasingly shaped by propaganda, disinformation, and spectacle-driven politics, staying awake, both literally

and figuratively, has never been more critical. In this month’s column, Sheila Paylan explores the urgency of reclaiming reality in an era of digital illusions.

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One Year Down

Sheila Paylan

Feb 10, 2025

"Unleashed" turns one, marking a year of storytelling, self-discovery, and deep engagement. Reflecting on the

past year's articles, Sheila Paylan revisits personal and cultural themes, embracing growth, vulnerability, and the power of expression while looking forward to another year of breaking boundaries and embracing authenticity.

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Outside In

The Subtle Details of Syunik’s Cities

Maria Gunko

Apr 10, 2025

A journey through Syunik’s cities reveals overlooked details: laundry lines, rustwoven structures, and abandoned railways,

that tell richer, more intimate stories of place than tourist checklists ever could. Maria Gunko’s reflection on memory, materiality and urban meaning.

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Nocturnal Yerevan

Maria Gunko

Feb 24, 2025

Maria Gunko explores the city’s transformation after dark, where familiar spaces shift, new rhythms emerge,

and urban night pulses with secrecy, revelry and uncertainty. From hidden bars to shadow economies, it captures the mystery, intimacy and contradictions of Yerevan’s nocturnal self.

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Reading Metsamor, the Armenian Nuclear City

Maria Gunko

Jan 30, 2025

Metsamor embodies a complex interplay of post-Soviet deindustrialization, utopian aspirations, and organic transformation. Once a

symbol of Soviet modernity, it now reveals a layered reality—marked by decay, resilience and the unplanned vibrancy of everyday life.

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Art Speak

Eozen Agopian: Master of Light and Thread

Christopher Atamian

Apr 9, 2025

Through layered canvases, intricate stitching and luminous color, Eozen Agopian fuses painting, textile and sculpture

into transcendent works. Her art explores memory, identity and space, honoring women’s labor and evoking spiritual resonance across continents.

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Unheimlich: Nina Katchadourian (Re)Orders the World

Christopher Atamian

Feb 13, 2025

Nina Katchadourian’s art playfully reorders the world, creating alternate meanings from everyday objects. Her projects,

from rearranged book titles to self-portraits in airplane lavatories, challenge our perception of categories, identity and representation, blending humor with deep intellectual curiosity.

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Sleight of Hand: Choghakate Kazarian and the Magical Art of Curating

Christopher Atamian

Jan 8, 2025

Choghakate Kazarian, an Armenian-born, Paris-raised curator, masterfully blends intellectual rigor and artistic elegance. Specializing in

modern and contemporary art, her groundbreaking exhibitions, from Chloé’s fashion history to Armenian abstraction, showcase her dedication to preserving and redefining art’s narrative.

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