Lavashlife: Exporting Armenian Culture and Identity Through Memes

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Memes circulate across the globe daily, harnessing humor and relatability as powerful forces in our connected world. But what happens when Armenian memes cross borders and reach a global audience?

Lavashlife, a popular Instagram meme page, has found the answer. Created by Aris Mardirossian, an Armenian-American, it exports Armenian culture not only to diasporans who have never set foot in their ancestral homeland, but also to non-Armenians (otars). Through humor, Mardirossian deploys a kind of soft power, connecting Armenians from Armenia, the diaspora, and even curious outsiders into a shared online community.

Mardirossian originally launched Lavashlife as a blog in 2018 to share his volunteer experiences in Armenia with friends and family back home. Around the same time, he also created an Instagram page under the same name to share photos from that experience. But after returning to the United States, he wasn’t sure how to keep either platform alive. 

The turning point came when he posted an Armenian meme that received over 500 likes—an impressive response considering Lavashlife only had 20 followers at the time. The post’s engagement came primarily from Armenian Americans, aligning with his original target audience of English-speaking diasporic Armenians. “That was the original audience I was trying to reach,” he recalls.

Encouraged by this response, Mardirossian transformed Lavashlife into a meme page focused on Armenian humor, and its followers quickly grew from a close-knit circle to a global audience.

Mardirossian’s motivation stemmed from the same desire that brought him to Armenia to volunteer: a yearning to connect with his heritage. Growing up in a small Armenian community in the United States, he wanted to explore his identity and share it with others. “There was so much more to Armenian culture than what I had experienced in my limited view,” Mardirossian explains. “From the beginning, it’s always been a way for me to share more about Armenian culture beyond what we might experience in our limited diaspora communities.”

Through his posts, Lavashlife encourages diasporic Armenians and non-Armenians to engage with Armenia’s rich culture. Mardirossian notes that many in the diaspora have yet to visit Armenia. For instance, Nayat Sarı, an Armenian from Istanbul, commented on a Lavashlife post about summer visits to Armenia: “It’s my dream to visit Yerevan one day. I hope as soon as possible!” Mardirossian aims to make Armenia feel more accessible and tangible, sharing, “Growing up, Armenia seemed like a fairytale where everybody dances in front of Mount Ararat.”

For diasporic Armenians, Lavashlife offers a unique way to maintain cultural ties from afar. Sarı, who now lives in Brussels, emphasizes the importance of speaking Armenian with others and how sharing memes helps her feel connected to her roots. “Staying connected through social media gives me a sense of what life is like for Armenians there and in other countries,” she explains. “It’s interesting to follow these meme pages for their humor, values, pain, perspectives, and our shared experiences as Armenians, especially through meme culture.”

Mardirossian sees expanding the international community’s perception of Armenians as essential. “I was so tired of our entire culture being defined by trauma, hardship, or survival,” he explains. “Survival is meaningful, but there’s so much more to Armenian culture, and I try to highlight that.”

An important aspect of Lavashlife’s content is teaching followers Armenian slang and unique expressions, which creates a cultural bridge. Posts featuring affectionate phrases like “jigart utem” (literally, “I eat your liver”) or “utem kez” (“I eat you”), resonate with Lavashlife’s audience, sparking engagement from both Armenians and foreigners who ask for translations or join in the humor.

As Lavashlife gained popularity, it became a resource for foreigners curious about Armenian culture. In one instance, a non-Armenian woman reached out to Mardirossian, asking how to say “I love you” in Armenian for her Armenian partner. “So we went back and forth with ‘sirum em kez’ until she got it right,” Mardirossian recalls. “It’s incredible that people reach out with these questions!” For him, it’s important to make Lavashlife’s content accessible and engaging for foreigners, creating a community where even those unfamiliar with Armenian culture feel welcome to ask questions.

“I posted a meme about our cousins and how close we are with family, and more otars shared it than Armenians,” Mardirossian recounts. He notes that people from diverse backgrounds—French, Peruvian, Iraqi—connect to these posts, seeing reflections of their own cultures and upbringings. The post garnered over 322,000 likes, becoming one of Lavashlife’s popular memes.

As foreigners relate to Armenian culture, they begin to see Armenians as more familiar rather than “the other.” Mardirossian believes this inclusivity benefits both Armenian communities and culture. “Breaking down those barriers, especially with communities that have historically seen us as outsiders, is a huge benefit to our people and culture,” he says.

Andrew Garcia, a Salvadoran and Mexican married to an Armenian, frequently shares Lavashlife memes. Living in Glendale, he finds the posts relatable: “Meme pages like Lavashlife highlight pieces of Armenian culture that I’ve come to know, and they’re so accurate.” Garcia even uses these memes to learn Armenian expressions, often consulting his wife or mother-in-law for translations.

While Lavashlife initially targeted diasporic Armenians and foreigners, it has attracted a substantial following within Armenia itself. Analytics show that posts about Armenian slang or traditions frequently reach more people in Armenia than in the U.S. One 20-year-old Armenian follower notes that Lavashlife portrays Armenian culture so authentically that she initially believed Mardirossian was from Armenia. “I’m happy to see memes that positively depict us, unlike Russian TV shows that mock our appearance,” she says.

During the 2020 Artsakh War, Lavashlife’s reach within Armenia expanded as the page became a safe online community for Armenians worldwide. Mardirossian adapted his content during this period, balancing humor with a focus on Armenian identity while countering Azerbaijani media disinformation. His page offered Armenians moments of relief amid tragic news. “People shared that they felt they could laugh or escape the horrors around them, which was deeply meaningful,” he reflects. “It felt like I was serving a necessary purpose.”

Through Lavashlife, an online Armenian community has blossomed, leading to real-life connections and even marriages. In 2024, Mardirossian shared a post about a couple who met in the comment section and eventually married. Touched by this story, he hopes Lavashlife will continue bringing people together.

With over 112,000 followers, Lavashlife continues to use its unique voice to encourage diasporic Armenians and foreigners to explore Armenian culture and identity. More than a meme page, Lavashlife has evolved to become an inclusive, inviting space where everyone can learn, connect, and share laughs while embracing Armenian heritage.

LIFESTYLE

This month’s SALT takes you from the hushed halls of the National Library turned unlikely coworking hub to the sculptor’s studio of Levon Tokmajyan. We celebrate curls in all their glory, trace Armenian culture through memes, and hear the story of a young woman navigating Yerevan’s streets in a wheelchair. To top it off, a new play brings to life the story of Armenian jazz legend Elvina Makaryan. SALT is where everyday struggles meet joy, creativity and reinvention.