Arts & Culture

Yerevan’s statues reveal shifting political ideologies and national identity, from Soviet heroes to national figures, international allies and “symbolic” women. Hovhannes Nazaretyan explores how public monuments reflect power, memory and Armenia’s evolving historical and geopolitical narratives.

In this poetic exploration of filmmaker Sergey Parajanov’s radical defiance against Soviet conformity, Ani Poghosyan traces how his visionary cinema, rooted in Armenian identity and artistic freedom, challenged empire, celebrated cultural memory, and outlived the system that sought to silence him.

Taline Oundjian traces the intellectual and political journey of Pınar Selek, a Turkish feminist and anti-militarist persecuted by the state, whose work on structural violence, memory, and the Armenian genocide offers powerful insights into resistance, identity and forgotten histories.

Lory Bedikian’s book of poetry “Jagadakeer: Apology to the Body” is a poignant exploration of immigrant trauma, familial bonds, identity and mortality. It announces and denounces our fears and some of our most innermost pain with prescient beauty and rare honesty, writes Christopher Atamian in this review.

Fragments of the statue of the Goddess Anahit, on loan from the British Museum, are on display at the History Museum of Armenia until March 2025. Lilit Avagyan traces the remarkable journey of these rare relics, which stand as exceptional testaments to Armenia's ancient cultural heritage.

While delving into the collective emotional response triggered each September by recent traumatic events in Armenia, Ella Kanegarian-Berberian explores the potential for healing through representation. Using the biopic “The Other Side of the Medal”—which tells the story of weightlifting champion Nazik Avdalyan—it reflects on the importance of overcoming grief and loss.

In 2022, business tycoon Gagik Tsarukyan announced plans to construct a monumental statue of Jesus. Although much of the work has already been completed, the statue has continued to face criticism both for its concept and execution. Ani Gevorgyan's photo story captures the "journey" of the statue.

Lucy Yeghiazaryan, an Armenian jazz vocalist based in New York City, explores the connections between Armenian melodies and American jazz standards in her album, “Beside the Golden Door”, creating a powerful fusion bridging cultural divides while navigating her own identity.

Aida Zilelian’s "All the Ways We Lied" follows the complex lives of the Manoukian sisters in Queens, New York. Tackling themes of trauma, identity, and resilience, Zilelian presents a raw, authentic portrayal of a middle-class immigrant family grappling with their past and present. A review by Christopher Atamian.

A 36-hour bus ride from Yerevan to Istanbul, passing through Georgia due to the closed Turkey-Armenia border, explores the lives, struggles and surprising bonds among the women struggling to make a living known as “bazaarchis”. It also reveals hidden stories of women “beaten down by their destiny.”