Arts & Culture

The Female Fix

The Female Fix

According to traditional gendered divisions of household labor, repairs fall to the man of the house and his ability to perform such work is very much linked to being seen as a “proper” man. But what about the women? Maria Gunko’s fascinating journey into the realm of the “female fix”.

Արևը՝ Բրեժնևից հետո. մաս 3

Arev After Brezhnev, Part 3

This is the story of Arev, a woman who survived a Soviet prison. In this new essay, Arev recounts her adventures traveling across the USSR in search of bottles and how she came to own a home in downtown Yerevan. As told by her niece Ella Kanegarian.

After Us

After Us

The dissolution of the Soviet Union created vast areas of abandonment and no-go zones that froze in time. In this next essay in the “Outside In” series, Maria Gunko writes that until the material relics of the Soviet Union disappear for good, we are deemed to revisit them, provoking thoughts about what societies value, how they evolve and what they leave behind.

Արևը՝ Բրեժնևից հետո. մաս 2

Arev After Brezhnev: Part 2

This is the story of Arev, a woman who “who always wears Chanel suits in Almodovar colors that she gets from who knows where, red lipstick, and high-heeled shoes” who survived a Soviet prison. As told by her niece Ella Kanegarian.

The (Un)Fairytale of Siranush

The (Un)Fairytale of Siranush

Following the story of Dastakert, Armenia’s smallest city, this next essay in the “Outside In” series looks behind the veil of yet another small Armenian city and offers a glimpse into the lives of its “void dwellers”, namely Siranush.

Arev’s Brezhnev Years

Arev’s Brezhnev Years

“A murderer could get amnesty, but not people like me. Bribery was considered the worst thing, although during Brezhnev's time bribery was everywhere, widespread and first of all in his own system…”

Mother Armenia

Mother Armenia

Hayasdan (Armenia) is a graphic essay that explores the relationship between contemporary Yerevan and its past. The work, by Harut Tumaghyan and Armen of Armenia (Ohanyan), is divided into three parts, each delving into the city’s socio-political and cultural context from an urban perspective.

Yerevan’s Christian Heritage

Yerevan’s Christian Heritage

Yerevan’s Christian heritage has usually been overshadowed because of its proximity to the Holy See of Ejmiatsin. The first accounts about churches in Yerevan are from records dating back to the Third Church Council of Dvin in 607 AD.

The Peephole

The Peephole

A peephole view into the kaleidoscopic distortions of other people’s lives where human interaction is set in ways foreign to you and distant from you yet in your city where the “hero” is your friend. A true, but not a real story from the ninth floor, in building 9a, in the Ninth District, the door without the peephole.

The Seat

In this tiny self-declared and unrecognized Republic where her ancestors once lived, Anahit tries to reassess her existence while she wages a battle for the seat.

Chez moi

Chez moi

In this new essay for the “True But Not Real” creative writing series, writer and journalist Lusine Hovhannisyan explores the love Armenians have for their homes especially in the context of the recent war in Artsakh: “We love our houses with the skill of a person who has lost their home.”

Heritage and the Contemporary

Heritage and the Contemporary

When emphasizing the preservation of historic structures and their integration into unban life, we should keep in mind that heritage should not be perceived as only architectural heritage and we should not think that it is only the physical heritage that is endangered.

Homekeeping

Homekeeping

"Not a True Story But a Real Story" series is a reflection on individual transformations of collective identity and the concept of home. Armen of Armenia (Ohanyan) ponders why “housecat-like Armenians” didn’t just sit tight within their four walls when they could have become “heroes” by simply staying home.

The Quilted Refuge

The Quilted Refuge

A story weaving together the fragments of a woman’s life who organized the chaos of reality into a sensible and livable realm offhandedly called “home” but no one recognized it until she was gone.

Ritual and Renewal

Ritual and Renewal

The forced detachment of April 24, 2020, brought an essential degree of cerebral contemplation that allowed us to meditate upon our loss, but also see the many ways that we've managed to (and continue to) overcome it.

Feministivals: Purity Through Parity

Feministivals: Purity Through Parity

This year, more than 60 percent of submissions to the Golden Apricot Film Festival (GAIFF) feature women directors, while the global average of female directors is a dismal 7 percent. GAIFF has organically found itself in a situation many European film festivals and international organizations dream of being in, writes Karen Avetisyan.

The Art of Anti-Corruption

What is the art of anti-corruption? A year-long campaign sought to raise awareness on the effects of corruption on Armenian society. The “Art of (anti) Corruption” organized by Impact Hub Yerevan and supported by the EU Delegation to Armenia is a poster art exhibition and EVN Report is featuring a selection of the works on display.

An Agent of Undiscovered Literature

An Agent of Undiscovered Literature

While contemporary Armenian writers are searching for a new language of expression, Arevik Ashkharoyan, a literary agent, has taken on the task of bringing their voices to a global audience. In this first essay for EVN Report, Ashkharoyan writes about the challenges of representing a book that many believe is about the army but in fact is a metaphor for a repressed society.

Sex vs. Gender Through Linguistic Expression in Armenian

Sex vs. Gender Through Linguistic Expression in Armenian

From referencing the issue of sex-selective abortions to drinking toasts in honor of women, the grammatically genderless Armenian language, still fails to provide a space for its speakers to develop sensitivity towards the intricacies of gender as social conventions and cultural constructs. Rafik Santrosyan, PhD in Linguistics, explains how.

Grand Hotel Yerevan: A Living Legend of the City

Grand Hotel Yerevan was not only the first large-scale public building constructed in Yerevan, it also played a significant role in the cultural renaissance of the capital city. Arpine Haroyan weaves together the fascinating history of the landmark hotel through the voices of its illustrious residents.

Back to the USSR: Vintage Soviet Glassware

An extensive collection of vintage Soviet glassware has found a home in Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city. Boasting over 1600 pieces, the collection was carefully curated by collector Artush Mkrtchyan. Arpine Haroyan unfolds the history of the collection to its post-WWII origins.

From Cilicia to Gyumri to Beirut

From Cilicia to Gyumri to Beirut

In this photo essay, Roubina Margossian discovers a gem near the neighborhood where she grew up in Beirut. The Kohar Library, established by the Khatchadourian brothers, who founded the Kohar Symphony based out of Gyumri, houses thousands of books related to Armenian music and so much more.

The Last Bard of Leninakan

The Last Bard of Leninakan

Jag Bambir, one of Armenia’s most beloved musicians, is an early pioneer of the rock and roll movement in the former Soviet Union. In this piece, Raffi Meneshian reviews a recent concert Jag gave in Gyumri in April where he presented his latest creation – Treaton.

New Music: A Conglomerate of Ideas and Solutions

What is New Music and why is it not thriving in Armenia? According to composer and musician Artur Avanesov, New Music is a vibrant conglomerate of ideas and solutions, a vast network of communications, pretty much like a modern metropolis; it pushes boundaries and is a search for new sounds and forms.

A Room of Our Own: An Invitation to Write

Atoussa S. explores the history of women writing and their absence in the literary canon. In this essay for EVN Report, she seeks answers to the questions: What circumstances make women writing/literature possible? What do women own in their writing? What is the meaning of this ownership?