Tag: Evn Report Article

Ռուբեն Ֆիլյանի՝ ուշ խորհրդահայ արձակում, կատարելապես նոր ու արտասավոր փիլիսոփայական մտահորիզոններ բացելու հանդուգն փորձի մասին Արամ Պաչյանի անդրադարձի ՁայնաԳիրը։

For over 30 years, there has been a constant refrain on the righteousness of Armenia’s national aims and precious little about the means towards those ends, and the feasibility of those chosen goals.

By meeting Azerbaijan’s demand for a €2 billion financial package to participate in “restoration and reconstruction”, the European Union is casting into doubt its sincerity in supporting democratic values in the South Caucasus.

Armenia and Ukraine seem to have found themselves diametrically opposed on a variety of issues. However, Yerevan and Kyiv would benefit from a pragmatic relationship despite their seemingly disparate positions.

Armenia’s Omicron cases may already be receding, though deaths continue to rise. How does it compare against Armenia’s previous COVID-19 waves and the government policy interventions they sparked?

The first Armenian-owned photo studios in Constantinople and Tbilisi at the end of the 1850s not only immortalized people’s lives, they were an effective shortcut to modernity and a powerful symbol of cultural emancipation.

A power vacuum was created after the pullout of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, allowing China, Russia, Iran, and also Turkey to play a greater role in Central Asia triggering new developments. What does that mean for the wider region?

As Armenia works to rebuild its positions following the 2020 Artsakh War, it must assess the challenges, threats and risks of the security environment and clarify a position that reflects state and national interests.

Are Armenians doomed to endure the contemptuous kleptocracy of the “old” and the cynical defeatism of the “new”? Gaidz Minassian proposes an alternate vision, one that was conceived of by Aram Manoukian over a century ago.

Western attempts to infiltrate into the sphere of Russian influence have meant to weaken Russia and maintain constant tension. Could this result in larger clashes with more unpredictable consequences, this time between large geopolitical players?

In light of Azerbaijan’s aggressive military operations, the international community’s response and the formation of a format for the delimitation and demarcation process, Sossi Tatikyan offers comprehensive suggestions on potential formats and phases.

The opening of the Armenian section of the Transcaucasian Trail means hikers can now walk the length of Armenia along a specially-constructed footpath that connects the Iranian and Georgian borders, taking in some of Armenia’s most spectacular landscapes and cultural sites on the way.

Examining the dissonance between the importance ascribed to national values like cultural heritage and the less-than enviable conditions surrounding the profession of Armenia’s “heritage doctors”.

On December 7, the International Court of Justice announced its decision regarding the request for provisional measures by Armenia and Azerbaijan, marking the next stage in the ongoing conflict between the two states.

A year after the end of the war in Artsakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan are far from a sustainable peace. Regardless of how many olive branches are gifted to the leaders of the two sides, we are once again back to a “no war, no peace” situation, writes Tatev Hayrapetyan.

Turkey is Georgia’s main source of imports and finances strategic infrastructure such as energy projects. The imbalanced arrangement provided Turkey with “strategic depth” and opportunities for power projection. Armenians are apprehensive about the repercussions of going in the same direction.

On December 5, 2021, Armenia will be holding the most important municipal election in its 30 years since independence. This municipal race, and the two previous ones earlier in the autumn, serve as a kind of second round to provide greater insight into Armenia’s ever-changing political landscape.

This concept paper undertakes a reconfiguration of Armenia’s doctrinal policy on Nagorno-Karabakh, thus formulating the empirical and legal basis to develop a grand strategy on the concept of remedial sovereignty.

Between Paris and Yerevan, the declarations of friendship abound. But rare are those who evoke the failures of this friendship. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Franco-Armenian affinity?

Since the end of the 2020 Artsakh War, Russia has enjoyed an effective monopoly over the negotiation process. Recent initiatives by the EU suggest that Europe may be taking a more proactive role in the South Caucasus.

Is it acceptable to throw your cigarette butt on the street? Is it understandable to be a draft dodger? Mikayel Yalanuzyan looks at how social responsibility is understood in Armenia.

The recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the U.S. stemmed from its own interests. Other allied powers are considering following suit. Will Armenia be able to take advantage of this shift in global geopolitics?

Philip Marsden’s “The Crossing Place: A Journey Among the Armenians” is atmospheric, gripping and revelatory. It delves into the seemingly exclusive club of a nation at the meeting point of cultures, writes Naneh Hovhannisyan.

There’s a new generation of artists, innovators and entrepreneurs that are writing a new story. One that goes beyond the classical interpretation of art, and dares to explore and combine different mediums at the intersection of art and entrepreneurship.

Writers and thinkers from Armenia and the diaspora are now linked, writes Tigran Yegavian, and argues that this rapprochement is indispensable for the liberation of Armenian thought.

With the proliferation of online gambling, Armenia’s government sets further restrictions on gambling ads to protect the interests of consumers. But is it effective?

This is not a story about war. This is the story of what happens after the bullets, missiles, bombs and drones no longer fly through the autumn air. Maria Titizian recounts her journey to Artsakh last year, two days after the signing of the trilateral statement ending the war.

A year has passed since the end of the 2020 Artsakh War. The ceasefire statement signed by the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan on November 9, 2020, brought a new geopolitical reality to the region.

Ethiopia’s historic Armenian community is bracing for renewed fighting as the country’s year-long civil war reaches the outskirts of the capital, Addis Ababa. What will be the fate of the Armenians living there?

October is traditionally the highlight of Armenia’s technology-themed events calendar. This year saw two large-scale events: Engineering Week and DigiWeek 2021.

Armenia’s government has introduced a number of benefits for the tech industry. Will these benefits contribute to the development of the sector and are they sufficient to solve the existing challenges?

Back in early October, a resident of Martakert was shot dead by Azerbaijani fire while he was driving a tractor. A Russian peacekeeper was sitting right beside him at the time. What is behind Azerbaijan’s provocations?

Armenia's bid to pursue an independent and sovereign policy as a democracy was perceived to have a geopolitical context. The danger was in not seeing that reality, not evaluating it, and not recalculating domestic, foreign and security policy accordingly.

The Treaty of Kars was signed under difficult geopolitical conditions. Turkey was able to use the “threat” of normalizing its relations with the West to extract maximum concessions from the Russian side, mainly at the expense of Armenia.

Academic programs around the world are not preparing enough bioinformaticians to deal with the exponential data growth we are observing. Armenia needs to catch up quickly.

Will the 2022 state budget be able to solve or alleviate the socio-economic and security problems Armenia is facing?

A unique combination of causal factors at different levels made the 44-day war possible. Tigran Grigoryan presents a systematic and comprehensive explanation of the structural conditions and circumstances behind Azerbaijan’s large-scale offensive.

Controversy erupted after the Hayastan All Armenian Fund transferred 60% of funds donated during and after the war to the state budget. The absence of a complete audit almost a year since it was first proposed leaves donors still asking “where is the money?”

The UK embassy in Azerbaijan and British companies were very active during and after the 2020 Artsakh War. While the spilled blood was still fresh, British businesses were already focused on the profits to be made.

Back in the 2010s, Armenian policymakers were too short-sighted to assess the implications that the Arab Spring had for our own country. Does the recent American withdrawal from Afghanistan have any significance for Armenia?

Gaidz Minassian delves into the turbulent spaces of history, memory and identity and deconstructs why the mother of all battles—the construction of a State on its sovereign pillars—was undermined.

Azerbaijan and Turkey are not interested in peace. With the new realities on the ground following Azerbaijan’s military success, the Armenian Government should be careful when promising an “era of peace” to its people.

What has Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 Artsakh War revealed? Tigran Yegavian reviews a recently published White Paper that looks at a number of misconceptions, failures and dysfunctions within Armenian statehood and attempts to diagnose those ills and offer possible solutions.

Since the end of the 2020 Artsakh War, tensions between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Azerbaijan have been escalating. Although an outright military confrontation seems unlikely, it would have devastating consequences for the region.

When cinematographer Rudolf Vatinyan passed away from COVID-related complications in 2020, people eulogized about an exacting professional who had filmed a number of iconic films. No one remembered, however, that Vatinyan had a parallel creative passion.

Only a few years ago, hearing the word “unicorn” made us all imagine the character we know from fairy tales and cartoons. Today, the mythical creature is also associated with successful startup companies, such as Picsart and ServiceTitan.

The Eurasian Economic Union’s common natural gas market is expected to be launched in 2025. If the deal goes through, could Armenia as a natural gas importing country benefit?

Although norms prohibiting violence against, and sexual exploitation of, children have been enshrined in international and domestic legal mechanisms, violence against children remains one of the most serious challenges in the modern world.

Since the 2020 Artsakh War, France has been at the forefront of diplomatic activity in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. What goal is Paris hoping to achieve with this issue that is so far removed from the concerns of the French?

Armenia instituted proceedings against Azerbaijan at the International Court of Justice on the basis of violations of the Convention on Elimination of Racial Discrimination. A week later, Azerbaijan submitted its own claim against Armenia. Gabriel Armas-Cardona breaks it down.

Dictators are emboldened by the silence of those who claim to be proponents of human rights and justice. Turkey’s Erdogan and Azerbaijan’s Aliyev must be held accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity, writes Irina Ghaplanyan.

Does the Armenian diaspora have a role in the process of state building? Tigran Yegavian presents a brief history of Armenia-Diaspora relations starting with Armenia’s independence and offers some insights to rectify the absence of an effective relationship.

Armenia will be looking to take advantage of its chairmanship of the CSTO to create a new Crisis Response Center. If its supposed allies continue their indifference even at the organizational stage, they should all be asking themselves why they are together in the first place.

The high level of centralization in Armenia’s sugar market has been maintained, allowing the main sugar importer, producer, wholesaler and retailer to leverage its market power into an arbitrary pricing policy.

Canada has a finely-crafted international image as a champion of human rights. While different factors contributed to the outcome of the 2020 Artsakh War, one of them, the Turkish Bayraktar drone used against Artsakh, was heavily reliant on target acquisition optics made by a Canadian company.

Armenia’s Nuclear Power Plant in Metsamor is vital for Armenia’s energy security; it also poses dangers that are often overlooked. While the focus has been its location, less public scrutiny has been paid to its ongoing environmental impact.

Municipal elections will take place in Armenia throughout the fall and serve as an important indicator for the future direction of Armenian politics. Harout Manougian breaks it down.

With the right choices in education, Armenia can build an IT community capable of creating its own secure and reliable systems, which will be beneficial from a business perspective as well as for social institutions, including government and national defense.

Kond is the oldest surviving vernacular neighborhood in Yerevan. Its significance lies not in the current cultural, social and political interpretations but rather in this district’s capacity to store and transfer information across generations.

After launching an attack against Artsakh in 2020, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has taken every opportunity to take personal credit for Azerbaijan’s military successes, along with his family.

Azerbaijani Armed Forces used internationally banned cluster bombs and weapons containing white phosphorus during the 2020 Artsakh War. The use of incendiary weapons caused severe burns to dozens of soldiers and irreversible loss to the environment.

China considers Turkey a key strategic partner under the Belt and Road Initiative. It has also intensified economic relations with Azerbaijan and is keen to diversify its commercial routes to Europe. Was China a silent observer or did it have any role to play during the 2020 Artsakh War.

The concept of looking at libraries through the lens of both usage and impact could potentially usher in a new era of support for Armenia’s libraries, and reverse their trajectory from outdated book repositories to impactful centers of community development.

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.

In this “True But Not Real Story” the Verdyans are unperturbed that the house they are buying is known to be possessed by ghosts and evil spirits.

Following the early parliamentary election that saw the Civil Contract hold on to power, upcoming municipal elections will give opposition parties, including those with no seats in parliament, a shot at gaining footholds throughout the country.

Despite the many challenges, old and new artists in Armenia’s underground music scene continue paving the way for the future of local regional music. And you can also find out what fruit they associate their music with.

Nikol Pashinyan renewed his parliamentary majority through Sunday’s June 20 early parliamentary election and will keep his position as Prime Minister of Armenia. Harout Manougian translates the election results into seats.

As Armenian citizens head to the polls to vote in an early parliamentary election today, the country is bracing itself for one of the most unpredictable election outcomes since independence. Live updates from Election Day.

A new poll casts the electorate as largely pessimistic about the candidates and largely undecided. The findings demonstrate that acting PM Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract would win the plurality of the votes but fall short of securing a single-party majority government.

As Armenian citizens prepare to head to the polls on June 20 in an early parliamentary election, here is how several political parties and alliances of parties envision education in their election programs.

After the shocking defeat in the war, the use of the notion of “remedial secession” has not been consistent, neither by the authorities nor by other political forces in Armenia. Sossi Tatikian explains.

Armenian citizens are heading to the polls on June 20 in an early parliamentary election. Over 20 parties and alliances of parties are running. Here is how some of those political forces envision Armenia’s healthcare.

Armenian citizens are heading to the polls on June 20 in an early parliamentary election. Over 20 parties and alliances of parties are running. Here is how some of those political forces envision Armenia’s economic development.

Armenian citizens are heading to the polls on June 20 in an early parliamentary election. Over 20 parties and alliances of parties are running. Here are the defense and security sections of the programs of seven of those political forces in order of their position on the ballot.

Born in Diyarbekir but destined to work, create and mingle among the artistic and intellectual circles of London and Europe, Zabelle Boyajian, an artist, writer, translator and British-Armenian intellectual remains a mystery to many.

Twenty-six political parties and alliances of parties have registered with the Central Electoral Commission to take part in the upcoming snap parliamentary election in Armenia. Everything you need to know about them is in this essential primer.

Yerevan City elections will be held on May 14, 2017. Approximately 35 percent of the country's electorate resides in the capital city. EVN Report presents an overview of the three political forces taking part in this election.

Armenia has about 15,000 active COVID-19 cases. Even if that number decreases by June 20, there will most likely be thousands of eligible voters who are positive. With no mail-in voting and no opportunity to vote in advance, election administrators face a constitutional conundrum.

The majority of the music we hear in contemporary Armenian films and TV-series are simply plucked from the Internet with little regard for copyright issues, professionalism or the suitability of the tracks.

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.”

Chomalag, which means epidemic in one of the dialects of the Gegharkunik region of Armenia delves into the suspended lives of people in times of an epidemic.

Vanadzor’s Hovhannes Abelyan Theater, built in the early 20th century, is just a few meters away from the Fine Arts Museum. Both buildings hold the memories and feelings of Armenia’s third largest city.

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.

"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 beleaguered Armenian residents of Beirut recount the moment a catastrophic explosion destroyed their city. While they will now have to rebuild, many wonder about the future.

Beirut will rise again, but it will not be the Beirut that shaped us. It will not be the vibrant, chaotic, Beirut that made us fall in love with it over and over again despite all the pain it caused us, writes Shoushan Keshishian.

Demonstrators in Beirut, venting their rage against a government that has failed them miserably, clashed with security forces today in a second consecutive day of protests. EVN Report’s Roubina Margossian was there and filed these images.

Residents of Beirut try to come to grips with the devastating blast on August 4, 2020, that destroyed parts of the port and several neighborhoods, leaving over 150 dead, almost 6000 wounded and over 300,000 homeless. Photo story by Roubina Margossian from Beirut.

Despite the COVID-19 emergency piling on top of displacement-related issues, a refugee family from Iraq is filled with optimism, striving for a better future in Armenia.

This is neither a true story nor a real story. But it could be either if fate ever stepped in to deliver a surprising lesson on toxic masculinity.

The tourism industry has been particularly hard hit because of the COVID-19 pandemic. What does this mean for the three countries of the South Caucasus?

When a State of Emergency was declared on March 16 in Armenia, cultural institutions mobilized their resources and opened their treasuries digitally showcasing the gems of Armenian culture.

Yerevan’s iconic Youth Palace was demolished in 2006. While it still remains unclear who and what will fill the void the Youth Palace left behind, its spirit continues to live in the memories of those whose youth was interwoven with its existence.

For Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, and for Syrian-Armenians in Yerevan, crafting served as a way of earning a living and as a process of rebuilding and reimagining a social world through the temporal markers that help them nurture a sense of “home.”

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.

Christopher Atamian reviews two documentaries by two diasporan filmmakers about Armenia’s Velvet Revolution and writes that both deliver a somewhat hagiographic portrayal of Pashinyan and his supporters.

The translation of prose or poetry is not a news headline or a tweet, it is a piece of literature that demands time, contrasting thoughts, artful concentration and the ability to publish, writes Aram Pachyan.

Mariam and Eranuhi Aslamazyan are two of the most well-known female painters of Soviet Armenia. They broke stereotypes in the art world and left behind a rich legacy and heritage.

Armenia produces a lot of garbage. Innovative artists throughout the country are taking that waste and turning it into art.

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.

The late Samvel Karapetyan's work goes beyond Armenian heritage: It is a luminous testimony that highlights the violence of certain states to annihilate an indigenous culture with impunity.

How a young boy went from selling his hand-stitched leather goods out of a suitcase to building one of Italy’s most exclusive brands.

Curator and art historian Vigen Galstyan pays tribute to one of Armenia’s most accomplished artists, photographer Herman Avakian, who passed away suddenly on Sunday. With his uncompromising devotion to the truth and artistry, Avakian helped shape the fabric of Armenian society.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the three countries of the South Caucasus declared independence in 1991. This new instalment of “Understanding the Region” looks at the democratic trajectories of Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Part II will look at the state of democracy in the statelets of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Christopher Atamian reviews “The Structure is Rotten, Comrade,” a new graphic novel by Viken Berberian and Yann Kebbi.

The resort town of Dilijan in Armenia is known for its lush mountainous landscapes. It is also home to the Composers’ Union Resort, a place that hosted world famous composers in the 1960s and became a cultural hub in the former Soviet Union.

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) was established in 2015 with the objective of creating a shared economic space with a single customs union. This Fact Sheet about the EAEU provides a closer look at its membership, it purpose, its weaknesses and more. It is part of a larger project, “Understanding the Region: The Caucasus and Beyond.”

This Fact Sheet about the Collective Security Treaty Organization is part of a larger project, “Understanding the Region: The Caucasus and Beyond.” It explains what the purpose of the military alliance is, what membership entails, its weaknesses and more.

Jazz and Armenia have a complicated history. From its early beginnings under Soviet rule to contemporary interpretations of jazz, the genre is part of the fabric of Armenian cultural life.

Western Armenian writer and editor Mari Beylerian perished during the 1915 Armenian Genocide. While there is scarce information about her life, she left behind the legacy of Ardemis, a monthly magazine published in Egypt and devoted to women’s rights.

Armenia’s first post-Velvet Revolution parliament will hold its maiden session on January 14. Who are the men and women who will be serving the Armenian people as parliamentarians? EVN Report presents some interesting facts.

The director of the Armenian Election Study, Rafael Oganesyan takes a critical look at the recent snap parliamentary elections that took place in Armenia and utilizing fresh data explores the transformation of the Armenian voter.

A historic post-revolution vote will take place across Armenia on December 7. As Armenians head to the polls to elect a new parliament, EVN Report brings you live updates of the vote.

The election campaign for the upcoming snap parliamentary elections is in full swing. In this second installment, read about the main provisions and principles (translated from the original Armenian) from the campaign programs of the following political forces: Bright Armenia, National Progress, Sasna Tsrer, Country of Law, Prosperous Armenia, Citizen's Decision.

The election campaign for the upcoming snap parliamentary elections is in full swing. There are nine political parties and two coalition forces running for a seat in the country’s National Assembly. In a series of installments, EVN Report will present the main provisions and principles (translated from the original Armenian) from the campaign programs of those political forces.

EVN Report presents the biographies of the top ten candidates of the 11 political parties and coalition of parties that are participating in the snap parliamentary elections to be held on December 9.

Despite the fact that more than 50 percent of Armenia’s population are women, only one party has entrusted the number one slot on its electoral list to a woman. Gohar Abrahamyan takes a look at which forces have the most women on their lists and why women’s presence alongside men is not the result of good will and remains problematic.

The “My Step” Party Alliance, with 81.06 percent of the vote, secured a landslide victory in the Yerevan municipal elections on September 23, 2018. Find out more about the capital's new mayor, the three forces that will make up Yerevan's new Council of Elders, and the course of the elections in EVN Report's overview.

Following the resignation of Mayor Taron Margaryan, the city of Yerevan is now preparing for snap elections. EVN Report presents the parties and alliances that are running for City Council and more.

Mariam Tumanyan was a member of Tbilisi’s Armenian elite at the end of the 19th and turn of the 20th centuries. Her patronage of Armenian intellectuals and then her care of orphans from the Armenian Genocide have largely been forgotten. Here are some excerpts from her memoirs.

The four tragedies of Maro Alazan based on her unpublished memories- Genocide, Soviet prison, exile and return from exile. The untold story of an incredible woman and her resilience in life and love.

The Yerevan City elections, held on Sunday, May 14, produced more questions than answers as the ruling Republican Party of Armenia claimed a decisive victory with over 70 percent of the vote. Political consultant Arin Keshishian writes about his observations of the municipal elections for EVN Report.

With his specific brand of humor and wit, Narek Margaryan analyzes the April 2 parliamentary elections, putting into perspective the votes that each political party and bloc received from the electorate.

Being an observer of elections is not an easy job. Being a young citizen observer during the parliamentary election in Armenia was an experience that Lusine Sargsyan won't soon forget.

Political pundits will analyze the April 2 Parliamentary Elections for weeks and months to come. The results, however, were not surprising. What are the programs and policies that need to be implemented to prepare the country for the next election cycle?

Today, citizens of Armenia will go to the polls to elect their new parliament. There have been several violent altercations and accusations of vote bribing and coercion over the course of the election campaign. EVN Report will be bringing you live updates of the electoral process.

How did political parties and blocs running for parliamentary elections utilize social media? Did they use targeted advertising or simply throw money away? Information security expert Samvel Martirosyan breaks it down and presents an interesting picture.

Political Scientist Yevgenya Paturyan considers the choices voters have ahead of the parliamentary elections, a mere three days away. She says that even though there may be a dearth of the perfect candidate, action is always better than inaction.

Yerevan municipal elections are scheduled for May 14. Approximately 35 percent of the country's electorate reside in the capital city, however, no one is talking about the importance and significance of these elections.

Since 2014, Armenia has confronted a number of crippling domestic and external challenges. The major cause for the present situation is the absence of free and fair elections, writes Armen Grigoryan.

Armenia is situated in a volatile region with 80 percent of its borders sealed. This article by Vahram Ter-Matevosyan examines the foreign policy programs of the nine political parties and blocs running in the parliamentary elections.

EVN Report presents a brief summary of the April 2 parliamentary election campaign. In this primer, you can find out who the nine parties and political blocs running for office are, their campaign slogans and the top ten names on each list.