Month: March 2021

Spokeswoman says Russia does not interfere in Armenian affairs

Arbi Tashjian
Prensa Latina
March 4 2021

Moscow, Mar 4 (Prensa Latina) Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that her country does not interfere in Armenia's internal affairs.

'Our position is stable, clear and unequivocal,' the Russian diplomat replied to a question from Govorit Moskva radio station about the current political conflict in Yerevan.

The spokeswoman stressed that 'this is an internal affair of a sovereign State, of a political process in that State, there can be no other opinions.'

Regarding a possible Moscow's performance as a mediator in the Armenian conflict, Zakharova reiterated that these events are part of 'an internal matter of a sovereign country', so 'our position is invariable.'

According to Sputnik news agency, the political tension in Yerevan worsened after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan claimed that the Russian Iskander missiles 'did not detonate at all or did so at 10 percent' during recent hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh.

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Armenian opposition, gov’t begin negotiations

Emil Lazarian
JAM News
March 4 2021
    JAMnews, Yerevan

In Armenia, after a protracted political crisis, the authorities and the opposition have launched a dialogue.

The first meeting in a long time between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the leader of the opposition party Bright Armenia Edmond Marukyan took place earlier today.

The issue of holding early parliamentary elections in the country was at the top of the agenda; as Marukyan said after the meeting, a consensus has not yet been achieved, but the dialogue will continue.

While the prime minister was trying to come to an agreement with one of the opposition figures, a criminal case was opened against another.

The leader of the Movement for the Salvation of the Motherland, Vazgen Manukyan, is accused of publicly calling for the overthrow of the constitutional order and the violent seizure of power in Armenia, referring to some of his recent statements made during a rally.

Vazgen Manukyan is now also a candidate for the post of prime minister from the united opposition parties demanding the resignation of Nikol Pashinyan and his government. He regards the criminal case as “political persecution.”

  • Armenian opposition meets with president – social media commentary on unrest
  • Collusion or split – what’s happening between the Armenian PM & president?
  • ‘Armenia without Nikol’ – video from Yerevan

Opposition-gov’t meeting details

Pashinyan said that he hopes to come to an agreement with the parliamentary opposition on the issue of holding early elections. In his opinion, it is elections which will help overcome the political crisis in the country after the end of the war in Karabakh.

The prime minister has repeatedly stated that he is not going to resign at the request of only opposition supporters, since he received the post following a vote of all residents of the country:

“Elections are a mechanism for resolving this issue, an opportunity for the people to express themselves. Not only our citizens who have time to participate in government or opposition rallies could express their opinion, but that’s all.”

The authorities are ready to hold early elections in 2021, if they can agree, first of all, with the parliamentary opposition.

After the meeting with Prime Minister Pashinyan, Edmon Marukyan said that at the moment no consensus had been reached. Negotiations on holding early elections will continue after the leader of another opposition party, Prosperous Armenia, meets with the prime minister.

“Because the processes cannot advance only taking into account the position of Bright Armenia. […] But there is an understanding of what we must say, look for ways to get out of the current situation in the country,” Marukyan said.

Criminal case against the leader of the opposition

At a rally on March 3, Vazgen Manukyan, a candidate for prime minister from the opposition Movement to Save the Motherland, was handed a summons to the Investigative Committee.

A criminal case was initiated against him in connection with public calls for the overthrow of the constitutional order and the violent seizure of power in Armenia, allegedly voiced during a rally on February 20.

At the time, the oppositionist allegedly presented a plan of action to change the government which included, among other things, “the seizure of power with lightning speed.”

Vazgen Manukyan stated that he would continue to fight in any capacity.

According to the press service of the Investigative Committee, “a preventive measure has been chosen in the form of a recognizance not to leave the place.”

Commentary

The political crisis in Armenia is more like a political scandal, says Director of the Caucasus Institute Alexander Iskandaryan:

“So far, we can only assert that another type of elite has joined the Armenian opposition: along with the church, academy, state university and even the president of Armenia, the top of the army is now also demanding the resignation of Pashinyan. However, Pashinyan is not inclined to heed these calls.

“He responded to the statement of the military in a manner typical for an experienced rally speaker, having summoned his supporters in the central square of Yerevan. There he made a speech, from which it became clear that he was not going to leave. The people, however, were not enough to create the impression of mass support. […]

“At the same time, another opposition rally was taking place in a neighboring square with no less radical slogans about Pashinyan’s illegitimacy. However, there were about the same number of people at that meeting as well.

“According to the political scientist, this became an illustration of the fact that in less than three years the country has returned to the end of the era of the Republican Party’s rule, ousted from power by the 2018 revolution:

“Weak heterogeneous government that does not have social legitimacy, and a weak heterogeneous opposition united only negatively, that is, against the government.

“The two poles of the current split Armenian society are the core of support for Pashinyan and radical opposition-minded people. However, both of these groups are in the minority, as the past rallies have shown. Between the poles – apathy, disappointment, unwillingness to go to another revolution three years after the previous one, and even seeing its results.”

What Armenia’s Rising Basketball Star Can Teach Us About Building A Brand

Lilit Nahapetian
Forbes
March 4 2021

Shama HyderSenior Contributor

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Entrepreneurs
Shama Hyder is CEO of Zen Media, which turns brand moments into momentum, a best-selling author, and an internationally renowned keynote speaker.
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Gary Chivichyan NBA player

Gary Chivichyan

Tapping into a specific aspect of your identity, be it as an underdog, a risk-taker, or something else, is a critical step in building your personal brand. 

Embracing that part of yourself not only gives you an instant authenticity boost, but it also can give you something to build your brand around if you need help getting started. 

For Gary Chivichyan, an Armenian basketball player who’s currently in close talks with the NBA’s Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Clippers G-league affiliates, that’s meant stepping into his role as an underdog. He was the first Armenian ever to be eligible for the NBA G-League draft in 2021, as well as becoming the first Armenian to be nominated for an ESPN ESPYS award. Chivichyan was 1 of the 195 players who were given a player's contract. He was chosen as the New York Knicks (Westchester) placement in the  2021-2022 NBA G-League draft on January 11th, which consisted of NBA veterans and top prospects such as Lance Stephenson, Michael Beasly, Admiral Schofield, and more. 

As the coronavirus went rampant, Chivichyan was notified of many cancelations as he and his head trainer Vicken Eskidjian were preparing for such as showcases, camps, and scheduled workouts with multiple different NBA organizations disallowing Chivichyan and many other incoming NBA prospects to showcase their abilities to teams and scouts like they would on a regular off-season.

Chivichyan’s agent Ara Vartanian had to adapt to the unprecedented circumstances of 2020 and successfully took the first steps toward the young star’s NBA dreams by securing Chivichyan’s player's contract, making Chivichyan available for the up-coming NBA G-League draft and the regular season tentatively scheduled for the fall of 2021.

I spoke with Chivichyan recently about how he’s focusing on building his brand as he looks toward the NBA. 

Shama Hyder: People love to root for an underdog. How does embracing your underdog mentality help you build a brand that resonates with people? 

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Gary Chivichyan: My underdog mentality made me work harder than everyone else;  I was seen as a “minority” in the sport, an Armenian kid who does not belong in the NBA or anything affiliated with pro sports. Embracing that hard work, no-quit attitude and competitiveness brings out the best in me, both physically and mentally. This shows itself when I am on the court and when I talk to others, especially kids. I have embraced failures as an underdog and it has made me become better at my craft, made me improve in all facets of my game and personal life.

Hyder: Why is it important to represent your community when building your brand?

Chivichyan: I want to show kids coming from minority families that they can become who they truly wish to be—but only if they put in the consistent work to be able to do so. 

Globally, people are realizing that I have gotten to a point no Armenian has reached before, and that’s important to me because I come from a culture that has fewer than 10 million people in the world. We are almost a dying breed, and there has been so much suffering. So my branding also encompasses my country: We have faced many difficulties, but we always get better. 

That is why my community and my culture matter to me. In this difficult time, I want to be the happy story—the story that makes my people and every underdog and minority happy.

Hyder: What would you tell people who are trying to attract more attention and greater opportunities in their field? 

Chivichyan: I’d also say you have to believe in yourself and practice positive habits. You also need to understand the reasons behind your goals, and most importantly, be self-disciplined—not just motivated. 

Hyder: Your dad is an MMA hall of fame. How do you take that narrative and weave it into your own story?

Chivichyan: My father is the true testament of a warrior, a man who built his career and dynasty out of nothing. He moved from the Soviet Union at a young age, becoming a multiple-time world champion in multiple martial arts, successful MMA fighter, undefeated throughout his career.  

He and my brother, who is a pro fighter himself (ranked first in the USA in judo for the 100kg division) have been my mentors. This goes to show that every successful person needs a strong person or people behind them. Without my father Gokor Chivichyan and my brother Arthur Chivichyan, I don’t think I would be in this position.

Hyder: You’ve become an icon for young people. What are some ways that you would advise others to authentically connect with this audience?

Chivichyan: I’d tell people to simply be honest and try to communicate with young people freely and openly. When I speak with kids or young adults, I focus on telling them what’s worked for me. 

A lot of that is not letting fear get the better of you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Don’t be afraid to seek a teacher or mentor. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Think about how you can grow and improve, don’t set yourself back from failures, but learn from them so you can get better. 

Most importantly, don’t ever compare yourself to others, only compare yourself to the person you were yesterday. How can you get better? By focusing on small wins, you can get the glory you deserve.

Building a brand is about more than how you present yourself to the world. It’s about how you actually see yourself—your beliefs about who you are and what you have to offer. By tapping into that, you’ll be able to create something truly authentic.

The Economist: After the war – Armenia’s army turns on its prime minister

Maral Chavushian
The Economist
March 4 2021

But he refuses to resign

EuropeMar 6th 2021 edition
Mar 4th 2021

Yerevan

FOR A MAN in his own army’s cross-hairs, Nikol Pashinyan, the Armenian prime minister, seems unfazed. As long as the Armenian people have the final say, “there will be no coup,” he told The Economist this week. The only way out of the crisis consuming his country, he says, leads through the ballot box and early elections.

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There are no tanks on the street in Yerevan. But Mr Pashinyan is fighting for his political life. On February 25th dozens of officers, including the country’s top soldier, Onik Gasparyan, demanded the prime minister’s resignation, accusing him of incompetence. Mr Pashinyan called this an attempted coup, refused to step down and ordered Mr Gasparyan to do so instead. (So far, he has not.)

Tensions in Armenia have been brewing since November, when Mr Pashinyan signed an armistice with Azerbaijan, ending a war over Nagorno-Karabakh, a separatist ethnic-Armenian enclave inside Azerbaijan. More than 6,000 people died in the fighting. Armenian defences were pummelled by Turkish drones and overrun by Azerbaijani ground forces. Under the ceasefire agreement, Armenia gave up control of swathes of land which it had captured around Karabakh three decades earlier. The enclave’s status remains unresolved. Some 2,000 Russian troops have been deployed there to keep the peace.

To many Armenians, persuaded by the army and the government that the fighting was going their way, the surrender came as a shock and a betrayal. Mr Pashinyan immediately came under fire. The opposition blamed him for provoking the war and losing the peace. Protesters stormed government buildings. The army (and the Kremlin) bristled after Mr Pashinyan claimed that Russia’s Iskander missiles, which Armenia used at least once during the war, had turned out to be duds. He backtracked after a phone call with Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin.

The protests have attracted no more than a few thousand people. But those who turn up seem to be spoiling for a fight. “Pashinyan sold out my homeland and my people,” says Hrachya Abramyan, a veteran of both Karabakh wars, at a rally in front of the parliament. “If he does not resign, we will grab him by the ears and throw him out like a dog.” The opposition parties have not warmed to an offer of snap elections, presumably because they continue to trail in the polls. Instead they propose a transitional government. Some appear on the verge of endorsing an actual coup. “I don’t like the idea,” says Davit Harutyunyan, a former minister. “But if I feel that without taking the next step we risk losing the country and civil war, then definitely.”

Mr Pashinyan, a former journalist, came to power in 2018, when exasperation with decades of cronyism overflowed into mass protests, bringing down the government of Serzh Sargsyan, his predecessor. Yet the tide that propelled Mr Pashinyan into power has ebbed. In elections two years ago, he won 70% of the vote. Today only 39% of Armenians want him in charge. He had already faced criticism for his handling of the economy and the covid-19 crisis. He has made no new friends by shrugging off the blame for the lost war.

Many see a Russian hand in the army’s move against Mr Pashinyan. Yet Russia may not want the Armenian leader gone, so much as tamed. Mr Pashinyan was once eager to loosen Armenia from Russia’s grip and to improve relations with Western powers. That is no longer possible. Hobbling from a lost war, squeezed between two old enemies and frustrated by Western inaction, Armenia now depends on Russia’s security guarantees more than ever, no matter who is in charge. ■

This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline "After the war"

Was the Turkish state involved in journalist Hrant Dink’s assassination?

Vatche Chakhmakhchian
Deutsche Welle, Germany
March 4 2021

The assassination of Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink in 2007 shocked Turkey and the world. Dozens have since been charged with being involved. The verdict is due on Friday but the family has few expectations.

Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink

On January 19, 2007, Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was assassinated on a crowded street in Istanbul, Turkey, in front of the offices of the weekly Agos newspaper which he had founded in 1996 and of which he was editor-in-chief. Sorrow and anger spread around the country and well beyond its borders.

Dink had often come under attack for his articles and speeches warning about the rise of nationalist forces. He had even been prosecuted several times. In 2002, he took part in a symposium where he told those in attendance he refused to define himself as a Turk. "I am not a Turk, but an Armenian of Turkey," Dink said. He was subsequently convicted of "insulting and denigrating Turkishness."

Rakel Dink, the wife of the murdered Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink

Two years later, Dink was widely criticized for an article he wrote which included passages from an interview he did with a woman purporting to be a relative of Sabiha Gokcen, the famous adopted daughter of the founder of the modern Turkish state, Kemal Ataturk. The article asserted that Gokcen was an Armenian orphan. Gocken was the world’s first female fighter pilot and is considered an untouchable national icon. Many Turkish nationalists, particularly those with links to the military, claimed that Ataturk's legacy had been smeared.

Ultranationalists repeatedly gathered in front of the building where Agos had its offices, chanting slogans including "love this country or leave it" and making threats such as "we could turn up suddenly one night."

In response, Dink published an article in his own newspaper titled 'Why I was targeted.' He reported receiving regular hostility and threats. "I have always faced danger in my life, and now I am, once again, on the edge of a cliff," he wrote. 
A week later, he was murdered.

On Friday, January 19, 2007, Dink was shot dead as he stepped out of the Agos building to run an errand. Learning of his death, people poured onto the streets to show their solidarity. Outrage swept through much of the Turkish public. The slogan: "We are all Hrant, we are all Armenians," quickly spread through the streets. 

Scores of people took part in a silent march in memory of Hrant Dink in 2012

Three men were taken into custody and later convicted: 17-year-old Ogun Samast, who allegedly pulled the trigger, as well Erhan Tuncel who supplied the weapon and Yasin Hayal, who is believed to have instigated the killing. 

The investigation into Dink's death later showed that certain state officials were aware of the assassination plans but did not take any steps to protect Dink. 

To this day, his relatives vehemently demand the state officials be prosecuted. "Despite the threats against Hrant Dink and concrete evidence he could be murdered, they did not implement any measures to protect him," the family's lawyer Hakan Bakircioglu said. "The group which carried out the murder was not prevented from operating. But according to the original charges, no state official was involved in the murder."

Lawyer Hakan Bakircioglu is representing the Dink family

The murder trial opened in Istanbul in July 2007. I was not until 2011 when self-confessed killer Ogun Samast, who was a minor at the time of the crime, was sentenced to 22 years and 10 months in jail. A year later, in a separate trial, Yasin Hayal was given a life sentence for ordering Dink's murder, while Tuncel, along with 17 other defendants, were acquitted.

In July 2016, dozens of police officers as well as members of the paramilitary gendarmerie of the Black Sea province of Trabzon and Istanbul were charged with being complicit in organizing the murder. The verdict in that case is due on March 5, 2021.

Agos newspaper's current editor-in-Chief Yetvart Danzikyan

However, relatives do not expect a fair ruling when a judgement is handed down on Friday. Bakircioglu, the Dink family's lawyer, said that the case had not been examined properly and that at the last hearing on February 10, 2021, defendants against whom there were serious charges had not been sufficiently questioned. He also claimed that the "Istanbul governorship and officials of the state intelligence service MIT had not been investigated at all" although they were suspected of being involved in the murder.

 

Dink's legacy lives on in the newspaper that he founded. "He gives us strength even after his death," said Agos editor-in-chief Yetvart Danzikyan. "Especially to Armenians in Turkey who are beginning to lose hope for peace and justice."

Art: Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad’s new installation at Holy Cross

Vicken Chmshkian
The Telegram & Gazette, MA
March 4 2021
Richard Duckett   | Telegram & Gazette

WORCESTER —  Syrian-Armenian visual artist Kevork Mourad's immersive installation "Memory Gates" will be on view at The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery at the College of the Holy Cross from March 4 through April 11.

Mourad has been at Holy Cross in February as an artist in residence in collaboration with the college’s Arts Transcending Borders program.

Using his signature style of spontaneous drawing and printmaking techniques, Mourad has been creating “Memory Gates," a work imagined as a series of doors and passageways that visitors can pass through. The work explores themes of cultural plurality and collective memory. 

During Mourad’s residency, students have been invited to work alongside the artist, assisting in the execution and installation of the work as it unfolds. Meredith Fluke, director of the Cantor Art Gallery, said "Our goal is for Holy Cross students to be involved directly in Kevork’s process, and to benefit from Kevork’s deeply collaborative and generative practice." 

More content will be added on as the exhibition continues to be created on site.

All related programs will be available to the Holy Cross campus community as well as the general public.

Mourad has lived and worked in Brooklyn, N.Y., since 1998. He was born and grew up in Syria to a family of Armenian heritage, his ancestors having sought refuge there from the Armenian Genocide. He received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Yerevan Institute of Fine Arts in Armenia, an institution which places an emphasis on cultural traditions in addition to its intensive studio curriculum.

He has visited Holy Cross before as the sole visual artist of the Silkroad, the acclaimed music ensemble that has had a multi-year residency at the college.

Mourad will give an artist's talk on YouTube at 4 p.m. March 4. Visit https://memorygates.holycross.edu.  

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in-gallery visits from off-campus visitors will take place by appointment only. Hours are Tuesday through Friday noon – 5 p.m., with limited Saturday availability. To book an entry time, email [email protected] or call (508) 793-3356. Masks and social distancing practices are required.

(This story has been amended to correct the web address for the artist's talk.) 

Theater: Play remembers the Armenian genocide

Emil Lazarian
Cyprus Mail
March 4 2021

Play remembers the Armenian genocide
By Eleni PhilippouMarch 4, 2021March 3, 2021

Play remembers the Armenian genocide | Cyprus Mail

As measures ease, Persona Theatre Group returns with new performance dates to present Richard Kalinoski’s acclaimed play Beast on the Moon, directed by Lea Maleni. The play, which is based on real events, addresses the life of a young couple from Armenia who emigrated to America after the Armenian genocide in 1915. The performances started in February, at Wherehaus 612 in Nicosia and more will follow through March’s weekends and public holidays.

Beast on the Moon is the story of Aram and Seta in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA between 1921 and 1933. Aram is the sole survivor of his family from the Armenian genocide. He fled to the USA and works as a photographer. He finds Seta, his mail-order bride, who at the age of 15 arrives in the USA for a new life, leaving behind an orphanage in Constantinople. Her face is added next to that of Aram in an old family photo which Aram brought with him from his homeland and has cut off the faces of his dead family members. The place of his parents in the photo is now taken by the newlywed couple. And with his new bride Aram eagerly waits to build the new Tomasian family. However, things do not go according to plan.

“The matter of immigrants or more precisely refugees, people who violently against their will were forced to leave behind them destroyed homelands without hope of return, doesn’t only concern 1915 Armenians,” say the organisers. “Violent eradications and the chaotic fleeing of civilians unfortunately constitute a tragic repeated pattern in the history of humanity, which in our day has taken worldwide dimensions with bloody warfare in the Middle East.”

Lea Maleni and the team eight more performances to put on. Actors Panayiota Papageorgiou, Thanasis Georgiou, Manolis Michaelides and Angelos Hadjimichael will bring this heartfelt story to life on March 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21 and 25.

“Alongside the performance,” the production team adds, “in the theatre’s foyer, in a specially designed space, the feature In Strange Land will be on, also focusing on Armenian history, the slaughtering, the persecutions, the uprooting and the fight for living in a new land. These will be shown through descendants’ accounts, personal stories and vocal documents, of people who ended up in Cyprus from the path they followed after the genocide and also through items, treasured possessions and family photos which they had been able to bring with them.”

The feature will operate for the public on the dates of the performances from 4pm to 5pm, right before the play at 6pm. In addition, in cases of organised groups, there can be scheduled visits on specific dates and times.

 

Beast on the Moon

Richard Kalinoski’s acclaimed play, directed by Lea Maleni. March 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21 and 25. Wherehaus 612, Nicosia. 6pm. €12-15. Presales: www.tickethour.com.cy  and at all ACS Courier outlets. Tel: 7000-0138. In Greek

  https://cyprus-mail.com/2021/03/04/play-remembers-the-armenian-genocide/  

German Bundestag hosts discussion on Armenian POWs held in Azerbaijan

Greg Madatian
Public Radio of Armenia
March 4 2021

Armenian Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan presented a report at a special online discussion on Armenian prisoners of war in Azerbaijan organized in the German Bundestag.

The discussion took place under the chairmanship of Michael Brandt, Chairman of the Bundestag Standing Committee on Human Rights, and Marian Wendt, Chair of the Bundestag Petition Committee. More than 70 German deputies took part in the discussion.

The Defender raised the issue of the urgency of the return of prisoners of war — servicemen and civilians — of the Armenian side detained in Azerbaijan. Arman Tatoyan noted that the Azerbaijani authorities are artificially delaying and politicizing the process so as to cause mental suffering to the Armenian society and especially to the families of the captives, and in order to create tension in the country.

The Human Rights Defender of Armenia presented in detail the international humanitarian and human rights rules which require the immediate release of prisoners and their safe return. The Ombudsman emphasized the gross violations of international humanitarian law and the rights of prisoners who are wrongly portrayed as “terrorists” given the circumstances of ongoing armed conflict.

The Ombudsman also provided information on war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Azerbaijani armed forces during the war (beheadings, torture, humiliation of bodies, etc).

Arman Tatoyan thanked the members of the German Parliament for the discussion.

The Human Rights Defender hailed the assistance of the Armenian Embassy in Germany in organizing this discussion.

The evidence on the Azerbaijani atrocities and torture collected by the Human Rights Defender of Armenia was passed on by the Armenian Ambassador Ashot Smbatyan to Amnesty International in Germany.

Armenian designers featured in Vogue Italia

Talar Tumanian
Public Radio of Armenia
March 4 2021

During the latest edition of London Fashion Week, the British body Fashion Scout and Fashion and Designer Chamber Armenia (FDCA) – the non-profit association founded in November 2017 by a group of Armenian designers to strengthen the fashion and Armenian design allowing them to be fully inserted in the local and international context – collaborated on a purely digital project to present six emerging designers, Vogue Italia reports.

In this regard, emerging designers had the opportunity to exhibit their collections in a see-now-buy-now format., to increase their global network with buyers, members of the press and the rest of the fashion community. Furthermore, together with the fashion films presented by the various designers, there was the launch of a new e-commerce portal, miashop.am, which sells works curated by the most promising Armenian designers, many of whom have already captured the attention of professionals.

Starting from 2019, Fashion Scout has worked alongside the Fashion and Designer Chamber Armenia in order to develop an accelerator program and a showcasing business for Armenian designers. The project, called “Supporting SME’s and Creating Sustainable Ecosystem for Armenian Textile Industry” “to support and create a sustainable ecosystem for the Armenian textile industry” was initiated by the FDCA with the invaluable support of the UK’s Good Governance Fund (GFF). 

Vogue Talents presents three very promising Armenian sustainable fashion designers here:

– Public Radio of Armenia

RUZANĒ

A decisive femininity, which lies in wanting to create a wide-ranging creative approach to fashion to involve all dimensions of lifestyle: this is the banner signed by RUZANĒ , the brand founded by Ruzanna Vardanyan in 2016 as a declaration of maximum femininity and style.

“We tend to be strong and fearless, but it’s not about physical strength, our power is our femininity,” explained the designer. The latest collection harks back to how society uses this power in response to humanity’s major challenges. The label creates timeless pieces made with refined fabrics, enhancing quality. 

Nelly Serobyan 

A manifesto of trust, independence and tradition, is at the helm of the homonymous brand that embodies a strong and self-confident design. The minimalist wardrobe is endowed with a strong personality, tuned with clothes that enhance the concept of essentiality and femininity. 

The arsenal of clothing is divided into baggy dresses with a tailored cut, neutral colors and composed volumes. In addition, a touch of functionality softens the high-low effect of the collection. “Due to the current economic crisis, our brand has started saving as much as possible,” explains Serobyan.

LOOM Weaving

© aghayan

Founded by Inga Manukyan in 2014, LOOM Weaving proposes an evolution of the contemporary wardrobe by combining the concept of practical wear with the attention to detail typical of the world of knitwear. Dresses and cardigans favor oversized silhouettes with revolutionary necklines and maxi weaves. Sweaters, on the other hand, appear in different lengths with a sturdy lightness. 

LOOM Weaving was founded with the aim of reviving national handmade techniques and building a new path for Armenian knitwear production to design, develop, weave and above all create. The label has developed its own style, which is both modern and traditional at the same time, as the products require style and individuality. The proposals are easily identifiable by their appearance, design, idea, handmade and natural raw materials used. The brand refers to the development of an exclusive knitwear design, using an original blend of inlay and the best natural yarns (wool, viscose, cotton, lurex and silk) in infinite color combinations. 

Lithuanian culture figures call on Azerbaijan to release Armenian POWs

Antranik Varosian
Public Radio of Armenia
March 4 2021

Famous Lithuanian film director and producer Kestutis Drazdauskas posted on his Facebook account a statement by eminent intellectuals of Lithuania, appealing to Azerbaijan to speed up the exchange of bodies, prisoners of war and hostages and their return to Armenia.

The announcement reads:

“We, the cultural figures of the Republic of Lithuania, joining the statement of February 8 by the members of the interparliamentary group with Armenia of the Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas), call on the authorities of Azerbaijan not to obstruct the exchange of remains of victims of war, prisoners of war and hostages of the Third Nagorno-Karabakh war and immediately return them to Armenia. To the best of our knowledge, all the Azeri captives have already been returned.

We also appeal to the progressive international community to join this humanitarian initiative to support the overcoming of the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh after the last war.”

Budraitis Juozas – theater, film and television actor, photographer, diplomat
Calzonas Benhardas – composer
Drazdauskas Kęstutis – film director and producer
Eidrigevičius Stasys – Painter
Grigorian Asmik – opera singer
Ibelhauptaitė Dalia – theater and opera director, producer
Koršunovas Oskaras – director, playwright, scenographer
Landsbergis V. Vytautas – poet, publicist, theater and film director, children’s author
Mamontovas Andrius – musician, producer, actor
Matelis Arūnas – film director and producer
Mainelytė Vaiva – actress
Miškūnaitė Viktorija – opera singer
Jevdokimovas Arturas – film director
Šiaučiulis Saulius – pianist, composer
Stonys Audrius – film director
Storpirštis Gediminas – theater and film actor, theater teacher
Večerskis Adolfas – actor, director
Venclova Tomas – poet, publicist, interpreter, literary scholar, professor