Author: Alex Jidarian

Massis Post – A major conference dedicated to the latest developments and discoveries of Armenian archaeology will take place on Saturday, May 13, 2017, in the main conference room of the Charles E. Young Research Library at UCLA. Titled “New finds, new insights: advances in Armenian archaeology over the last decade,” the day-long event is the third Hampartzoum and Ovsanna Chitjian conference on Armenian Studies, organized by the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA.

The conference will feature a distinguished roster of speakers including Boris Gasparyan, Artur Petrosyan, Dr. Arsen Bobokhyan, Dr. Miqayel Badalyan, and Dr. Mkrtich Zardayan. The speakers will be introduced by Prof. Peter Cowe, director of the Research Program for Armenian Archaeology and Ethnography and Narekatsi Chair of Armenian Studies at UCLA. Remarks will be delivered by Prof. Willeke Wendrich, Director of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, and Joan Silsbee, Chair of African Cultural Archaeology at UCLA.

The conference will also include a signing ceremony, during which a Memorandum of Understanding between UCLA and the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography (IAE) of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia will be formalized.

“The focus of this conference is of great importance for Armenology and the Armenian community, as traditionally there has been a serious lack of exposure to archaeology and its impact on our understanding of Armenian history,” Prof. Cowe said and continued, “Most of our research to date has been textually-based. But this needs to be balanced by the contribution of material culture – that is to say, archaeological field work – in order to provide a more rounded and comprehensive view of Armenian life. This need is all the more significant with regard to Armenian prehistory, as archaeology is our main source of knowledge about that vast era.”

Boris Gasparyan, a researcher at IAE, will present his findings about the “Initial occupation of the Armenian Plateau.” Commenting on the subject, Gasparyan said, “The area encompassing the modern Republic of Armenia lies within the Armenian Plateau and is situated at the very core of a dynamic corridor between Africa and Eurasia. As such, Armenia is critical for understanding the initial stages of human settlement and the formation of ancient civilizations in the Near East and beyond.”

Artur Petrosyan, another researcher at IAE, will speak about “Armenia from the late Paleolithic to the first complex societies.” Referring to recent archaeological discoveries in connection with the prehistoric epoch, Petrosyan said, “There has been a large gap in our knowledge of late Pleistocene and early Holocene archaeological sites. But recent excavations in Armenia have brought to light a number of important discoveries. These sites represent the earliest record of a food-production economy in the territory of Armenia, and preserve considerable architecture as well as ceramic and metal artifacts.”

With a presentation titled “Vishap (dragon) stones in the context of the Bronze and Iron Age archaeology of Armenia,” Dr. Arsen Bobokhyan, senior researcher at IAE, will speak about some of Armenia’s most intriguing prehistoric monuments. “Although vishapakars were discovered more than a century ago, their secrets are far from being deciphered,” Dr. Bobokhyan said. “Much like the khachkars (cross stones) of medieval times, vishapakars dot the prehistoric landscapes of the Armenian Plateau. To date, close to 150 examples of these monuments have been discovered.”

Dr. Miqayel Badalyan, Director of the Karmir Blur branch of the Erebuni Museum, will speak about “Recent investigations of Urartian sites in the Republic of Armenia.” Commenting on the topic, Dr. Badalyan said, “The latest results of our excavations provide new data for tackling such important questions as the downfall of the Urartian kingdom, the correlation and sociopolitical and cultural connections between the Urartians and the local people, as well as the emergence of the post-Urartian period.”

The Silk Road will be the focus of Dr. Mkrtich Zardayan, Chair of IAE’s Department of Archaeology of Ancient Armenia. “In recent years, there has emerged an array of fascinating archaeological evidence for the wide interconnection of Armenian cities with their Eastern and Western counterparts,” Dr. Zardayan said. “Such evidence sheds fresh light on the history of the formation and development of the Eurasian communication network and particularly the role of Classical Armenia within the framework of transcontinental trade and cultural exchange.” Dr. Zardayan’s conference paper is titled “Classical Armenia on the Great Silk Road: the archaeology of the economy and cultural integration of the ancient world.”

The May 13 conference, which is open to the public, will start at 10:30 am. Attendees will be provided with refreshments and lunch. Paid parking will be available in Structure 4 (221 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095) and Structure 5 (302 Charles E. Young Drive North, Los Angeles, CA 90095).

The UCLA Research Program for Armenian Archaeology and Ethnography was created through the long-term partnership of Zaruhy Sara Chitjian and the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology in 2013. The Chitjian conference series was inaugurated in 2013 with the establishment of the Hampartzoum and Ovsanna Chitjian Collection and Archives and the Research Program for Armenian Archaeology and Ethnography at UCLA by Ms. Zaruhy Sara Chitjian, in memory of her parents.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, has joined thousands of Armenians to rally outside the Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles to mark the 102nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

“One hundred and two years ago, the Ottoman Empire began a gruesome campaign against the Armenians, murdering 1.5 million men, women and children. The very first genocide of the 21st Century, the Armenian Genocide, is a wound which will never truly heal,” Rep. Schiff said in a Facebookpost.

“Today, we march today to commemorate, to remember, and to demand justice,” he added.

Schiff blasted Republican President Donald Trump for failing to recognize the events as a “genocide.”

“Today, we received a disappointing statement from yet another president, refusing to acknowledge the murder of 1.5 million Armenians from 1915-1923 for what it was – a genocide,” FOX 11 quotes Schiff as saying.

“President Trump now joins a long line of both Republican and Democratic presidents unwilling to confront Turkey, and by refusing to do so, he has made the United States once again a party to its campaign of denial,” he added.

“Today, we remember and honor the memory of those who suffered during the Meds Yeghern, one of the worst mass atrocities of the 20th Century,”

“Beginning in 1915, one and a half million Armenians were deported, massacred or marched to their deaths in the final years of the Ottoman Empire. I join the Armenian community in America and around the world in mourning the loss of innocent lives and the suffering endured by so many,” he stated.

A passenger plane has caught fire on landing at an airport near the town of Jauja in central Peru. Remarkably no injuries have been reported. All 141 people on board were evacuated safely, Euronews reports.

Witnesses said the the Boeing 737 which had taken off in Lima drove off the runway after swerving for no apparent reason.

The fire may have been started when the wing scraped the ground.

Peruvian Airlines which own the jet have launched an investigation into the incident.

Armenian Patriarch Locum Tenens and Armenian Primate of Germany Archbishop Karekin Bekciyan has been in Germany for a while. He announced that he’ll be in Istanbul soon and stay in the patriarchate, reports.

Karekin Bekciyan wrote a letter from Germany. He reminded that he is still the Armenian Primate of Germany and has some appointments related to this seat.

He also stated that any cleric assigns a deputy when he leaves for a while, and he assigned Bishop Masalyan as his deputy to deal with the works of değabah while he is away.

He also added that he’ll be in Istanbul soon and stay in the patriarchate.

The European Council today re-elected Donald Tusk as its president for a second term of two and a half years, from 1 June 2017 to 30 November 2019. Donald Tusk was also re-appointed as President of the Euro Summit for the same period.

He is the second full-time President of the European Council, following the creation of the post on 1 December 2009 under the Treaty of Lisbon.

Donald Tusk has been the President of the European Council since 1 December 2014. Prior to that, he was Prime Minister of Poland for 7 years.

The President chairs European Council meetings and drives forward its work. He also ensures the external representation of the EU at his level on issues concerning its common foreign and security policy.

The Presidents of Armenia and France Serzh Sargsyan and Francois Hollande discussed a wide range of issues as they met in Paris today.

French and Armenian officials signed three agreements on easing tourism between their countries, research cooperation and creating a French university in Armenia.

Speaking to reporters after the talks Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan thanked Francois Hollande for the invitation and warm welcome on the 25^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

“We have very similar approaches on all issues – both in our bilateral relations and regional developments,” President Sargsyan said.

“Undoubtedly, the centuries-old Armenian French friendship and historical-cultural ties, as well as the lack of political problems create a solid basis for the further development of our relations in an atmosphere of respect and trust,” the Armenian President said.

He said the high-level political dialogue also forms a firm ground for effective economic cooperation. “Although our economic relations have not reached the level of political ties, we are taking steady steps in that direction,” President Sargsyan said.

“As a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Armenia can serve a good platform for French firms to produce in Armenia and export the production to the 170 million market of the EAEU,” the President said. He added that Armenia’s good relations with Iran can also be used to the benefit of French companies.

President Sargsyan thanked Francois Hollande for the decision to hold the Francophonie summit in Armenia in 2018 and pledged to organize the event on due level.

Knar Yamenidjian, back row middle, is seen with her family in Egypt in 1931. Her father is situated on the bottom row, far right. (Courtesy of the Yemenidjian family)

Armenian Genocide survivor Knar Yemenidjian was remembered in Canada, the reports.

She was one of Canada’s last living links to an atrocity that occurred more than 100 years ago. Although Knar Yemenidjian, who died on Jan. 19, reached the age of 107, her childhood was marred by unfathomable violence that nearly ended her life.

“We’re all grieving with the family,” Armen Yeganian, Armenia’s ambassador to Canada, commented after Ms. Yemenidjian’s death. “But she was also a bigger symbol, I would imagine, for the Canadian Armenian community and for Armenian people in general.”

She was born Knar Bohjelian on Feb. 14, 1909, in Caesarea, a city in central Turkey now known as Kayseri. Less than a year earlier, a group of Turkish reformers known as the Young Turks overthrew Sultan Abdul Hamid and established a constitutional government. Although the Armenian population of Turkey was initially optimistic about the new regime, they were caught off guard by the xenophobia of the Young Turks and their targeted hatred aimed at Christians and non-Turks who they believed were a threat to the Islamic, “pure Turkish” state they envisioned.

When the Young Turks began their campaign of mass murder on April 24, 1915, the first order of action was arresting and executing several hundred Armenian intellectuals. After that, other Armenians were either systematically slaughtered by marauding killing squads or forced on death marches across the Mesopotamian desert without food or water.

Six-year-old Knar and her family survived the first wave of violence by seeking sanctuary in a barn. Ms. Yeminidjian’s niece Nazar Artinian told CTV News that the family survived only because Knar’s father had been warned by a Turkish friend that “all the Armenians were going to be killed.”

According to Ms. Artinian, the family friend insisted, “if you want to live, leave your house, take your family and go to this farm and hide yourselves there.” So the family hid among the livestock. They were besieged by typhoid and had barely enough food to sustain themselves, but they survived.

When the violence subsided, Knar and her family returned to find many of their neighbours murdered, and all the Armenian homes – including theirs – burned to the ground.

Ms. Yemenidjian’s son said that his mother had a wonderful, self-effacing sense of humour. He noted that, although she spoke very little English or French, the other residents surprised him one day, when they remarked to him how funny his mother was. “We can’t understand her and she can’t understand us, they told him, but does she ever make us laugh!”

In 2004, Canada was among the first countries to officially recognize the genocide.

At the age of 106, Ms. Yemenidjian was among a handful of Armenian-Canadians who attended a special ceremony on Parliament Hill in 2015 to mark the centennial of the start of the genocide.

To this day, despite widespread agreement among historians, the Turkish government denies that an Armenian genocide occurred. Since 2003, Turkish teachers have been forbidden to use the term “genocide” in the classroom.

Last year, the country recalled its ambassador from Germany after the German parliament voted to recognize the genocide.

Historians conclude that approximately 1.5 million Armenians were killed during the genocide, but Turkey says the death toll has been exaggerated and considers those who were killed as casualties of a civil war.

Knar Yemenidjian leaves her two sons, Joseph and Noubar, three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

“Alexander Lapshin’s detention and extradition cannot have any impact on the work of journalists and human rights defenders in Artsakh. This work has been and will be viewed as lawful, this is the principle,” Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan said in a statement.

“The fact of Alexander Lapshin’s extradition is an obvious infringement of human rights. The escorting by masked representatives of special forces upon Lapshin’s arrival in Baku and the wide coverage in the press come to prove the obvious forbidden attitude toward him,” the Ombudsman said.

He said “the promotion of visits by foreign journalists and human rights defenders to Artsakh, contributing to the participation of Artsakh’s democratic institutions in international meetings should be among the basic directions of the activity of any of us. There is no alternative to the work in this work.”

company that acquired the Vorotan Cascade in 2015. The package includes a loan of $45 million for IFC’s own account and parallel loans of $65 million from FMO, the Dutch development bank, and $30 million from DEG, the German Investment and Development Corporation.

The loans will help ContourGlobal upgrade the 404-megawatt Vorotan complex, parts of which are almost four decades old. As a result, the project is expected to generate around 1,150 gigawatt hours of electricity annually and will help combat climate change by preventing the release of more than 55,000 tons of greenhouse gases per year. The financing is expected to boost electricity reliability, providing a steady supply of clean power to additional 60,000 residential customers.

“We are very pleased to have completed this innovative long-term financing package for Vorotan and we would like to thank our partners at IFC, FMO, DEG, for their commitment to the project,” said Ara Hovsepyan, General Manager of ContourGlobal Hydro Cascade. “We would also like to thank the Government of Armenia for its work in facilitating these transactions. They provide a stable, long-term capital structure, which allows us to continue our work while making sure that the operational performance, safety, reliability, and efficiency of this plant are maintained at world-class standards.”

This financing package also marks IFC’s first debt investment in Armenian infrastructure. In addition to the loan, IFC is a sole provider of an interest rate swap, which will help ContourGlobal Hydro Cascade hedge the interest rate risk on the financing package, protecting it from any fluctuations in the interest rate. IFC is one of the few development finance institutions to offer hedging instruments to its clients—private sector companies in emerging markets—to better manage interest and currency risks.

“Supporting renewable energy is IFC’s top priority and is part of our commitment to address climate change,” said Wiebke Schloemer, IFC Regional Industry Head of Infrastructure for Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. “Globally, we have seen how private businesses can help spur the development of energy infrastructure. The upgrade of Armenia’s Vorotan complex will help provide clean energy for tens of thousands of people. This investment is also expected to open the door to additional private investment in the country’s vital infrastructure.”

The Vorotan Cascade includes three hydropower plants and provides 15 percent of Armenia’s electricity. Increasing its capacity is key for Armenia, a country that imports fuel to cover around 90 percent of its
energy needs.

In 2015, IFC bought a minority stake in ContourGlobal Hydro Cascade to support the entry of an established private sector power developer and operator in Armenia, helping the company acquire, operate, and rehabilitate the Vorotan Hydro Cascade.

Armenia became an IFC member in 1995. Since then, IFC’s long-term investment commitments have totaled $480 million, including nearly $118 million mobilized from other lenders. That has financed 49 projects across a range of sectors, including financial markets, manufacturing, agribusiness, services, and mining. IFC has also supported trade transactions worth more than $130 million through its trade finance program, and implemented advisory projects focused on private sector development.
In fiscal year 2016, IFC invested almost $19 billion in developing countries worldwide.

Massis Post – The Armenian Studies Program and Armenian Students Organization of California State University, Fresno are co-sponsoring the 15th Annual Armenian Film Festival on Friday, February 17, 2017.

The featured film making its Fresno premiere is SaroyanLand (2013) (Turkey), directed by Lusin Dink. SaroyanLand is a docu-drama focusing on the journey of famous writer William Saroyan to the birthplace of his Armenian family Bitlis, in Turkey in 1964. While retaking the same road, the film aims to understand Saroyan’s unique attitude to belonging, witnessing the self-discovery of a man who followed the traces of his Armenian ancestors.

The featured short film is director Anahid Nazarian’s Shesh-Besh (2012), shot entirely on location in Fresno. JC & Son Automotive is an auto garage in Fresno where Armenian men and other locals gather daily to play backgammon and catch up on the local gossip. The business of the auto garage seems almost a side aspect of what is in essence a men’s social club, the main focus being the game of backgammon. Those who come here continue the old country tradition of their fathers and grandfathers of meeting at social gathering places and enjoying each other’s company.

Also showing will be I Hate Dogs!: The Last Survivor (2005) (Sweden) by directors PeAHolmquist and Suzanne Khardalian. Garbis Hagopian-Ghazarian is a dynamic person of 99 years old, who lives in Paris. He is one of the last survivors of the Armenian Genocide. He has a deep secret that has made him hate dogs. The film is about the art of survival.