Author: Badalian Vardan

AZERBAIJAN IS WAITING FOR ARMENIA TO BECOME DESERTED AND INVADE THE COUNTRY WITH ZURNA AND DHOL’ (VIDEO)

13:58 | May 26,2014 | Politics

I am inclined to laud [Prime Minister] Hovik Abrahamyan, political
analyst Gurgen Yeghiazaryan told reporters on Monday.

Comparing the new premier with his predecessor [Tigran Sargsyan],
Mr Yeghiazaryan said, “Unlike the hero of the offshore scandal, he
[Abrahamyan] does not use terms which are unknown to him. Nor does
he sing or dance in public.”

The political analyst says Tigran Sargsyan has ruined the political
field in Armenia. “Hovik Abrahamyan is a man of willpower,”
Yeghiazaryan stressed.

He says Armenia has appeared in a terrible plight and it is almost
impossible to improve the situation at this moment. “Systemic changes
are needed in the country and no matter who the prime minister is –
Hovik Abrahamyan or someone else – he will be unable to do anything
in this destroyed country in one year.”

Mr Yeghiazaryan says’ Azerbaijan is waiting for Armenia to become
deserted and invade the country with zurna and dhol.’

NIKOL PASHINYAN: YEREVAN’S AUTHORITIES SHOULD HAVE ERECTED A MONUMENT TO THE VICTIMS OF MARCH 1 EVENTS RATHER THAN ANASTAS MIKOYAN

by Nana Martirosyan

Wednesday, May 28, 00:43

Yerevan’s authorities should have erected a monument to the victims of
the March 1 events rather than to Soviet-time leader Anastas Mikoyan,
opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan said in the parliament on Tuesday.

“Such a monument would be dearer to Yerevan’s residents, especial as
the ten victims of the events were killed in the center of the city,
near the Municipality. It seems that the municipal authorities prefer
erecting monuments not to victims but to butchers like Mikoyan. Ask
historians if you doubt that he was a butcher,”

Pashinyan told Deputy Mayor of Yerevan Kamo Areyan.

Areyan replied that it was the decision of the Council of Elders.

“They received such an initiative and approved it,” he said.

AEROFLOT CLOSES FLIGHTS TO YEREVAN FROM ROSTOV-ON-DON AND MINERALNYE VODY

May 28, 2014 | 14:34

Russia’s leading Aeroflot air company reviewed plans and withdrew
application for flights in 17 directions.

In particular, the air carrier has no plans to carry out flights to
Yerevan from Rostov-on-Don and Mineralnye Vody.

Aeroflot explained the move by saying the air company is not using
these routes.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

ON MAY 28 ARMENIA MARKS FIRST REPUBLIC DAY

May 28, 2014 | 00:09

YEREVAN. – Armenia celebrates First Republic Day on May 28.

The Armenian regular military forces and volunteers defeated the
Turkish troops, in May 1918, and thus prevented the latter’s invasion
of Armenia’s capital city Yerevan.

This triumph enabled the Armenian people to restore their statehood,
which was lost centuries ago.

It was 96 years ago on this day that the Armenian National Council
declared, in Tbilisi, Armenia’s independence and the creation of the
First Republic of Armenia.

The May 28 celebrations in Armenia are traditionally held at Sardarapat
Memorial, which eternalizes the memory of the Armenian heroes who
prevented a Turkish invasion of Armenia in 1918.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

MAVI MARMARA : UN TRIBUNAL TURC ORDONNE L’ARRESTATION D’EX-CHEFS DE L’ARMEE ISRAELIENNE

Turquie-Israël-procès-diplomatie

Une cour criminelle d’Istanbul a ordonne lundi l’arrestation d’ex-chefs
de l’armee israelienne pour leur implication dans un assaut qui a
coûte la vie a dix activistes turcs, en 2010 au large de Gaza.

La cour deposera a Interpol une demande de mandat d’arret international
a l’encontre de quatre anciens responsables militaires israeliens,
juges depuis 2012 par contumace dans une procedure très symbolique
en Turquie, a explique a l’AFP un porte-parole de l’organisation
caritative islamique turque IHH (la Fondation d’aide humanitaire)
et un avocat de la partie civile.

Un responsable israelien sous couvert d’anonymat a qualifie de
“provocation ridicule” le jugement.

“Si c’est le message que les Turcs veulent faire passer a Israël,
et bien il a ete parfaitement entendu” a commente cette source,
refusant d’elaborer plus sur les consequences de cette decision sur
le processus de reconciliation.

“Un mandat d’arret a ete delivre par la cour contre les suspects”,
a souligne Serkan Nergiz de l’IHH qui a ajoute que la decision de
la Cour sera notifie au ministère de la Justice qui devra demander
a Interpol un “bulletin rouge” contre l’ancien chef d’etat-major
de l’armee israelienne, le general Gabi Ashkenazi, l’ex-chef des
renseignements militaires Amos Yadlin et les anciens chefs d’etat-major
de la marine et de l’aviation.

La justice turque accuse les responsables israeliens de “meurtres
monstrueux et de torture” et reclame la reclusion a perpetuite.

D’autre part l’IHH a confirme des informations de presse selon laquelle
un activiste de 51 ans grièvement blesse dans l’assaut avait perdu la
vie a Ankara après un long coma. “Suleyman Ugur Soylemez est devenu
un martyr samedi”, a souligne un responsable de l’ONG a l’AFP.

La decision de la cour intervient alors que des discussions sont en
cours depuis plusieurs mois entre Israël et la Turquie pour dedommager
les familles des victimes et la decision de la cour pourrait avoir
un impact sur ce processus.

“En principe, le pouvoir judiciaire est independant et nous devons
penser que la procedure judiciaire avancera independamment du processus
diplomatique”, a commente l’ancien ambassadeur Ozdem Sanberk, membre
pour la Turquie d’une commission d’enquete mis en place par l’Onu
sur l’affaire.

Le 31 mai 2010, les commandos israeliens avaient aborde de nuit par
helicoptère et dans les eaux internationales le Mavi Marmara, navire
amiral d’une flottille d’aide humanitaire affrete par l’IHH et parti
pour briser le blocus israelien de Gaza.

Lors de l’abordage, les commandos avaient ouvert le feu tuant neuf
militants et faisant de nombreux blesses.

L’affaire avait declenche une grave crise diplomatique entre la
Turquie et Israël, qui entretenaient jusqu’alors des relations de
cooperation assez etroites, notamment sur le plan militaire.

– Operation militaire “excessive” –

Le rapport de l’ONU sur l’attaque a souligne que l’operation de la
marine israelienne etait “excessive” tout en estimant que le blocus
maritime de Gaza etait legal.

L’IHH a en outre annonce lundi qu’elle n’abandonnera pas les poursuites
judiciaires contre les militaires israeliens dans le cadre d’un
eventuel accord d’indemnisation qui mettrait fin au contentieux
turco-israelien.

“Nous n’abandonnerons pas les poursuites en justice. Nous pensons
que les criminels doivent etre juges dans tout les cas”, a indique
a l’AFP un porte-parole de l’IHH.

Le responsable a insiste que, “meme si nous abandonnons, les familles
des victimes ne le ferons pas”.

Les deux pays, depuis en froid, sont neanmoins en discussions pour
un accord qui dedommagerait les victimes.

Le montant des compensations qui seront versees par Israël n’est pas
encore connu. Selon la presse israelienne, l’Etat hebreu a offert
une enveloppe de 20 millions de dollars aux victimes turques.

Une fois signe, le futur accord doit encore etre ratifie par le
parlement turc pour avoir une valeur internationale.

Le Premier ministre israelien Benjamin Netanyahu a formellement
presente des excuses en mai 2013 mais la normalisation des relations
entre les deux pays reste suspendue aux negociations d’indemnisation.

mercredi 28 mai 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
May 27 2014

Armenians accuse Israeli government of indifference to xenophobia

27 May 2014 – 9:12am
By Peter Lyukimson, Israel. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza

The Armenian Cultural Society in Israel has accused the government of
inability to fight anti-Armenian sentiment. The press secretary of the
Society, Mendel Korsunsky, recalled an incident that happened in 2008
when a young religious Jew spat on Armenian seminarian Oganes
Martirosyan. The latter had beaten up the spitter.

Members of the Armenian community could not recall any other case of
“anti-Armenian sentiment in Israel,” apart from this case, which
happened six years ago. They seem to be forgetting the fact that the
Jew was sentenced for what he had done and Oganes Martirosyan was not
punished. If anything similar had happened between two Jews, both
would have been sentenced and the one fighting would have been
punished a lot more severely for the inappropriate reaction and
injuries.

Such a peculiar declaration by the Armenian Cultural Society in Israel
has a simple explanation: its authorities were outraged by the latest
report by the Anti-Defamation League (a human rights organization
preventing anti-Semitism and other intolerance forms). The document
puts Armenia at the top of the list of the most anti-Semitic countries
of the world. According to the report, 58% of the modern Armenian
population express anti-Semitism, considering that there are no more
than 1,000 Jews living in Armenia, according to official data.

Attempting to alter the report, Armenian activists living in Israel
accused Rabbi Abraham Foxman, the head of the Anti-Defamation League,
of Armenophobia. Calling Foxman “a pro-Turkish lobbyist of the U.S.,”
the Armenian Cultural Society reminds that in 2007 he was one of the
most fierce opponents of the 106th resolution of the U.S. Congress on
recognition of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. He was accused by Shavo
Melkonyan, the head of the Armenian National Committee of Eastern
Massachusetts, of denying the Armenian Genocide.

Korsunsky assures that Armenia has no anti-Semitic sentiment, it only
has “anti-Israeli” sentiment provoked by the refusal of Israel to
recognize the Armenian Genocide and its military support of
Azerbaijan. However, he forgets that, according to all experts, modern
anti-Semitism is most often used to hide “disagreement with the policy
of modern Israel.” The word “Jews” is then replaced with “Israelis”,
“Israeli Jews” or “Zionists.” So the declaration of the Armenian
Cultural Society has basically reconfirmed the report of the
Anti-Defamation League instead of proving it wrong.

New University, CA
May 27 2014

Former BBC Anchor Documents Armenian Genocide

Joyce Chu | May 27, 2014 |

Carla Garapedian, former anchor at BBC World News who directed
“Screamers,” a documentary about the Armenian genocide, came to UCI on
Thursday, May 22, to share the effects the movie had on the Armenian
community and the world after the film was released in 2006. There was
a small group of 24 people gathered to hear Garapedian speak in
Humanities Gateway.

She began her talk by explaining how she first got interested in
making this film and how she got the commission from BBC to do it.
“The last film that I wanted to make was one about the Armenian
genocide,” Garapedian stated. “I didn’t think I had anything that I
could add to other films that were being made. What changed was at
that time in 2004, there were things in the news that were bringing
the history back into contemporary topics, contemporary discussion.”

During the time that Garapedian became interested in making a
documentary about the genocide, Turkey was petitioning to be part of
the European Union. Due to this petitioning, Turkey’s history and
human rights violations were coming back into European politics.

At the same time, Garapedian explained that there was more talk about
the genocide due to Samantha Power’s newly released and successful
book “A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide.” This book
addressed America’s unresponsiveness to the genocides of the 20th
century. In addition to all the political and social stirrings,
Garapedian noted that a popular band called System of a Down was
singing songs that expressed outrage towards society’s ails, including
the Armenian genocide.

“In this mix was this heavy metal rock band who had 16 million people
following them. These people (the fans) knew about the Armenian
genocide and they were not Armenian, and that surprised me because
most of my adult life I would meet people who never heard about [the
genocide. And here were these 16-year-olds who knew about this chapter
in history … because they followed this band. So I went back to
Britain and made a case to BBC and said, ‘Look, wouldn’t it be
interesting if we could make a film about this?'”

After getting the commission from BBC and making the film, “Screamers”
was released in theaters in 2006. Garapedian’s documentary followed
System of a Down on tour and showed how the band raised the
consciousness of the younger generation through their music. The film
also weaved in testimonies from survivors, and mentioned other
genocides of the 20th century such as the Holocaust and the Bosnia,
Cambodia, Rwanda and Darfur genocides.

Following the release of the movie, there was an explosion of
discussion about the documentary and the genocide.

“What started to happen was the Armenian genocide as an issue started
to circulate in national and political discussion here in America,”
Garapedian said.

“And to be completely honest, a lot of it happened because of this
band–they were so popular. When you have young people talking about it
and creating excitement, there was a sort of flurry of discussion and
blogs and social media that started to happen.”

With all the conversations people were having about the documentary,
Garapedian noted three things that happened as an after-effect. The
first was the broadening of genocide awareness. No longer was it just
Armenians talking amongst each other, but young teens who were not
Armenian as well.

Garapedian also saw a linkage between all the genocides that occurred
in the 20th century.

“You might not know about what happened 100 years ago, but you know
what’s happening now in Darfur and they’re all connected,” she stated.
“So the message became wider, it became different, and I think it was
able to appeal to a lot more people because it was about human
rights.”

Garapedian believed a third after-effect of the documentary was the
impact on Turkey. After the premier of the movie, then-foreign
minister and current president of Turkey Abdullah Gul made a statement
denying the Armenian genocide.

“What they said was there was new lies coming out of the Armenian
diaspora and every Turkish citizen must combat these lies,” Garapedian
said.

Shortly after this statement released by the Turkish government, the
Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was assassinated on Jan. 19,
2007. Dink was a major proponent of human and minority rights in
Turkey and had also made an appearance in the “Screamers” documentary.

“[Dink] came to the movie premier [in] 2006,” Garapedian recalled. “I
have a very wonderful memory of him being at the premier. He’s a big
guy and he grabbed me, lifted me off my feet, gave me a big bear hug
and said, ‘Carla what a wonderful day this is!’ Less than two months
later he was gone.”

Following Dink’s assassination, Garapedian recalled a lot of outrage
in Turkey as thousands of people protested in Istanbul shouting, “We
are all Armenians, we are all Hrant Dink,” according to BBC news.

“It was part of the beginning of the civil rights movement in Turkey,”
Garapedian said. “The stirrings of people simply wanting to know their
own history. Nothing to do with what Turks thought about Armenians.
This was about Turks having the freedom to know their own history
without being persecuted. ‘Our issue’ became a civil rights issue in
Turkey. It was never something I thought would happen out of making
this film.”

“My films are perhaps worse than Parajanov’s films, but they are not
Parajanov.” Roman Balayan

May 27 2014

On May 25, the premier of the Armenian version of the film director
Samvel Saribekyan’s (Samo Spiuni) documental film “Flying Angels.
Roman Balayan” was showed at the Theatre named after Henrik Malyan.
The Russian version was shown earlier, in 2011, at the “Moscow”
cinema. The film tells the story of Ukrainian-resident famous Armenian
film director Roman Balayan’s creative years, which becomes more
comprehensive and impressive through the memories and opinions of his
friends, colleagues, well-known actors, and film directors. The film
especially gives a great place to Balayan’s film “Flights in Dreams
and in Reality”, which Samo Spiuni explained by its actuality, and by
two more factors. First, when shooting his “Flying Angels. Roman
Balayan” film, 30 years of the “Flights” was marked, and secondly, as
said by Spiuni, Balayan has become famous by this film. “Becoming free
from Soviet stereotypes, he created the character of an individual.
Film Director Karen Shahnazarov says that the hero of the film is a
useless person, simply a rejected because he does not agree with all
that is happening around him, and expresses his fiery and unconscious
protest by not so adequate behavior. There are a lot of rejected
people now, and this is one of the reasons that I have devoted a large
section to that film,” detailed Spiuni, in the conversation with
Aravot.am, and added that the end of the “Flights” is very symbolic
for him. “In the last episode, the film director is burying the
staring hero in a haystack, where he curls up, accepting the position
of an embryo, is crying in the feeling of his rebirth. In my opinion,
this is the story of Small Meher from “Daredevils of Sassoun” when the
film’s hero, entering into a haystack, closes himself like Meher was
closing himself in Agravakar,” said our interlocutor. Later, the
“Flying Angels. Roman Balayan” film is telling about Balayan’s other
films, in short references, “Biryuk”, “Save me my talisman”, “Birds of
Paradise” and so on. In the film, Balayan confesses S. Parajanov’s
great influence in his creative life, “If coming to Kiev, I had not
met with Parajanov, I could have become a film director, but what kind
of film director. I do not know. However, faced with such a giant, I
was under his influence for a long time, but my colleagues know that
I’m probably the only one that was able to get free from this
influence. Parajanov liked my thesis film, the “Thief,” very much, but
I do not like it because it is completely Parajanov. Then I was able
to slip out of this influence. My films perhaps are worse than
Parajanov films but they are not Parajanov,” says R. Balayan. In S.
Spiuni film, R. Balayan talks also about his decision on leaving
Armenia and living in Ukraine, as well as why he does not shoot an
Armenian film. “After graduating from the Institute of Theater in
Kiev, I came to Yerevan to shoot my thesis, but I was refused. I had
also works that I wanted to shoot, but all of them were rejected, and
I returned to Kiev. And every time visiting Armenia and Artsakh, the
journalists are always asking the same question whether I do not want
to shoot an Armenian film. When I was already recognized, the Armenian
studio was constantly suggesting me, but I was now rejecting,” tells
the film director. And in the end of the film devoted to him, he
speaks about the clash between the Armenian art and reality. “Why
don’t Armenians and Jews take “aspirin”?, he asks, because they do not
want the pain to go away, and more seriously, I want the Armenian
children’s eyes be bright, bold, even impertinent; I want the traces
of Genocide be disappeared from the eyes of our children. For example,
when living in Armenia, I have seen how the Armenians are joking from
morning till evening, telling jokes, whereas there is always grief and
pathos in the art.”

Siranush HAYRAPETYAN

Read more at:

Two Armenians among those missing in Georgia landslide

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Emergency Situations Department of Georgian Ministry of the Interior
said today that 8 people went missing as a result of the May 17
landslide near Upper Lars checkpoint.

The body of a South Ossetian citizen killed in the landslide was found
in a local hospital, another two bodies were found today, according to
the press service of Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Two Russian citizens of Armenian descent – Karpo Poghosov, 57, and
Georgy Gevorkov are among those missing. There is still no information
about them.

A massive landslide occurred on May 17 in Darial Gorge, near
Kazbegi-Upper Lars checkpoint on the Georgian-Russian border. The
landslide damaged a section of the Georgian Military Road and blocked
the Terek River.

A search for missing people is underway. According to preliminary
information, the road may remain closed for over a month.

TODAY, 18:51
Aysor.am

ARMENIA: THE CAPITAL OF DESIRES

Abitare, Italy
May 26 2014

posted by monica.guala

Armenian history throughout the 19th and 20thcenturies was tightly
interconnected with the notion of the PROJECT. Aesthetic, social, and
political desires were projected onto the blueprints and construction
sites that still today shape the urban face of the Armenian capital
of Yerevan.

The Capital of Desires. The exhibition will present various materials
on the projects developed by different generations of Armenian
architects as:

Grigor Aghababyan, Arsen Aharonyan, Razmik Alaverdyan, Ashot Alexanyan,
Nikoghayos Buniatyan, Levon Cherkezyan, Feniks Darbinyan, Telman
Gevorgyan, Mark Grigoryan, Sargis Gurzadyan, Hovhannes Hakobyan, Feliks
Hakobyan, Koryun Hakobyan, Karo Halabyan, Ruben Hasratyan, Margarita
Hayrapetyan, Vartan Husyan, Rafael Israelyan, Sashur Kalashyan, Van
Khachatour, Spartak Khachikyan, Spartak Kntekhtsyan, Gevorg Kochar,
Stepan Kyurkchyan, Hovhannes Margaryan, Mikael Mazmanyan, Zhanna
Mesheryakova, Mkrtich Minasyan, Gurgen Musheghyan, Hrachik Poghosyan,
Samvel Safaryan, Alexander Tamanyan, Artur Tarkhanyan, Jim Torosyan,
Armen Zaryan, and others.

Curatori del progetto: Ruben Arevshatyan, Georg Schollhammer Il
rappresentante del Commissario: Vartan Karapetian Coordinatore del
progetto: Nina Hayryan Display Exhibition: Johannes Porsch Graphic
designer: Nora Galfayan, Markus Weisbeck (concept design)

Cover: Zvartnots Airport, Yerevan //1975 – 1980// Architects: Levon
Cherkezyan, Spartak Khachikyan, Zhorzh Shekhlyan, Artur Tarkhanyan //
Planning Institute: Armgosproekt // Courtesy of: National Archives
of Armenia

14th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice Palazzo Zenobio,
Collegio Armeno Moorat Raphael, Dorsoduro 2596 7 June to 23 November
2014