On August 23, the delegation headed by the Chief of the General Staff of the RA Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Artak Davtyan participated in the regular session of the Committee of the Chiefs of the General Staffs of the Armed Forces of the CIS Member States held in Dushanbe.
This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Defense.
Armenian Revolutionary Federation
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Supreme Council of Armenia on Wednesday issued an announcement calling for a referendum to determine the fate of the mining operations at Amulsar, in the Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia.
The ARF Armenia body cited “contradictory statements by the new government are causing tensions surrounding the operation of the Amulsar mine, as well as the lack of adequate ressponse on the part of the authorities to meet public expectations” as the reason for proposing a referendum.
“Taking into consideration the interests of the nation and the state, public accord and the safe exploitation of natural resources, the preservation of the ecological diversity of the environment and sustainable development of the country the ARF Supreme Council of Armenia is deeply concerned that the published data are not convincing enough and do not inspire confidence in both public and professional circles,” said the ARF statement.
“We urge the authorities to not consider the published expert opinion as the final basis for the development of the mine. Underlining the people’s concern about this issue and its potentially serious impact on the socio-economic and environmental development of the country, we consider it appropriate, as a result of public and professional discussions, to find an acceptable solution to this issue,” said the ARF announcement.
“We also believe that it is necessary to restore dialogue with a circle of experts and, through a referendum, make a decision that meets the interests of the state and one that is acceptable to the public,” concluded the announcement.
Former lawmaker Melik Manukian’s Ranger Rover vehicle was damaged in the explosion on the Yerevan-Sevan highway
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Three people have been arrested in Armenia over an alleged attempt to assassinate a former lawmaker by setting off explosives on the Yerevan-Sevan highway on Friday.
The SUV belonging to Melik Manukian, a businessman who served as a lawmaker in the previous parliament with the faction of tycoon Gagik Tsarukian, was damaged in the incident, but no one was hurt, police said.
It was reported later that Manukian was not inside the Ranger Rover at the time of the explosion. Four people who were in the vehicle are recognized as victims in the case.
The Investigation Committee did not immediately reveal the identities of the arrested people.
It said that explosives had been set up beforehand under a bridge on the highway and were set off at the time the businessman’s vehicle and another car accompanying it were passing by. “The crime was not completed due to circumstances outside the will [of the perpetrator(s)],” investigators added.
The explosion took place not far from a bottle factory owned by Manukian, whose nickname is Shshi Melo (Bottle Melo).
The businessman could not be reached for comment. Earlier, talking to one of the local media outlets, Manukian said he could not say whether it was an attempted murder or just an “accident”.
According to preliminary data, among those arrested as part of the case is also Manukian’s bodyguard, who ignored police orders not to move the businessman’s vehicle from the crime scene.
Last January Manukian’s son Shant was among four people arrested over a high-profile shooting incident at a restaurant owned by his father. He was later released. Eight people were wounded in the shootout, one of them died later.
Prangel Shah and his wife, Bipali Shah. (Armine Avetisyan / OC Media)
Indian immigration to Armenia has sharply increased in the last two years, with many coming to the country in search of a better life. However, endemic racism and human trafficking have revealed the dark side of the ‘Armenian dream’.
Rahul Seteh, an Indian immigrant to Armenia who has been living in the country since 2015, vividly remembers taking a phone call from an ill friend while on a minibus in Yerevan.
‘I was talking very quietly, trying to help them over the phone, when a woman started saying loudly that “she’s tired of these Indians”. Why? What bad thing have I done? I want to explain that I love Armenia; I consider it to be a part of me’.
After graduating from Yerevan State Medical Univirsity in 2008, Rahul returned to India.
In 2015, Rahul met Anna Avagyan in India and soon after they got married. After living in India for almost a year, the two moved to Armenia, where Anna is from. Now they both work at the Medical University in Yerevan. (Armine Avetisyan / OC Media)
In previous years, Indian nationals living in Armenia were almost exclusively students and often stayed only as long their studies demanded. But today, a liberalised visa regime, higher wages, and new business opportunities have led to a new wave of Indian immigration, whose participants want not to study, but to settle.
In November 2017, the Armenian government liberalised the visa regime for Indian citizens. Since then, there has been an influx of Indian nationals coming to Armenia.
The Armenian Migration Service reports that last year, 1,940 Indian nationals held Armenian residence permits. Of these, 1,100 were granted for studies, 784 for employment, and 54 for family reunions. In the first three months of 2019, over 9,000 Indian nationals came to Armenia — compared to only 4,226 in 2016.
But according to some, the Indian infatuation with the country came even earlier.
‘This all started when Indian students started to come to Armenia to study’, Sam Singh, a human rights activist who has lived in Armenia for the past year tells OC Media. ‘The cost of a university education here is cheaper in many fields as compared to India’.
Many Indian students come to eat at Indian restaurants in Yerevan. (Armine Avetisyan / OC Media)
Traditional Indian food ready to be delivered to customers. (Armine Avetisyan / OC Media)
According to him, when students first began to arrive they found few businesses that catered to them, such as hostels or Indian restaurants. Some decided to stay and open such businesses themselves. ‘[Less competition] and lower taxes lead more people from India to show their interest in this beautiful country’, Singh says.
It has been five years since Prangel Shah, 46, moved to Yerevan with his wife, Bipali Shah, 43. Prangel works as a diamond processing specialist at a factory in Nor Hachn, a small town near the outskirts of Yerevan.
‘When I first came here, many of the taxi drivers were trying to deceive us — they demanded more money’, Prangel tells OC Media.
He added that he also had problems when shopping, but over time, developed a method for getting around these obstacles.
‘If, for example, I wanted to buy something, I waited until an Armenian would ask the price and buy it. Then I did my shopping right after him so that the seller would not lie to me and say an expensive price’.
Prangel Shah’s wife, Bipali Shah, is a specialist in Mehndi, a form of body art using henna. She charges a minimum of ֏5,000 ($11.00) for her services. (Armine Avetisyan / OC Media)
Bipali Shah also teaches her craft and participates in exhibitions. She has both Armenian and Indian students. (Armine Avetisyan / OC Media)
Other Indians in Armenia have also report racist harassment — even assault.
‘I was standing in front of my restaurant when some people began to beat me with stones. I hadn’t done anything’, an Indian businessman who did not wish to be named told OC Media. ‘Sometimes, I’m told that my skin smells bad. To be honest, I cannot understand why they hate us’.
Nevertheless, if you stick it out and find a job, Prangel says, then it is ‘an ideal place to live’.
According to five employment agencies surveyed by OC Media, the number of Indian citizens seeking work in Armenia has been increasing, especially during the last half a year.
However, employers and workers are not always able to come to a common agreement due to the language barrier. As a result, many Indians in Armenia are stuck in low-wage physical labour and many choose to work with their compatriots to avoid the language barrier.
‘While I have Armenian workers, the majority of my workforce comes from India’, Vinay Bansal, an entrepreneur from New Delhi, tells OC Media.
By Vinay’s calculation, he will stay in Armenia for at least 20 more years. He sees great potential, especially in the field of tourism. He says it is easier to work with the new government. (Armine Avetisyan / OC Media)
Bansal has been doing business in Armenia for almost five years. He is the head of six companies and owns a hotel, a hostel, and a food court in Yerevan. He also imports Indian goods, which are sold in both Armenia and neighbouring Georgia.
‘Working in Armenia is profitable. That’s why I am here today’, Bansal says. ‘I have invested a lot of money; I also pay taxes punctually. I think I’m not a bad businessman for Armenia, though I also help my native people’.
Anjna Bansal, 48, is Vinay’s wife. She mainly takes care of the work in the restaurant kitchen. She says her only problem is not knowing Armenian; she is currently attending Armenian language classes. (Armine Avetisyan / OC Media)
Vinay’s son, 23-year-old Vaibhav Bansal is currently studying at the Yerevan State Medical University. He says that he likes Yerevan and does not plan to leave after graduating. (Armine Avetisyan / OC Media)
According to Bansal, Indians in Armenia receive a salary twice that of what they would get in India. For example, the chief cook in his hotel restaurant receives about $950 a month.
‘The amount that my chef receives as a pure profit, he would not receive in India’, Bansal says. ‘That’s why the Armenian labour market attracts many Indians. The salaries are high here’.
Kumar Gelash, 44, came to Armenia seven months ago with his culinary team. He works at the Bansals’ Restaurant as the chef. (Armine Avetisyan / OC Media)
Rajn Kumar, 28, says he gets a good salary in Armenia, around $600. (Armine Avetisyan / OC Media)
Nandram Seni, 27, works at the restaurant from 6:00 until 21:00-22:00, with only two rest days a month. But he does not complain about the job and says what’s important is that he receives a regular salary and gets paid on time. (Armine Avetisyan / OC Media)
But the increase of migration from India has also attracted a less savoury brand of business. Scammers and con-artists have deceived their victims with fraudulent job offers or, in some cases, have used Armenia as a dumping ground after promising to help their victims immigrate to Western countries.
Thirty-year-old Balu, who requested to only be referred to by his first name, came to Armenia six months ago. He tells OC Media that he did not know that he was going to Armenia.
‘I paid around $5,000 to move to the United States as a legal migrant. I was told that in the US I would be given a small apartment, a job, for which no strong language knowledge was needed, and that they would also help me to master the English language fluently in a short time’, Balu says.
He now works at a car wash in Yerevan. He is saving money so he can return home.
Sam Singh notes that immigration and visa consultants in India have started to market Armenia to Indians for work, education, and business investment opportunities. However, some have started to take advantage of the situation and make fake offers to the uninformed.
Last year, the Armenian Police investigated one case in which the owner of an Indian restaurant in Yerevan convinced several Indian nationals to relocate to Armenia with the promise of high wages.
However, upon their arrival in the country, he took their passports and forced them to work for little to no pay.
After Singh moved to Armenia and saw how people were trying to cheat each other for money, he created a Facebook group to help enlighten Indian immigrants. For example, he would write posts to help people understand how things work in Armenia, from registering a company to opening bank accounts. However, the name of the group became so well-known that many other people created groups with similar names to promote fake jobs.
According to Singh, many of the victims who were cheated out of their money have not returned to India.
‘Firstly, they hope that the consultant will give them their money back’, he says. ‘Secondly, they are ashamed to return empty-handed. They believe they will be a laughing-stock among their family and friends’.
Singh hopes that for all the difficulties that Indians face in Armenia, they will find a place in their new home.
‘I wish to share with the people of Armenia that Indians are all over the world’, Singh says. ‘We come with peace and are globally known for our achievements in terms of education, hard work, and strong cultural backgrounds. We are not here to compete, but to lend a hand.’
PanARMENIAN.Net – Arsenal midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan speaks Armenian in a new ad for Adidas.
“You want these boots? They no come with conditions,” the Armenia captain says in the video which also features English subtitles for those who do not understand Armenian.
“In these boots you must strike fear.
“The is the way I play the game, and these boots are for creators only.
“Take the deal.
“Dare to create.”
Watch video at
The 30th Summer Universiade has kicked off in Napoli. Gymnast Artur Avetisyan was the first of the Armenian athletes to start the competition, the National Olympic committee reported.
In the rings qualification round he scored 14,750 points and qualified for the final on the second position. The young athlete conceded with a slight difference to Turk Ibrahim Cholak (first place) who was a 2018 Universiade and 2018 European silver medalist.
Ponte tra Asia ed Europa, l’Armenia è ancora oggi un Paese immeritatamente poco conosciuto. Solo negli ultimi anni il turismo ha cominciato a considerare anche questa nazione, le cui vicende hanno molto da insegnarci: in particolare l’ostinazione a rimanere legati alle proprie radici, linguistiche e religiose, ritenute indispensabili a mantenere un’identità di popolo, sfuggendo al pericolo dell’assimilazione.
Giunge perciò a proposito, edita da Terra Santa e a cura di Alberto Elli, esperto di storia e lingue antiche, Armenia, una guida che vuole essere un aiuto a quanti decidono di compiere un viaggio sull’altopiano armeno, portandoli a comprendere un aspetto fondamentale di questa cultura: l’identità cristiana, coraggiosamente difesa in un ambiente in cui la pratica religiosa non è molto diffusa, soprattutto dopo la dominazione sovietica. Si sono pertanto volute privilegiare quelle informazioni che permettono al turista interessato di “capire” il popolo armeno e il suo patrimonio.
A una parte introduttiva contenente elementi fondamentali di storia (con la triste pagina del genocidio), di religione (la millenaria Chiesa armena e il monachesimo) e di cultura (arte, architettura e lingua), fa seguito la descrizione dettagliata di oltre quaranta siti scelti oculatamente tra le decine che la piccolissima Armenia offre.
Imbarazzato a mia volta a indicarne almeno uno per l’itinerario di turno, mi sono risolto a scegliere la fortezza di Garni (III-II secolo a. C.), situata a quasi 1400 metri di altitudine e a circa 28 chilometri dalla capitale Yerevan, all’estremità Sud-Occidentale del villaggio omonimo. Residenza estiva degli antichi re armeni munita di mura e di torri, conserva all’interno del suo perimetro resti di edifici civili e religiosi di enorme interesse architettonico e artistico: primo fra tutti il magnifico tempio in stile ionico-romano, simbolo dell’Armenia pre-cristiana e, assieme al vicino monastero di Geghard, una delle principali attrazioni turistiche del Paese.
Fu fatto costruire da re Trdat I (nome impronunciabile, che noi italiani abbiamo trasformato in Tiridate) dopo il 66 d.C., al suo ritorno da Roma dove aveva ricevuto la corona di sovrano d’Armenia direttamente dalle mani di Nerone. All’inizio del IV secolo, quando il cristianesimo divenne la religione di Stato degli armeni, esso sopravvisse alla distruzione degli altri templi pagani, forse perché trasformato in residenza estiva per la sorella di Tiridate III, Khosrovadukht (altro nome che inceppa la lingua). Unico edificio del mondo greco-romano oggi esistente più a Oriente, era ancora intatto quando nel 1679 un devastante terremoto lo ridusse ad un ammasso informe di rovine, malgrado la sua robustezza assicurata da grappe metalliche tra pietra e pietra. Nel XIX secolo, causa il rinnovato interesse per il sito, iniziarono i primi scavi archeologici e tra il 1969 e il 1975 lo storico dell’architettura Alexander Arami Sahinian pose mano alla sua ricostruzione integrale, riutilizzando fino all’80 per cento del materiale originale.
Il tempio si erge isolato sull’orlo di un promontorio triangolare che sovrasta il burrone del fiume Azat e le montagne di Gegham, la cui sola vista grandiosa merita il viaggio. È un periptero, circondato cioè da un portico colonnato di sei colonne sulle facciate corte e otto sulle lunghe. L’alto podio e la fronte dalla lunga scalea conferiscono maestosità all’edificio, interamente costruito in basalto grigio proveniente da cave locali (in grigio più chiaro le parti di restauro).
Ognuno dei ventiquattro capitelli è decorato in modo diverso; ricche decorazioni fregiano anche architravi, cornici e il soffitto del portico. Se il colonnato rispecchia l’ordine ionico-romano, la cella appare legata alle tradizioni architettoniche armene: invece di avere il tetto di legno, come tutti i templi greco-romani, presenta una volta a botte di pietra con un’apertura che, insieme all’ampio ingresso, fornisce luce all’ambiente. Sulla parete di fondo, all’interno di un tabernacolo con frontone, vi era la statua di culto: probabilmente Mihr, il dio del sole della mitologia armena, equivalente al Mithra iraniano.
Sulle origini e sulla funzione di questo singolare monumento, struttura aliena sul territorio armeno, non tutti gli studiosi sono d’accordo.
Secondo alcuni non era un vero tempio, ma la tomba dello stesso primo Tiridate o di un altro re armeno romanizzato: lo proverebbe la costruzione nel VII secolo, sul suo lato occidentale, della chiesa bizantina di Surb Sion, del tipo a pianta centrale con cupola, distrutta anch’essa dal sisma del 1679 (ne restano i ruderi). Non sarebbe stato più agevole e meno dispendioso trasformare il tempio pagano in cristiano, com’era successo in altri casi del genere? Se il monumento venne risparmiato, fu forse per rispettare quello che appariva un mausoleo funebre.
L’incertezza permane. Ad ogni modo il grande piazzale davanti al tempio (continuiamo a chiamarlo così) è oggi utilizzato per concerti e altre manifestazioni: come quelle che, a marzo e a luglio, vedono affluire in questo sito, considerato il loro santuario, i cosiddetti hetani o arordi (figli di Ari), ovvero i seguaci del neopaganesimo armeno, dottrina antecedente gli inizi del XX secolo, ma istituzionalizzata solo dopo il collasso dell’Unione Sovietica.
Altre attrattive segnala la guida di Alberto Elli a Garni: «Scendendo nella gola del fiume Azat, ci si viene a trovare nella Riserva Statale di Khosrov. Sulle pareti perpendicolari del canyon è possibile ammirare una splendida formazione rocciosa: un impressionante insieme di regolari colonne di basalto, a sezione esagonale, simili a canne d’organo (donde il nome “Sinfonia delle pietre” con cui è nota), paragonabile a quelle della Giant’s Causeway, nell’Irlanda del Nord, e di Fingal’s Cave, in Scozia».
Questi spettacolari effetti dell’intensa attività vulcanica della zona in epoche remote si devono al raffreddamento della lava a contatto con l’aria o con l’acqua.
E ancora, stavolta meta di pellegrinaggi cristiani: «Posto in fondo a una profonda gola del fiume Azat, in un’area di grande bellezza naturale, nel comune di Geghard, l’omonimo monastero (più precisamente Geghardavank) è in assoluto uno dei luoghi più affascinanti dell’Armenia, giustamente famoso per la sua peculiarità architettonica, essendo in parte costruito e in parte scavato nella roccia della montagna adiacente. Splendido esempio di fondazione monastica medievale, dal 2000 fa parte della lista del Patrimonio dell’umanità dell’Unesco».
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is demanding ex-President Robert Kocharyan to pay 650,000 drams ($1350) in court costs after the parties reached a settlement in a defamation suit.
Kocharyan had sued Pashinyan for a 2018 statement claiming that the PM publicly defamed him. However the former president dropped the suit after Pashinyan said the statement didn’t personally target him. The parties were not personally in court today on June 13th.
“I believe in order for such ungrounded suits to be prevented in the future against my client, indeed we will be coherent in order for this issue to be solved and those who will file an ungrounded suit against my client will have to pay for it,” Gyozalyan said.
However, Kocharyan’s lawyer Hayk Alumyan said the amount is “unreasonable”, and even claimed that factually court proceedings didn’t even take place, referring to the brief duration.
The court will deliver a ruling over the matter on June 24th.
Armenian American Museum design team members
GLENDALE—The Armenian American Museum has announced the selection of design consultants who will be preparing the project for groundbreaking in 2020. The project design team will be led by Alajajian Marcoosi Architects and team members will include Robert P. Goodwin Consulting, IMEG Corp, Rhyton Engineering, Glumac, Courtland Studio LLC, and Applied Earth Sciences.
“We are proud to be working with a team of highly skilled, experienced, and reputable professionals who have pride and passion for the Armenian American Museum project,” stated architect Aram Alajajian of internationally acclaimed Alajajian Marcoosi Architects.
The Armenian American Museum is currently in the pre-construction phase of the project with plans to begin construction in 2020. The City of Glendale has dedicated a premier downtown location for the cultural and educational center with a $1-per-year ground lease agreement. During the pre-construction phase, the design team will be preparing detailed construction plans for submission to the City of Glendale.
Robert Goodwin of Robert P. Goodwin Consulting will be serving as the Construction Manager for the project. Goodwin brings years of construction management experience to the museum, most recently serving as the Construction Manager and Owner’s Representative for The Broad in Los Angeles.
IMEG Corp. will be serving as the Structural Engineer for the project. IMEG is one of the nation’s largest design consulting firms with nearly 1,200 team members across 40 offices providing forward-thinking infrastructure design and engineering. The Pasadena-based team will be led by Principle Edwin Najarian.
Rhyton Engineering will be serving as the Civil Engineer for the project. Rhyton is a reputable firm providing civil engineering and design services to architects and developers. The firm’s major partners and projects include the Staples Center, Kaiser Permanente, USC, and CSUN.
Glumac will be serving as the Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Engineer for the project. Glumac specializes in sustainable building technologies and creating systems that optimize energy efficiencies and minimize environmental impact.
Armenian American Museum construction manager Robert P. Goodwin with design team members
Courtland Studio LLC will be serving as the Landscape Architect for the project. Paul Lewis and his team of landscape architects bring over 20 years of experience specializing in landscape design, landscape architecture, and site planning.
Applied Earth Sciences will be serving as the Geotechnical Engineer for the project. AES is a leading firm in the engineering geologic and environmental services industry. The Los Angeles-based team will be led by Founder/President Caro Minas and General Manager/Engineering Geologist Shant Minas.
The design team will also be working with a number of advisors including Perry Maljian of Wood Corp, a global leader in project delivery, engineering and technical services.
Alajajian Marcoosi Architects worked with the museum’s Construction Committee to interview, evaluate, and recommend consultants for each of the disciplines to the Board of Trustees. The Construction Committee consists of experienced industry professionals who are providing their expertise and guidance as the project heads for construction.
“We are excited to begin the next phase of the project and look forward to working with the design team to prepare the project for the historic groundbreaking,” stated Construction Committee Chairman Paul Karapetian.
The museum will be announcing additional design team members in the coming weeks.
About the Armenian American Museum
The Armenian American Museum and Cultural Center of California is a developing project in Glendale, CA with a mission to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Armenian American experience. The Museum will serve as a cultural campus that enriches the community, educates the public on the Armenian American story, and empowers individuals to embrace cultural diversity and speak out against prejudice.
The governance of the Museum is entrusted to ten Armenian American cultural, philanthropic, and religious non-profit institutions including the Armenian Catholic Eparchy, Armenian Cultural Foundation, Armenian Evangelical Union of North America, Armenian General Benevolent Union Western District, Armenian Missionary Association of America, Armenian Relief Society Western USA, Nor Or Charitable Foundation, Nor Serount Cultural Association, Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, and Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church.