ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia October 7, 2017 Saturday Bako Sahakyan: Sooner or later Independence of Nagorno Karabakh will be recognized-it is just a matter of time Yerevan October 7 Tatevik Shahunyan. The independence of Nagorno-Karabakh will sooner or later be recognized - it's only a matter of time. This was stated in the interview to the newspaper "Noah's Ark" by the President of Nagorno-Karabakh Bako Sahakyan. Assessing the mediation efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group, Sahakyan noted that she is carrying out a large, very important work on the settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict, maintaining peace and stability in the region. "Stepanakert highly appreciates the role and long-term work of the co-chair countries in this whole process," he said. Speaking about the possibility of Artsakh's return to the negotiating table, he noted that it does not depend only on Stepanakert's desire. "We have always advocated the restoration of a full negotiating format. But it was violated because of the destructive policy of official Baku. Moreover, there was a very specific situation. The format of the negotiations, where the Republic of Artsakh, along with Azerbaijan and Armenia, is recognized as a full-fledged party to the conflict, was determined through consensus at the 1994 Budapest Summit of the OSCE. The format change should also be approved at the OSCE summit again on the basis of a consensus decision. It was not. Thus, the destructive behavior of Azerbaijan rudely violates the political and legal basis of the negotiation process. Violates it and moral and ethical standards. The fate of Artsakh cannot be solved without his participation, "Saakyan said, while stressing that holding negotiations even in a distorted format is better than stopping them altogether. Nevertheless, the NKR leader emphasized, the restoration of the negotiation format is uncontested and is only a matter of time. He also stressed that one of the key components of the settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict is the maintenance of peace and stability in the region. "However, official Baku constantly violates the ceasefire, resorts to sabotage, subversive and terrorist actions. All this, of course, is stopped by the Army of Defense of the Artsakh Republic, but, unfortunately, it does not do without losses. Responsible for this is Azerbaijan, which by its actions causes serious damage to the negotiation process and the efforts of intermediaries, threatens the stability in our region. Even the numerous human losses on the part of Azerbaijan itself do not hamper the aggressive policy pursued by Baku, "Sahakyan said, stressing that the international community, through the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, must continue taking appropriate steps in this direction.
Author: Jhanna Virabian
Armenian-Bulgarians Celebrate the Liberation of Bansko with a Monument
EU SCOOP
Oct 5 2017
Sofia, Bulgaria –
A monument was built in the town of Bansko to commemorate the liberation of the town from Ottoman rule on October 5, 1912. The town is celebrating the 105th anniversary of its freedom.
The site was created with the help of the Armenian community of Bulgaria. It’s called “Hachkar”, which means “Stone Cross” in Armenian. The memorial has the following quote from the famous Bulgarian poet and freedom fighter Peyo Yavorov: “Brothers, throw down your fezes. From today, you are free Bulgarians.”
The people of Armenia and Bulgaria are both Orthodox Christians and both suffered during the Ottoman rule. Dubbed “The Turkish Slavery,” Ottoman subjugation cost the lives of countless Orthodox Christians, including 1.5 million Armenians during the genocide of 1915 to 1917 and 15,000 to 30,000 Bulgarians during the month of the April Uprising.
Bulgaria has a sizable Armenian population that financed multiple similar memorials, many of which include quotes from Yavorov, who was a strong supporter both of the Bulgarian Armenians and the liberation of their country from Ottoman rule.
(Picture From )
Delegation of US congressmen to discuss strengthening Armenia`s energy independence from Russia in Yerevan
ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia Saturday Delegation of US congressmen to discuss strengthening Armenia`s energy independence from Russia in Yerevan Yerevan September 16 David Stepanyan. Delegation of US congressmen to discuss strengthening Armenia`s energy independence from Russia in Yerevan According to Voice of America, the delegation will arrive in Armenia on Sunday at the initiative of the congressman with the Armenian roots Jackie Spir Kanchelian. As part of the delegation, congressmen Frank Pallone, Anna Eshu, David Valando, on whose initiative Congress recently allocated money for the demining of Karabakh, Tulsi Gubard and Jim Sensenbiener. "This is probably the largest delegation of the Congress that visited Armenia, first of all we want to strengthen our friendship, help Armenia to shake off the corrupt manifestations left over from Soviet times, create new opportunities to support democracy in Armenia." Those of us who have Armenian roots , it is very important to visit the homeland, get acquainted with the historical homeland, feel it, "the congressmen note. US congressmen intend to discuss with Armenia the strengthening of energy independence, because now Armenia in the energy sense completely depends on Russia, which, according to the Congressmen, is trying to restore the Soviet Union. "I would like Armenia to receive more assistance, since we regard Armenia as our partner in the region, which is under the aggressive influence of Moscow, "- said the congressman Kanchelian. "I am sure that Armenia does not want to return to the Soviet Union, especially taking into account its technological potential of the Armenians, we want to strengthen our relations with Armenia so that it no longer feels threats to its sovereignty." Many Armenians, who have reached high heights in the US, want to restore ties with Armenia, and the congressmen will discuss these issues in Yerevan, "the congressman summed up.
Religion: Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross to be celebrated in Armenia on Sunday
Panorama, Armenia
Sept 16 2017
The Saturday preceding the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is the eve of the feast. That day, as well as the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday following the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross are the feasts of the Holy Church.
The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is the last one of the five major feasts of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It is the most important feast among the ones dedicated to the Holy Cross as it is dedicated to the history of the return of the Holy Cross from imprisonment, its elevation and glorification, Qahana.am reports.
The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on Sunday during the period between September 11-17. This year that date is September 17, and the Monday following the Feast is a Memorial Day, when a divine liturgy and a requiem service are offered in Armenian churches.
In 610 A. D, the Persian King Khosrov with a large army attacks the Byzantine Empire. Enthusiastic about the initial victory, in 614 A. D. the Persian army enters Jerusalem. Many people are killed and many are imprisoned. Pontiff Zakaria, the Patriarch of Jerusalem is imprisoned, too. However, the Persians are not satisfied and enter the Church of Holy Sepulcher and take the Holy Cross kept in the Church. The Holy Cross had been found and installed in the Church for the Christians to worship by Heghineh, the mother of the King Costandianos, in the beginning of the 4th century.
In 628 A. D., the Byzantine army led by the King Herakles fight against the Persians to return the Holy Cross. The Armenian army regiment, led by Mzhezh Gnounie, supported the Persian army. With the Lord’s help the Byzantine army wins the battle.
The Holy Cross is solemnly brought to the Armenian town Karin, from where it is carried to Constantinople, and then – to Jerusalem. On the way, the Holy Cross was raised for the people to see and worship.
For Christians the Cross is God’s power and strength and pride of all prides, on which Christ’s innocent blood was shed. By means of the Cross Jesus proved His love towards mankind, and the Cross became for us the symbol of hope, love and saving.
Azerbaijani Press: Baku says Armenian FM’s call to visit Azerbaijan’s occupied lands is crime
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Sept 14 2017
17:02 (UTC+04:00)
237
By Rashid Shirinov
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian in his last statement has called on foreigners to violate international law and Azerbaijani laws, urging for illegal visits to Azerbaijan’s occupied territories, which in itself is a crime, said Hikmat Hajiyev.
“Armenia encourages foreigners, particularly politicians, to illegally visit the occupied Azerbaijani territories in exchange for funding, as well as by blackmail or fraud, and then turns them into tools of political propaganda,” the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s Spokesman said.
Unauthorized visits to Nagorno-Karabakh and other regions of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia are considered illegal, and any individuals paying such visits are included in the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s list of undesirable persons. Baku continues the work to prevent such illegal actions, and the foreign citizens should keep their eyes peeled in order not to be deceived by Armenian occupiers.
The recent story with arrest of blogger Alexander Lapshin due to his illegal visits to Azerbaijan’s lands occupied by Armenia has shown what non-compliance with the Azerbaijani laws may lead to. However, still Armenian authorities encourage foreigners to visit the occupied Azerbaijani lands, by breaching the international law.
Hajiyev noted that Azerbaijan informs the international community about the illegality and legal consequences of such visits, using the list of undesirable persons, preparing a report on illegal economic and other activities of Armenia in the occupied territories and other similar actions, including those related to the case of Alexander Lapshin, allowed exposing the policy pursued by Armenia to organize illegal visits to the occupied territories.
“As a result, the number of such visits has declined significantly,” Hajiyev said.
He added that many people, who were deceived and became victims of Armenia’s illegal actions, then appealed to the Azerbaijani side, apologizing for their actions, and requested removal of their names from the list.
The spokesman said that many world countries call to avoid illegal visits to the occupied Azerbaijani territories on the websites of their foreign ministries, and warn about the legal liability of such visits.
“Now, to justify itself, the Armenian side is trying to organize single visits of persons of Armenian origin from abroad and people directly connected with the Armenian lobby,” Hajiyev added.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Vintage Armenian Postcards On Display At USC Library
A postcard from the Orlando Carlo Calumeno Collection & Archives
LOS ANGELES—The USC Institute Of Armenian Studies presents a one-of-a-kind installation of extremely rare postcards from Anatolia, displayed alongside scenes from many of the same locations captured a century later.
“Undeliverable: Postcards and Photos of Lives Interrupted,” which opened on August 28 and will run through December 18 in USC’s Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library, revolves around 160 original printed sepia tones, some of which have never been exhibited before, hand-picked from the world’s largest collection of Ottoman postcards. Illustrating the everyday lives of Armenians in cities, towns and villages, these pictorial souvenirs would be banal had their subjects not been exterminated by near-total genocide.
From the Orlando Carlo Calumeno Collection & Archives
Collected over 32 years by Istanbul-based businessman Orlando Carlo Calumeno, the 80,000 unique postcards, all printed between 1895 and 1921, belong to a larger collection of books, furnishings and printed ephemera documenting quotidian life in multicultural, multilingual, turn-of-the century Anatolia.
“The postcards are especially interesting artifacts to work with,” says exhibition co-curator Narineh Mirzaeian, a Los Angeles-based designer and architect. “They’re pre-genocide, but they foreshadow what is about to happen. Or they don’t foreshadow it, which feels even more stark.”
As a counterpoint to the vintage postcards, the installation features Brazilian photographer Norair Chahinian’s visual explorations into his own Armenian roots. Drawn from two books of his photography, Armenia (2008) and The Power of Emptiness (2012), they include images captured using an antique camera owned by Chahinian’s grandfather, an Anatolian refugee who operated a photo studio in Aleppo, Syria, before joining the Armenian diaspora in São Paulo.
Photography and photographic printing, notes the collector, Calumeno, were almost exclusively Armenian trades in Ottoman Turkey. Religious prohibitions against making graven images prevented Muslims from entering the profession until 1910, and it fell to Christians, particularly Armenians, to fill the vacuum.
Postcards, he says, “were what the Internet is today”—an easy, low-cost way to preserve a travel memory or to keep in touch with loved ones. “In those days, people received hundreds of postcards from friends everywhere,” Calumeno says. “Most were thrown away.”
Some postcards included in the “Undeliverable” installation depict world heritage sites along the Silk Road. Others document ordinary village life and mundane urban structures—a new factory wing, school building or orphanage. Missionaries used these to support fund-raising efforts.
Calumeno, who is Armenian on his mother’s side and Levantine-Italian on his father’s side, focuses his postcard collecting on Anatolia’s diverse minority communities: Assyrians, Jews, Greeks, Kurds and especially Armenians. “The greatness of Anatolia was that melting pot,” he says. “Now it has become a mono-cultural, mono-lingual environment.”
Orlando Carlo Calumeno Collection & Archives
His favorite card—the first he ever purchased, at age 16—depicts Istanbul’s Hippodrome Square near Hagia Sophia, the cathedral-turned-mosque and a major tourist attraction. Curiously, on the back side, the sender had jotted down a home remedy for nursing mothers to prevent cracked nipples. The card is addressed, in swirling Armenian cursive, to the woman’s sister in Bursa.
“These postcards are very important,” says Calumeno. “Each one is a gateway to connect with the past—a glorious past where everybody called each other ‘my brother, my sister.’ You see these naïve people, not knowing what is going to happen in the future. In these images, they live happily forever.”
“Undeliverable” is presented on two floors, in multiple parts, spanning the Doheny Library’s Treasure Room, Rotunda and Arts Corridor.
Working closely with USC Institute of Armenian Studies director Salpi Ghazarian, 160 vintage postcards are displayed in vitrines on the ground level, alongside documentary-style black-and-white images taken by Chahinian in recent years.
But in the Treasure Room, the curator has taken an unconventional approach. Focusing on 10 of the most intriguing postcards, she has scanned, enlarged and optically separated the images, creating layered, three-dimensional dioramas. Standing at eye-level on tripods, each diorama box invites visitors to peer into a lost world through a time-bending tower viewer. On the surrounding walls and ceiling, Mirzaeian has splashed full-scale murals of Chahinian’s bleak architectural photography illustrating modern Anatolia’s abandoned spaces, including a dilapidated Armenian church dome looming overhead.
The installation design invites visitors to navigate the curated scenes at two scales, says Ghazarian—zooming in to study nuances of daily life brought to life in the postcard dioramas, and zooming back out to see the blight left in the wake of genocide.
“It’s this surreal emotional landscape where alienation meets nostalgia, what-if encounters why, and despair yields to an irrepressible urge to reconstruct and build upon the erased past,” she adds.
Genocide exhibitions typically focus on victims, notes Mirzaeian. This installation focuses on places.
“It’s a different approach to what was lost, and what has remained,” she says. “It goes beyond victimhood—all these feelings we slip into that are unproductive. It’s more about re-inhabiting these spaces through the persistent architectural details. Those imaginative realities are interesting because they beg a lot of productive questions. Anytime you can do that, it’s good.”
“We’re very pleased to be able to present this immersive installation, in a timeless, three-dimensional space, here in the Library. This is especially important because the library’s long hours (open ‘til 10 pm weeknights, ‘til 8 pm Fridays and Sundays, and 5 pm Saturdays) will make it easy for anyone who wants to spend time in this lost world to attend. Admission, of course, is free,” said Ghazarian.
Every child is entitled to quality inclusive education: Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s UNICEF message
Armenpress News Agency , Armenia September 1, 2017 Friday Every child is entitled to quality inclusive education: Henrikh Mkhitaryan's UNICEF message YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the midfielder of Manchester United, who is also a goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF, made an online address on the occasion of the new academic year, September 1, calling on the society to welcome children with disabilities in educational institutions and communities, emphasizing the significance of inclusive education for vulnerable children. The video shows Mkhitaryan’s June meeting with a group of children, who tell the football superstar about their education, dreams and problems. “Every child regardless of his or her abilities has the right for quality inclusive education”, Mkhitaryan says in the video. “It is the abilities of the child, and not the inability, that decide what achievements the child can have in life”. UNICEF Armenia representative Tanja Radocaj mentioned that Armenia has reached remarkable results in expanding inclusive education. Nevertheless, there are still many things to be done in increasing the training of schools, parents and communities in this regard. “In UNICEF, we know that children with disabilities can do wonderful things, is they are given a chance. Like anyone else, they too have the same right to education”, she said. As of 2017, there are 208 inclusive schools in Armenia, and this number is gradually growing.
Hollywood honors French singing legend Charles Aznavour
Agence France Presse August 24, 2017 Thursday 8:59 PM GMT Hollywood honors French singing legend Charles Aznavour Los Angeles, Aug 24 2017 French icon Charles Aznavour, one of the 20th century's most prolific entertainers who continues to write and perform at 93, was honored Thursday with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. With a career spanning eight decades, the crooner has recorded 1,400 songs -- 1,300 of which he wrote -- and produced over 390 albums in multiple languages. The star, who is also credited in more than 60 movies, defied detractors who pointed to his unconventional looks to become one of France's most iconic singers, dubbed the country's Frank Sinatra. "Sinatra once said every song is a one-act play with one character, and Charles is an extraordinary actor as well as an extraordinary singer," film director Peter Bogdanovich, a friend of the star, said at the unveiling ceremony. Aznavour delivered a brief message thanking well-wishers, explaining that he rarely speaks publicly in English as he doesn't feel his command of the language is good enough. "French is my working language but my family language is always Armenian," he said, in front of hundreds of fans from both countries, as well as supporters from across the world gathered outside the historic Pantages Theater. "After today, after that star there, I can be somebody that can say I'm also now a little bit Californian because I have my daughter here and my grandchildren." Bogdanovich -- whose movies include "What's Up, Doc" and "The Last Picture Show" -- went through some of Aznavour's most popular hits, including "She," which he described as the greatest ever song about women, and paid tribute to Aznavour's energy and dedication. "That he does what he does at 93 is an inspiration to all of us. He doesn't lack anything. He's the best," he added. - 'An actor who sings' - Born Shahnour Varinag Aznavourian in Paris to Armenian immigrants on May 22, 1924, Aznavour has sold more than 100 million records. Aznavour's parents fled the Turkish-ruled Ottoman empire to escape the massacres being committed against their compatriots and landed in Paris, where they were waiting for a visa to head to the United States. When the visa never materialized they ended up making their home in France, producing shows which Aznavour and his sister would take part in from a very young age. He said in a recent interview with BBC radio he always saw himself "more as an actor who sings than a singer who acts." Aznavour left school early -- and said he was always uncomfortable about his lack of higher education -- but after World War II he teamed up with fellow French icon Edith Piaf, who took him to America and a solo career. As her manager and songwriter, Aznavour lived with Piaf for eight years, once remarking he saw many of her lovers come and go but he was not one of them as "she was not my type." Either way, Piaf's endless badgering for Aznavour to get a nose job eventually paid off. "As for criticism, I have heard it all: They said I was ugly, short, that the ill should not be allowed to sing," he once told AFP in an interview. "I had an exemplary career I never could have dreamed of."
Voskan Yerevantsi: The epic first printing the Armenian Bible
Aravot, Armenia
Aug 23 2017
Thousands of Armenian manuscripts were written prior to the 15th century, when Gutenberg’s invention of the printing-press provided a technological breakthrough for the future progress of mankind. Armenians at that time were not free, but they were able to harness the new technology to print books thousands of miles away in Europe. In 1512, Hakob Meghabard set up the first Armenian press in Venice. Half a century later, Abgar Dbir, who came to Rome to seek support for the liberation of his homeland, developed the notion of “book – homeland” – a national identity sustained through print. Printing became a means of Armenian national rejuvenation.
The film, Voskan Yerevantsi, is about this epic struggle to produce Armenian books in the 16th-17th centuries. The central character of the film is Voskan Yerevantsi, who became the first Armenian publisher of the Bible. He set on his mission at Saint Sarkis Monastery of Ushi in Aragats (in present-day Armenia) and ended up in Rome, Amsterdam and Marseilles.
One of the results of these endeveavours was the spread of Armenian presses into Ottoman Turkey and Persia, predating those of Turks and Persians.
The printing of the Bible in Armenian, between 1666 and 1668, raised the standing of Armenians to that of other powerful nations in the world. A magnificent illustrated copy of the book was sent as a gift to the Sun King, Louis XIV of France.
Culture: A Generational Question: ‘If You Don’t Speak Armenian, Are You Really Armenian?’
The Armenian Weekly
Aug 17 2017
“If you don’t speak Armenian, are you really Armenian?”
On our walk to the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) offices under the warm D.C. sun, my peers were debating this question loudly. Passionate exclamations ensued, involving the assertion that losing one’s ability to speak Armenian was equivalent to assimilating altogether: ignorant and morally reprehensible.
I walked along quietly, pondering the various assertions of my peers. I appreciated where these arguments came from. Part of me agreed, part of me felt ashamed, and part of me began to question the validity of my “Armenian-ness.” Little did I know this was the same question my grandmother, as well as many other members of my family, have faced over the years.
I am fifth generation Armenian-American on my mother’s side, and third-generation on my father’s. My ancestors in the U.S. all managed to find marriageable Armenians. And so I am considered by some to be “100% Armenian,” or “full Armenian.” That is, before they learn that my knowledge of the Armenian language is at an introductory level at best.
My maternal grandmother, Marilyn Arshagouni, was born in 1935 to one of the earliest Armenian families to settle in Los Angeles—a shocking fact, given that the current Armenian population there is almost half a million. In childhood, she didn’t know many other Armenian families, and the language, though spoken by her father’s family, was not spoken in her home. Despite her lack of knowledge of Armenian, she was smart and hardworking, becoming the first junior at UCLA to be elected to the Phi Beta Kappa honors society and later graduating with highest honors and a BA in English. The English language was her first love, and she went on to study English at graduate school.
Mrs. Marilyn Arshagouni with her granddaughters, Ani and Marie.
When my grandmother married my grandfather in 1956, he began bringing her closer to Armenian culture. He was born and raised in the Armenian Diaspora, in Greece, and so he was a native speaker and had a strong sense of community. Once my grandmother met Richard Hovannisian, a graduate student of Armenian history at UCLA, she furthered her great, though untraditional, contributions to the Armenian community. She helped edit his dissertation, which would become the classic Armenia on the Road to Independence. She then went on to edit the first volumes of his four-volume History of the Republic of Armenia.
For over 25 years my grandmother taught English and history at the Holy Martyrs Ferrahian Armenian High School in Encino, Calif. And she and my grandfather were on the Armenian Monument Council that established the first Armenian Genocide monument on public land in California.
Given her great influence on the Armenian community, I was stunned when I learned of the accusations that she bore the brunt of as an Armenian born in the U.S. It is an accusation that both of my parents have heard countless times. It is one to which I am just now being exposed.
My ancestors have lived in the U.S. for over 100 years. Despite this, my love of Armenian culture is strong, and my yearning to give back to my community even stronger. Ours is an important history and an important story. Each of our experiences is different. Some of us grew up in the midst of an Armenian-speaking community. Others, like my grandmother and me, grew up surrounded at home by an incredible library of Armenian books and culture and friends.
Although my grandmother was never fluent in Armenian as a child, her immersion into the community led her to pick up a considerable amount of the language. It was the same with my mother. I expect that it will be the same for me. I still plan to study Armenian in college. But, as I do so, I will remember that our goal as a Diaspora should be inclusiveness, as a nod to our shared, bitter, and rocky history. It is counterproductive to shun those who have not had the privilege of a strong cultural or linguistic upbringing. As Yeghishe Charents, the famous Armenian writer and poet, wrote, “Oh, Armenian people, your only salvation lies in the power of your unity.”
And so, I disagree with the assertion that one must speak Armenian to truly be Armenian. If that were the case, my grandmother would be an outcast in our greater community, despite her countless contributions. As members of a diaspora, exposure to the Armenian language isn’t all that unites us.
It is our love of community, our blood, our shared history and future, and our determination to help in any way we can. I am beginning to learn that. Although I will continue to face questions from my peers about the validity of my Armenian identity, I embrace my ethnicity wholeheartedly. And as my grandmother did, I will continue to do my part, not only as an Armenian but also as an Armenian in America.