Author: Kajoyan Gevork

Letteratu.it, Italia
21 ott 2013

Avetik Isahakyan, l’orgoglio e la voce del popolo armeno nel panorama
letterario mondiale.

[Avetik Isahakyan, the pride and voice of the Armenian people in the
world literary scene]

Se oggi nel mondo il BRICS (Brasile, Russia, India, Cina,Sud Africa)
domina la scena economica mondiale, il vecchio Continente può vantare
il glorioso primato di essere ancora il luogo in cui è nata la
civiltà umana. La storia ha lasciato in molti casi una pesante eredità
che mai scalfirà del tutto tensioni diplomatiche e rancori
sociopolitici. E’ il caso dell’Eurasia, di quel vasto territorio che è
ancora oggi luogo di frontiera tra Occidente ed Oriente. Sormontato
dalla catena montuosa del Caucaso ed incorniciato dal Mar Caspio, in
questo lembo di terra martoriato dalle lotte degli uomini e dalle
afflizioni della natura, vibrante di cultura e vita, è nata
l’Armenia. Fonti storiche scientificamente comprovate fissano le
origini della civiltà armena in un periodo che parte dal 9000 A.C.
dopo la scoperta di alcune tombe che denotano la presenza di una
comunità estremamente organizzata. Il territorio armeno è stato
palcoscenico di guerre intestine,che hanno visto combattere tra gli
altri Gengis Khan, il grande emiro Tamerlano e Maometto II ma ha
conosciuto anche i fasti di regni mitici ed aurei. Nel 301 l’Armenia,
che si estendeva dal Mar Nero al Mar Caspio sino alle coste del Mar
Egeo, diventa il primo Regno cristiano del Mondo. Anticipò in tal
senso il popolo romano che decreterà in meno di un secolo il suo
scisma dalla Chiesa Cattolica Romana con il Concilio di Calcedonia.
Siamo nel 451.

Da allora la storia dell’Armenia è anche la storia della Chiesa
Apostolica Armena che farà per sempre i conti con i fratelli della
vicina Europa e degli imperi asiatici sino a riempire tra il XIX e XX
secolo le pagine più fosche della Storia. Furono gli ottomani i primi
a riconoscere l’enorme potenzialità e ricchezza del popolo armeno che,
vittima della sua stessa religione, fu perseguitato senza sosta sino
ad essere il primo popolo al Mondo oggetto di una operazione di
pulizia etnica; sono gli anni dal 1915 al 1923.

Prima ancora di questo terribile e mai dimenticato massacro, la Russia
si spartì con i Turchi gran parte del territorio armeno ormai
strozzato tra Turchia a sud, Russia a nord e ad est, dividendo la
popolazione in armeni ottomani ed armeni russi.

Questi eventi, sinteticamente riportati, rappresentano il background
storico-culturale dello scrittore, poeta, saggista Avetik Sahak
Isahakyan ancora oggi considerato l’emblema della storia contemporanea
Armena. Conosciuto e studiato in Russia ed in Azerbaijan (paese che
oggi è in perenne crisi diplomatica con la Repubblica Armena),
Isahakyan vede i natali ad Alessandropoli (oggi Giumri) nel mese di
Ottobre del 1875. Come membro di una famiglia colta e borghese compì i
suoi studi classici in Germania, a Lipsia, dove iniziò adolescente ad
interessarsi di politica.

Rientrato in patria nel 1895 a soli 20 anni entrò a far parte della
neo costituita Federazione Rivoluzionaria Armena. Le esperienze di
quegli anni ricordano per similitudine l’umana vicenda di Silvio
Pellico. Come lo scrittore italiano, fu anche lui imprigionato per
lunghi mesi perché fedele ai moti contro gli invasori, nel suo caso
gli ottomani. Al termine di questa esperienza scrisse pagine di grande
impegno civile di puro lirismo pubblicando nel 1897 la raccolta di
poesie `Canti e ferite’ che ebbe notevole eco tra la popolazione ed
ancora oggi rigano di lacrime il volto di chi le legge. Gran parte
della sua produzione letteraria ,che vanta anche la traduzione di
importanti opere della cultura letteraria italiana come la Cantica
del Purgatorio di Dante, è costituita dalla malinconia e dallo
struggente amore per la propria patria,madre addolorata e contesa.

Ancora giovane, si recò nuovamente in Europa, in Svizzera, dove compì
gli studi di Letteratura e Filosofia. Il ritorno in patria nel 1902
inaugurò una fase di impegno politico e letterario intervallato da
arresti. Risale al 1906 l’uscita delle `Canzoni ai duchi’, una
raccolta di poesie che ancora oggi fa parte della tradizione classica
armena e due anni dopo fu arrestato con altri 158 intellettuali e
rinchiuso nelle prigioni di Tiblisi (nell’attuale Georgia). L’Armenia
occidentale in quegli anni era un governo autonomo sotto protettorato
turco e per questo la libertà di cui godeva era solo sulla carta. Con
altri intellettuali, quando poté lasciare il carcere, il nostro non
smise di raccontare e mettere in guardia il suo popolo dalla minaccia
di un piano persecutorio e vile che avrebbe portato ad una imminente
tragedia. Si recò a Berlino dove con un gruppo di connazionali ed
intellettuali tedeschi fondò l’associazione Mesrop, dal nome del
sacrdote Mesrop Mashtots che ha la paternità dell’alfabeto armeno, da
lui inventato nel 400 D.C.. La prima guerra mondiale portò i suoi
lutti e svelò le orribili intenzioni dei Turchi che costrinsero ad
un esodo forzato fuori dalla loro patria circa 1 milione di armeni,
assassinandone con spietatezza almeno tre milioni. Isahakyan aveva
profetizzato il genocidio della sua gente e da allora la sua missione
è stata raccontare il dolore da una parte e l’eroica lotta per la
libertà dall’altra. `Sulla cima invecchiata dell’ Ararat è venuto il
secolo che è passato come un secondo ,le generazioni che ne hanno
visto la cima sono andate via,adesso tocca a te : per un istante
fermati e guarda la sua vecchia fronte, e vai…’ In questi versi,
tratti dal `Il mio cuore sopra le montagne’ del 1941 c’è l’elemento
patriottico della produzione di questo scrittore ed intellettuale
che continuamente mette in guardia la sua gente dalle promesse
politiche di vecchi e nuovi conquistatori. Negli anni `30 continuò i
suoi viaggi all’estero, toccando anche Venezia, in qualità di
ricercatore ed `amico’ dell’Unione Sovietica mai pago di raccontare
il genocidio del suo popolo.

Scrisse in quegli anni `Per l’Armenia’ e l’opera rimasta incompiuta
fino alla sua morte `Usta Karon’ (Caro maestro) di cui disse : ` Usta
Karon sarà completato quando sarà risolta la questione armena’.
L’afflato intellettuale e l’amore malinconico per un mondo disgregato
lo hanno reso un mito che ancora oggi è apprezzato dalle giovani
generazioni armene che sognano un giorno di vedersi restituito tra le
altre cose, quel mare che prima faceva parte del loro territorio. Ha
lasciato in eredità alla sua gente ma al mondo intero, una
testimonianza di dolore ed il monito ad imparare dagli errori della
storia.Paragonandola a `Alle Fronde dei Salici’ del nostro Salvatore
Quasimodo, la poesia `La mia patria’ contiene versi di grande pathos
ed amore patriottico. Vale la pena leggerla integralmente:

Hey, mia patria, come sei bella !
I monti persi nell’azzurro delle nuvole
le acque buone, i venti sottili,
Solo i figli nel mare di sangue.

Morirei sulla tua terra , patria preziosa
Ma e’ poco morire con una vita
Me beato se avessi mille e una vita
tutte mille sacrificherei con il cuore per te.

E con mille vite morirò per il tuo dolore
Morirei per i tuoi figli , per tuo amore
Ma lasciami una vita sola
Per lodarti e incantarti

Come allodola volerei su e giù
all’inizio di un nuovo giorno, patria cara
e canterò dolcemente , loderò il tuo dolce
sole verde , patria libera !

Negli ultimi anni della sua vita ricevette onorificenze e premi per il
suo impegno politico e le sue opere furono tradotte in molti
paesi,specialmente in Russia. Il 15 Ottobre del 1957 morì nella sua
Yerevan, la Capitale dello Stato Armeno.

Il suo ricordo è impresso oltre che in molte Piazze e Strade, sulle
banconote da 10 mila Dram, la moneta armena.

Si ringrazia per la cortese e preziosa consulenza storico-
linguistica la Dottoressa Armine Balayan, interprete e traduttrice
armena.

Per approfondimenti si veda anche

The FA, UK
Oct 26 2013

Eight in Armenia
.Saturday, 26 October, 2013

England U17s fire eight goals past Gibraltar including two stunners
from Armstrong
Gibraltar 0-8 England U17s
UEFA European U17 Championship
First Qualifying Round
3pm (local time), Saturday 26 October
FFA Academy
By Gary Stonehouse in Yeravan, Armenia

England U17s continued their 100% record in Armenia with a resounding
8-0 victory over Gibraltar.

On a day that Head Coach John Peacock had earlier described as
`momentous’, his side kicked-off The FA 150 celebrations in great
fashion in their first ever meeting against the Gibraltans.

As expected, England started on the front foot and dominated
possession, with Newcastle striker Adam Armstrong causing all sorts of
problems for the defence. On nine minutes he found himself on the left
side of the area and he smashed the outside of the upright.

Armstrong was in the thick of it, coming deep to collect the ball and
dragging the opposition defence all over the pitch. He turned and
struck a shot from 20 yards towards the top corner which the keeper
managed to palm away, and the upright was to thwart him again from a
similar position on the left.

The Young Lions thought they had finally broken the deadlock on the 15
minute mark, Josh Onomah setting off on a mazy run down the left
flank, jinking past three defenders to the byline before cutting the
ball back and finishing past the keeper, but a defender was on hand to
clear at the death on the line.

Gibraltar seemed happy to sit with 10 men deep inside their own half,
and their tactics looked to be working as time wore on, and they could
even have found themselves taking an unlikely lead.

Andrew Mernandez found himself in possession inside the centre-circle
and lofted a ball forward between Jonjoe Kenny and Tom Brewitt, and
striker George Wink raced onto it, holding off both defenders, and
headed towards the goal.

Ryan Huddart was quick off his line, and he did enough for Wink to
stop in his tracks, and the striker cut the ball back for the
onrushing Mernandez on the edge of the area, but the midfielder blazed
over from 18 yards.

That was to be the only let-off for England, and it was only going to
be a matter of time before their pressure told, even if they were
finding it hard to break through the banks of red shirts, and the
breakthrough arrived just before the half hour mark.

Once again Armstrong had dropped deep to pick up the ball, and perhaps
with the frustration of his earlier efforts built up inside him, he
slammed an unstoppable shot from 30 yards straight into the top
corner.

Five minutes later Armstrong was at it again, only this time he was 10
yards closer, curling the ball past the keeper with the inside of his
right foot.

The wind was well and truly out of Gibraltar’s sails as Dominic
Solanke cut through them and cut the ball back for Seyi Ojo to finish
on 35 minutes to give England a 3-0 lead at the half-time break.

The second-half was to be nothing more than an onslaught as the
English defence ran riot against a bewildered and tired defence.

Two minutes into the half Solanke got himself on the scoresheet before
Tom Brewitt stabbed home a fifth and substitute Issy Brown quickly
made in 6-0 on 53 minutes.

Brown then turned provider, playing a lofted ball through for fellow
sub Patrick Roberts to latch on to, and after calmly controlling it
with his chest he slotted it past the keeper with 18 minutes still to
play.

Not to be outdone by team-mate Armstrong’s double salvo earlier,
Dominic Solanke then sealed a brace for himself with six minutes
remaining to secure a 8-0 victory for the Young Lions.

They face Republic of Ireland in their final First Round qualifier at
the Republican Stadium on Tuesday.

Gibraltar: 1 Bradley Bandai, 3 Leon Payas, 5 Ethan Jolley (C), 6
Andrew Mernandez, 7 Leon Clinton, 9 George Wink, 10 Jayce Consigliero
(4 Leone Seatorv 53 mins), 15 Liam Thorne, 16 Kevagn Rongco, 17 Joseph
Enriles (2 Daniel Sanchez 63 mins), 18 Luke Buxton

Subs not used: 13 Aydem Vinales, 8 Keiron Gallardo, 11 Jules Origo, 12
Jayce Mascarenhas-Olivero, 14 Byron Espinose

Bookings: Luke Buxton (51 minutes)

Head Coach: Stephen Head

England: 13 Ryan Huddart, 12 Mandela Egbo, 2 Jonjoe Kenny (4 Ryan
Ledson 53 mins), 6 Tom Brewitt, 14 Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, 15
Callum Cooke (C), 18 Isaac Christie Davies, 10 Josh Onomah (7 Patrick
Roberts 53 mins), 17 Dominic Solanke, 11 Seyi Ojo, 16 Adam Armstrong
(9 Issy Brown 40 mins)

Subs not used: 1 Dean Henderson, 8 Jordan Rossiter, 3 Max Lowe, 5 Joseph Gomez

Goals: Adam Armstrong 29, 34, Seyi Ojo 35, Dominic Solanke 42, 74, Tom
Brewitt 48, Issy Brown 53, Patrick Roberts 72
Bookings: Jonjoe Kenny (22 mins)

Head Coach: John Peacock

Kuwait News Agency
Oct 26 2013

Austria aids Syrian refugees in Armenia
26/10/2013 | 05:04 PM | World News

VIENNA, Oct 26 (KUNA) — Austria declared on Saturday offering euro
600,000 to Armenian Syrian refugees who fled the violence at home to
Armenia.

Repercussions of the Syrian crisis have reached as far as Armenia,
where some 9,000 Syrians have taken up refuge, Austrian Foreign
Minister Michael Spindelegger said in a statement. Half of the Syrian
refugees in Austria are children suffering from malnutrition, he
added.

Armenian Government has asked Austria to help it secure housing, in
addition to other forms of aid, for the Syrian Armenian families that
fled their country, Spindelegger added.
Austria has so far aided the Syrian refugees with a total of euro 7.4 million.

Number of Armenians in Syria was estimated at 100,000 at start of the
crisis. (end)

Interfax, Russia
Oct 25 2013

Shuvalov: roadmap for Armenian entry into Customs Union to be
discussed in December

MINSK. Oct 25

A roadmap for the Armenian accession to the Customs Union and the
Common Economic Space shall be drawn up by the Moscow summit of the
Supreme Eurasian Economic Council due this December, Russian First
Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said.

“A concrete decision has been made with regard to Armenia: the working
party will get down to business and the roadmap and the first outcomes
will be presented to the next session of the Council in Moscow in
December,” Shuvalov told reporters on Friday, following the Minsk
summit of the Eurasian Economic Council.

He said Armenia pledged to endorse the normative legal acts required
for its entry into the Customs Union within several months.

“The Armenian president asked the presidents of Customs Union states
for an opportunity of the soonest possible ratification of these
agreements,” Shuvalov said. He added that Yerevan was prepared to join
the Union regulations without any exceptions or limitations.

Shuvalov did not rule out that Armenia might joint the integration
union in two steps, the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space.

Te cm

`Armenia is a small tool that was once used against the EU and the Ukraine.’

October 26 2013

Hovhannes Igityan about the role and place in Armenia in CU `Perhaps,
this question should be addressed to those Republican party MPs, who
once were saying how we can sign the agreement on establishment of a
Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, if we do not know what it is.
Now, it can be assumed that they do not know what they are saying, or
do not know at all what is going on even in the Customs Union,’ said
the former President on RA NA Foreign Affairs Hovhannes Igityan in the
interview with `Aravot’ in response to our question, yesterday,
regarding the draft decision signed in Minsk, according to which
Armenia will join the Customs Union and the Common Economic Area. To
the point, on this issue, Republican faction leader Galust Sahakyan
stated at the parliamentary briefing that he is not well informed as
to especially what provisions are there in this document, the
President will return and give them the information, at the same time
adding, `There is a road map that must be considered to ensure our
interests during the process of joining as well. With respect to the
Customs Union, we need to work properly to create favorable conditions
for us.’ Also, this, another expression of ignorance by Galust
Sahakyan, according to Hovhannes Igityan, shows that before going to
somewhere Serzh Sargsyan’s politically close team does not know what
he was going to sign there. `I guess it will always be so with the
Customs Union. Any representative, be it Serzh Sargsyan or lower, will
be going and a paper will be `put forward’, which they must sign. And
they will sign. I can not think of any government official that will
not sign the paper `put forward’ by Moscow,’ said Hovhannes Igityan,
adding that from now on after Serzh Sargsyan’s each step, the team
will begin to justify it. In fact, later, `Liberty’ radio station
announced that the document signed in Minsk pledged Armenia to refrain
from any statement or action contrary to the interests of the Customs
Union. Given Armenia’s desire to join the Customs Union and the legal
contractual base of the Common Economic Area and later to become a
full member of the Eurasian Economic Union, the parties reached a
number of mutual agreements. This document entitles Armenia to obtain
the documents adopted by the supreme body of the Eurasian Economic
Union, except for documents that contain confidential information.
Hovhannes Igityan also draws attention to the statements of Presidents
of the CU member states that follow each other in recent days,
according to which Armenia will have to go through the whole process,
and should not be easy to enter the Union. But interestingly that no
one knows what it means, because it’s not that the rest of the
countries have gone through some process. Igityan implies that the
matter refers to all documents adopted by the Eurasian Commission,
which Armenia must adopt unconditionally, with no exceptions. No less
significant are recent statements of the CU expansion, which,
according to Igityan, clearly shows that the expansion is political,
no one is talking about economic issues, and even it was loudly voiced
that they would show the world that the Eurasian Union is not the
former USSR, hence, they are talking about membership of Turkey and
India. `I do not know whether Turkey or India has applied. Is it good
or bad for Armenia? In general, it is very difficult to look at the
economically virtual organization from the prospective of economy,
where everyone is distinctly saying that it is political. It is not
clear what problem the body solves, and what Armenia’s role is over
there, in general, and why it is going. My point of view is that Putin
put pressure or a request (Putin’s request is already a pressure) on
Armenia not to go to Europe and to weaken the position of Ukraine in
terms of the European integration. I think this is the main target,
and it is apparent,’ opines Hovhannes Igityan. To the point, our
interlocutor has recently been in Ukraine and still believes that
there are quite interesting processes are going on there. `I think
that RF went beyond all bounds that, with regard to the
Euro-integration process, even the ones who consider themselves
pro-Russian forces are now united around President Yanukovych. I’ve
felt the process of joining in Ukraine, and if it continues, Ukraine
should be grateful to Putin that through pressures it contributed to
elimination of differences between the eastern and western parts and
to the process. The most important thing in all this is that merging
is going on not around the person but the values. The anti-government
forces state everywhere, post flyers that they support the President
Yanukovich in the process of European integration.’ Hovhannes Igityan
highlights the active processes directed to public awareness in
Ukraine, both in economic and political, and social aspects on the way
to joining the EU and CU, and they are generally held through open
debates. `RF’s pressure is felt, many producers appeared in bad shape
due to famous `roadway gate’ opening – closing Gennady Onishchenko,
who one day suddenly decides that the Ukrainian milk, chocolate or
charcoal are harmful, and so on. It is apparently seen, and the people
realize it very well that Soviet bureaucratic, official manner of work
will be functioning in the CU, which will bring no benefit to anyone,’
concludes Hovhannes Igityan. In this context, our interlocutor does
not feel the presence of the political or economic team, which will
constantly discuss and give advice to Serzh Sargsyan on what Armenia
should do even in the CU. The political team that was formed in the EU
negotiations, today, according to our interlocutor, is in hesitation
because of the responsibility placed on them to change the position
and introduce economic grounds regarding a body, which is absolutely
not economical. `In other words, the team has to be changed. This team
functioning by economic criteria has nothing to do in the CU
discussions. But, the chance that we had before September three, is no
more available. Armenia has lost the trust, but it is not that it
gained new confidence by the CU member countries. The tone and
formulations that the officials of countries who consider themselves
founders of the CU allow towards Armenia, is already clear that
Armenia will never have an equal partner there. Armenia is a small
tool that was once used against the EU and Ukraine. It is clear that
Armenia will be an element over there constantly disturbing under the
feet, especially when they talk that the interests of Azerbaijan
should be considered in Armenia’s joining process. They are talking
about Turkey. In this situation, Armenia has no future there.’
Recently, the European Parliament, in a resolution adopted regarding
Armenia, has addressed to the Karabakh issue, where there was a
reference to the four resolutions adopted by UN Security Council in
1993. Regardless of what they are talking that there have been
breaches of the voting process, that pro-Azerbaijani Italian MPs
forged the votes, and there should be reviewing, however, there is the
fact. To note that during these years Azerbaijan has always tried to
involve these decisions in the European resolutions, but it failed. In
response to our question whether it is a coincidence, Mr. Igityan said
that there are no random questions in the international diplomacy.
`This is not a casino, a roulette, it is a serious process in which
Armenia is leading the process of losing its trust and reputation for
a long time. The peak, of course, was the final step of Armenia, where
it showed that Armenia is not only a reliable partner, but also has
nothing to do with European values. Under these circumstances, the
`debate’ between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the international arena
proceeds not in favor of Armenia. So far, the entire counterbalance of
statements on oil, lobbying, the Muslim League had been Armenia’s
being a bit more democratic to Azerbaijan, direction to European
standards. If we become equal with Azerbaijan in democracy, then, of
course, all the rest advantages of Azerbaijan are becoming more
practical. And, it is not accidental that today Azerbaijan managed to
bring the UN resolutions into the European resolutions. To the point,
these resolutions are not so bad, but unfortunately, Azerbaijan
managed to present them as a non-pro-Armenian. In fact, with these
resolution, Armenia was to use its influence on Nagorno-Karabakh to
cease the war, which happened in 1994, and we can say that from that
moment these resolutions lost their actuality. Now, these resolutions
are presented in a different way, and Armenia’s diplomacy, today, is
probably very busy with CU issues and is unable to avert it.’

Nelly Grigoryan
Read more at:

The Spokesman Review, WA
Oct 27 2013

Oriental rug business remains staple among Spokane retailers
Michael Guilfoil Correspondent

A century ago, three Armenian brothers – Megar, Arott and Onnig
Kirishian – worked in their father’s cottage industry, weaving rugs
for export to Europe and America.

When World War I broke out, the new Ottoman government in Istanbul
grew suspicious of Armenians and launched a genocide in 1915.

The young Kirishian brothers fled to America, and in 1920 moved to
Spokane, where they began selling Persian, Chinese and Turkish rugs in
a shop on the corner of First Avenue and Howard Street.

Onnig’s son, Richard, took over the business four decades ago at age
19 when his father died, and continues the family tradition at Richard
Kirishian Imported Rug Co., 220 E. Second Ave.

He discussed the rug trade and offered advice for maintaining Oriental
rugs during a recent interview.

S-R: What brought your father and his two brothers to Spokane in 1920?

Kirishian: They wanted to hunt and fish, and get away from the uncles
they worked for in Portland.

S-R: How was business?

Kirishian: Really good the first 10 years, because of the area’s
mining wealth. They filled a lot of big homes with rugs. Then the
Depression hit and the store couldn’t support three families. So
Arott, the youngest brother, moved to Seattle and started his own
business. In 1950, my dad broke away from the other brother and
started O.S. Kirishian Rugs on the corner of Second and Wall.

S-R: What’s your earliest recollection of the family business?

Kirishian: I know my mother brought me down to the store when I was a
baby, and I would sleep until it was time to go home on the bus.
Later, I remember playing in the rug bins. I must have been about 10
when I started sweeping floors and washing the sidewalk, and
eventually cleaning and repairing rugs.

S-R: What lessons did your dad teach you?

Kirishian: One was that when you get a beautiful antique rug, sell it
first and fall in love with it later, because once you fall in love
with a rug, it’s difficult to part with at any price.

S-R: Did you always assume you’d take over the business some day?

Kirishian: Not at all. I was in college, studying marketing. Running
the business didn’t occur to me until my dad died when I was 19. My
mother had to hold my hand until I got my footing, and I bought her
out when she retired.

S-R: Did you appreciate rugs from the start?

Kirishian: I thought they were intriguing. I remember crawling on our
living-room rug as a little boy, using the border lines as roadways
for my toy cars. And I would shoot marbles across the rug and try to
get them to stop in a certain area. But I didn’t become infatuated
with rugs until much later, when I developed an eye for quality.

S-R: How has the business evolved since you took over in 1973?

Kirishian: Production has shifted to different countries. China’s
economy, for the most part, has moved on to bigger things. Turkey’s
standard of living has risen to the point where its rugs are pricey.
India started producing rugs in the ’60s and is still very reliable.
Pakistan started making rugs about 25 years after India, and
Afghanistan has been making inroads in the past decade. Iran has stuck
with it the longest.

S-R: The U.S. has traditionally been a big importer of Iranian rugs
(also known as Persian rugs), but current sanctions prohibit their
import. What impact, if any, has that had?

Kirishian: Other countries have taken up the slack, so the embargo
hasn’t affected the price of Oriental rugs.

S-R: What does the phrase Oriental rug refer to?

Kirishian: Hand-knotted, hand-tied rugs that are 100 percent wool,
silk or camel hair. They don’t have to be from the Orient – they can
be from the Middle East.

S-R: Can a machine-made rug be considered an Oriental rug?

Kirishian: No, but it can be an Oriental-style rug.

S-R: Do you sell only Oriental rugs?

Kirishian: We sell them all – tufted, machine-made. But our forte is
hand-knotted.

S-R: Does an economy have to be somewhat Third World to support the
production of hand-knotted rugs?

Kirishian: Definitely. This is why we’ve seen the huge shift out of
China and Turkey, and we’ll see it out of India someday. Then the
supply will start to cave, because Pakistan and Afghanistan cannot
sustain enough production.

S-R: How long does it take someone to produce a 9- by 12-foot hand-knotted rug?

Kirishian: Anywhere from 237 to 508 days, depending on knots per square inch.

S-R: How much would the weaver earn?

Kirishian: Between $2 and $3 a day.

S-R: And how much would that rug sell for here?

Kirishian: Anywhere from $2,700 to $4,000.

S-R: Do you travel to buy rugs?

Kirishian: I go to India, Pakistan and Nepal once a year, and usually
bring back 200 to 400 rugs.

S-R: Is Spokane a good rug market?

Kirishian: It’s a fair rug market. We have the old homes that can
accommodate rugs, and fortunately there are some Seattle, California
and East Coast people moving here who know how to decorate and use
rugs well. The best thing for rug sales is when expensive new homes
are selling.

S-R: What sales trends have you seen during your career?

Kirishian: The introduction of wall-to-wall carpet in the 1960s really
hurt the rug business. The ’90s were unbelievably good, thanks to a
real-estate boom. The past 10 years have been fair.

S-R: Have tastes also changed?

Kirishian: Yes, especially during the past six to eight years. The
traditional rugs – the reds and blues – used to represent almost 100
percent of Oriental rug sales in this country. Now they’re down to 50
percent, and the other 50 percent are new colors and more modern,
linear, Frank Lloyd Wright kinds of designs. Customers over 45 tend to
want a piece of art. Younger shoppers buy rugs based on color, not
origin or whether they’re hand-made or machine-made. They just want
the look.

S-R: How has your competition changed over the years?

Kirishian: The disposable rug industry – tufted rugs – are gaining
market share. Tufted rugs last 10 years, give or take, until the glue
dries out, and then people replace them.

S-R: Do you sell rugs online?

Kirishian: Not really. Our website isn’t very user-friendly for
shoppers, although we do offer service work and free shipping online.
We may eventually cultivate more Internet sales, if I don’t retire
first.

S-R: When older people downsize, what happens to their rugs?

Kirishian: Either the kids get them or they try to sell them. I
occasionally take good rugs on consignment for 25 percent.

S-R: How can consumers distinguish between hand-knotted and machine-made rugs?

Kirishian: If it’s hand-knotted, the rug will be slightly irregular.
Machine-made rugs are very straight and even.

S-R: How long will each last?

Kirishian: A well-made machine rug will perform for 50 years, and a
hand-knotted rug maybe twice that long.

S-R: How much do you charge to clean rugs, and what’s involved?

Kirishian: We charge $3.75 a square foot, and it’s a weeklong,
six-step, water-immersion process.

S-R: What’s hard on rugs?

Kirishian: Sand and grit more than walking on it. South-facing summer
sun can also be hard on rugs. And pets – they’re our best friends.
About 50 percent of our rug spa work involves removing pet stains.

S-R: How important are mats?

Kirishian: They’re important for safety and comfort, and act as shock
absorbers to help the rug last 25 percent longer. The best natural
rubber pads run $1.50 to $2.15 a square foot, and last about 10 years.

S-R: What’s the best argument for buying an Oriental rug?

Kirishian: Life is short, and when you live with a beautiful Oriental
rug, you never grow tired of it. Every day you see something
different.

Zerkalo: Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was to be commissioned in 2009;
however it will not work in 2014 as well

18:55 26/10/2013 » ECONOMY

“The President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili completes tenure on his
position. In his speech, he expressed great regret that he could not
launch the project of commissioning of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway
during his presidency,” Azerbaijani newspaper “Zerkalo” reads.

The publication reminded that the construction work of Georgian
section of BTK railway kicked off on November 21, in 2007.
The presidents of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey – Ilham Aliyev,
Mikheil Saakashvili and Abdullah Gul – signed a symbolic document on
launching the BTK construction. The document was placed in a capsule,
and laid at the foundation of the railway.

“The agreement on starting the BTC construction was signed in Tbilisi
on February 7, in 2007, and it was expected that they will complete
the work by the end of 2009. Unfortunately, the BTK will not be put
into operation neither in this, nor in the upcoming year. It is
therefore surprising when senior officials claim that the construction
works continue in accordance with the approved schedule,” wrote
Zerkalo writes.

As stated by the head of the transport policy of the Ministry of
Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Ketevan Salukvadze,
while talking about the implementation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars
railway project said that Georgian section of the railway will be
completed in 2015 according to the current timetable. According to
her, today 78% of the work on the first section (Marabda-Tetritskaro)
is completed, as well as 54% of the work in the second section
(Tetritskaro-Tsalka), 23% of the work in the third section
(Tsalka-Akhalkalaki), 9% of the work on the fourth area (train
station), 39% of the work on the railway station and 33% of the work
on the fifth plot line (Akhalkalaki-Kartsakhi).

Salukvadze noted that the total cost of the project in Georgia makes $
767 million. In the framework of the “Baku-Tbilisi-Kars” a new
105-kilometer railway branch is planned to be constructed. In
addition, Georgia will be reconstructed Akhalkalaki-Marabda-Tbilisi
railway section, which will increase its capacity to 15 million tons
of cargo a year. In the future, with the completion of the Marmaray
project (construction of a tunnel under the Bosporus) access to Europe
will be provided by using the railway line of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars.

In his turn, the general director of the “Marabda-Kartsakhi” company
Oleg Bichiashvili stated that the BTK construction goes on at an
accelerated pace, but is unlikely to be used for the withdrawal of
NATO’s military cargo from Afghanistan. The head of the company, who
leads the project of construction of the Georgian section of the
railway, got acquainted with the work on the future highway, on
Thursday during the day. “In 2014 withdrawal of troops and supplies
from Afghanistan is planned to be implemented, the opening of the
railway is unlikely to happen before 2015,” Oleg Bichiashvili told the
reporters.

Source: Panorama.am

European Parliament’s resolution evidence Armenia’s decisions not
fully understood by EU member-states – Samvel Farmanyan

14:59 – 27.10.13

The European Parliament’s latest resolution, particularly the wordings
concerning the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict stem from
Armenia’s foreign policy, Samvel Farmanyan, a Republican Party of
Armenia (RPA) parliamentary group member, Head of the Armenia-EU
parliamentary cooperation commission, told RFE/ Radio Liberty, as he
answered a question as to whether the wordings concerning
Nagorno-Karabakh in the European Parliament’s resolution – which run
counter to the EU’s official position – are the result of Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan’s decision in favor of Armenia’s accession to
the Customs Union.

`We cannot deny it. But we should pay attention to the fact that our
latest decisions are not definitive ones and are not perceived by EU
member-states, particularly by European Parliament members. This means
tremendous work needs to be done for our partners from the European
Parliament to form a full and clear idea of the logic followed by
Armenia’s leadership,’ Mr Farmanyan said.

On the other hand, it would be wrong to account for the resolution by
the Armenian president’s decision alone. Other factors play their role
as well.

`The Azerbaijani lobby played an essential role. Such wordings have no
precedents in the European Parliament’s history. I mean the wording,
saying `the occupation of one European partnership member-state’s
territory by another member-state.’ This wording runs counter to the
European Parliament’s official position and to the OSCE Minsk Group’s
activities,’ Mr Farmanyan said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

Heritage party reps `politically’ recognize Armenian National Movement

12:53 – 27.10.13

Heritage party Vice-Chairman Armen Martirosyan, who was present at the
`revival’ congress of the Armenian National Movement (ANM) on
Saturday, as well as Heritage parliamentary group member Rubik
Hakobyan, told Tert.am that their presence at the congress proved
their recognition of the party.

`Legally, it is not I that is supposed to recognize [the party]. It is
the function of the Ministry of Justice. Politically, I do recognize
it,’ Martirosyan said.

On his part, Hakobyan called `emotional’ the question that one of the
aims of the congress was to `restore the ANC’s political brand’ though
Hakobyan himself (a former member of Armenian Revolutionary
Federation-Dashnaktsutyun) and his fellow members were persecuted by
the ANM for their political statements.

`I do not think emotions should come into the forefront in politics. I
know the initiators and I think well of them. They invited me to the
congress and I showed respect for them,’ Hakobyan said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

Arthur Abraham wins wide UD to set up third Stieglitz fight – Photos

11:51 – 27.10.13

WBO Inter-Continental super middleweight champion `King’ Arthur
Abraham (38-4, 28 KOs) labored to a lopsided win today, shutting down
Italian Giovanni De Carolis (20-5, 10 KOs) of Italy in a match held at
the EWE-Arena in Oldenburg, Germany,
reports.

In a bout that was supposed to set up a third fight with WBO super
middleweight champion Robert Stieglitz (who destroyed Abraham last
time out after losing their first meeting on points), Abraham was
often visibly frustrated with the hit and run tactics of his opponent,
tactics which did not warm the hearts of the ringside judges, who gave
Abraham a virtual shutout win with scores of 120-108 and 119-109
twice.

To be fair, De Carolis’s pot-shotting style yielded some mild success
early, but as he began to tire, Abraham was able to load up with
enough power shots and a very effective left jab to take control of
the fight.

A round-by-round recap here would be redundant, as the fight lacked
much in the way of standout highlights. Abraham, as is usually the
case in his fights, was by far the heavier puncher, and in round eight
he landed a hard left hook that did stun the Italian momentarily. But
that was about as dramatic as the fight got, with Abraham often tiring
of chasing his opponent around the ring, merely standing there with a
look of disgust and beckoning him to come and fight.

When De Carolis did try and launch a flurry, more often than not his
shots ended up bouncing off of Abraham’s trademark turtle-shell
defense. As the final bell sounded, Abraham landed a hard right hand
and then threw up his arms in despair at his opponent’s evasive
tactics.

The conventional wisdom was that Abraham had to look good today to set
up the trilogy fight with Stieglitz, who last week cruised to a win
over Isaac Ekpo of Nigeria. If looking good means winning by a wide
margin, Abraham did the job, but this was not the fearsome King Arthur
of old, a man who would have likely found a way to cut off the ring
and leave De Carolis looking woozily up from the mat long before the
final bell.

It remains to be seen if that version of Arthur Abraham is just in
hiding or gone for good. A third fight with Stieglitz should give us
the answer.

Armenian News – Tert.am