Author: Kalantarian Kevo

RUSSIAN PILOTS CONDUCTED OVER 50 AIR COMBAT TRAININGS IN ARMENIA SINCE EARLY 2014

Thursday 20 February 2014 13:00
Photo:

Russian pilots conducted over 50 air combat trainings in Armenia
since early 2014

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Since early 2014, the pilots of Russian military
air base in Armenia have conducted about 150 training flights.

“The average flying time of each pilot made about 15 hours which is
15% more than the one in the same period of 2013”, the press service
of the South Military District of Russian Armed Forces reported.

The training of the aircrew of MiG-29 fighters of 4+generation is
mainly focused on development of piloting technique in case of low
clouds and fogs at low altitudes.

The method of the so-called air duels during which pilots detect and
capture targets and fix their conventional destruction through photo
control devices is actively applied.

Since early 2014, the pilots of MiG-29 fighters have conducted over
50 maneuver air combat trainings in Armenia.

MEMORIAL DE LA SHOAH : EXPOSITION “REGARDS SUR LES GHETTOS”

Publie le : 20-02-2014

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
invite a lire cette information publiee sur le site Armenian Trends –
Mes Armenies le 18 fevrier 2014.

Armenian Trends – Mes Armenies

mardi 18 fevrier 2014

© Memorial de la Shoah (Paris), 2013

Regards sur les ghettos – Exposition Memorial de la Shoah, Paris

13.11.2013 – 28.09.2014

La nuit vint et avec elle cette evidence : jamais etre humain n’eût dû
assister, ni survivre, a la vision de ce que fut cette nuit-la. Tous
en eurent conscience : aucun des gardiens, ni italiens, ni allemands,
n’eurent le courage de venir voir a quoi s’occupent les hommes quand
ils savent qu’ils vont mourir.

Primo Levi, extrait de Si c’est un homme (1956)

La foule. Immobiles. Les regards qui ne sont deja plus la. Corps
enveloppes de châles. Main tenant une gamelle. Bras qui tentent de
proteger. Volets entr’ouverts. Facades muettes. Gris sombres. Quand
cela s’achèvera-t-il ?

Un groupe de Juifs dans une rue du ghetto. Ghetto de Lodz, ca.

1940-1944. Photo : Mendel Grossman

Le corps recroqueville. Battants grands ouverts. L’homme au brassard.

L’effondrement est advenu. Plus rien ne soutient. Dans ce coffre de
hasard. Où s’engouffre ce qui n’a pas de nom. Qui dira ce qui fut ?

Ailes du cauchemar.

Transport de cadavres. Ghetto de Lodz, ca. 1940-1944. Photo :
Mendel Grossman.

L’homme a la casquette. Agenouille sur le pave. Recueillir
l’improbable. A quoi l’on devra sa survie. Glaner la terre. Ombres
circulaires. Se relever encore. Visage emacie de celui qui sait. Un
dernier regard. L’appel silencieux.

Un habitant du ghetto montre les maigres morceaux de charbon trouves
en creusant le sol. Ghetto de Lodz, ca. 1940-1944. Photo : Mendel
Grossman.

L’amoncellement. Arcades comme englouties. Gravir les masses. Ceux qui
attendent. Figes dans une eternite. Les absents et les presents. Tout
deborde. Halte precaire sur le chemin d’ordalie. Bientôt l’horizon
vacillera.

Piles d’oreillers et garnitures de lits abandonnes par les Juifs
deportes, stockees dans une ancienne eglise place Koscielna, et
destinees a alimenter un atelier de tri des plumes et duvets. Ghetto
de Lodz, ca. 1940-1944. Photo : Mendel Grossman.

Quand tout bascule. Maison de bois prete a rompre. L’arche des
martyrs. Les bourreaux a l’etoile. Antigone sombre, bras qui se tord.

Les temoins. Ceux qui ne savent pas encore. Echelle des gravitations.

En attendant l’enfer.

Lors de l'”action couvre-feu” (Gehsperre), un policier juif venu
prendre des enfants en bas âge malmène une femme qui tente de
s’interposer. Hôpital du 36 rue Lagiewnicka. Ghetto de Lodz, 10
septembre 1942. Photo : Mendel Grossman.

Les porteurs d’immondices. Roues de bois. Pousser de toutes ses
forces. Repousser toujours. Hors de la nuit. Un jour peut-etre nous
renaîtrons. Pieds foulant la terre. Les epuisements de chaque instant.

Ombres melees.

Des travailleurs du Scheisskommando charges de transporter les
containers de matières fecales a l’exterieur du ghetto. Ghetto de Lodz,
ca. 1940-1944. Photo : Henryk Ross.

Le pont dans la ville. Alignement des exclus qui surplombent la rue
vide. Contourner, eviter. Lorsque l’architecture separe, meurtrit. Les
degres invisibles. Qui conduiront a d’autres ponts. D’autres rues. Le
tramway qui attend.

Reliant les deux parties du ghetto, un pont pour pietons enjambe la rue
Zgierska, place Koscielny. Ghetto de Lodz, 1941. Photo : Zermin, PK 689

L’homme etendu a terre. Frappe de mort. Rails decoupant le pave. Foule
d’enfants, d’hommes et de femmes. Visages d’outre-humanite. Comme
si l’habitude allait de soi. Lorsqu’il n’est plus de lois. Lorsqu’il
n’est plus de justes.

Corps sur les voies du tramway. Ghetto de Varsovie, 1941. Photo :
Albert Cusian, PK 689

Blottis sur le trottoir. Ne plus rien attendre. Epaules deja courbees.

Vetus de manteaux. Les passants de l’autre monde. Vitrine achalandee.

Inaccessible. Force de l’âge. Reduits au doute. Deja effaces.

Trois hommes demunis assis; a l’arrière-plan, la devanture d’un magasin
d’alimentation. Ghetto de Varsovie, 1941. Photo : Albert Cusian, PK 689

Le seuil entrebaille. Qui s’ouvre sur ses tenèbres. Peintures qui
s’ecoulent. Griffures du soleil. Semblant de store. Exhibant ses
guenilles. Amenagement de fortune. Placard interdit. Scintillement
de la balance. Tel un couperet.

L’entree d’une boutique vendant du pain et des boissons. Ghetto de
Varsovie, ete 1941. Photo : Willy Georg

Silhouette drapee de gris. L’homme se tient encore sur ses genoux.

Chaque seconde est comptee. Visage au premier plan. Tete rasee.

Lorsque les mots sont inutiles. Lorsque le jour se fait tombeau.

Procession de ceux qui attendent.

Un policier juif aide d’un autre homme traîne un Juif. A l’arière-plan,
une enseigne avec l’inscription “glace et soda.” Ghetto de Varsovie,
19 septembre 1941. Photo : Heinrich Jost

Corps qui bascule. L’ultime souffle. Planches de cercueils jonchant
le sol. Visage tourne vers le ciel. Lorsque la terre n’est plus que
gouffre. La ville au loin. N’offrant plus que ses cheminees. Routes
d’ordalie.

Transport des morts par la societe juive de pompes funèbres, la Hevrah
Kaddisha. Ghetto de Varsovie, 19 septembre 1941. Photo : Heinrich Jost

Visages de femmes. Chevelures defaites, rides. Mère et fille ? Quand
tu as connu tous les departs. Toutes les aubes. Bras qui se croisent.

Comme pour conjurer l’inexorable. Se tenir debout. Proclamer en
silence. Les temoins de ce qui a ete.

Deportation des Juifs du ghetto. Ghetto de Szydlowiec, 1942. Photo :
Heinrich Moepken

© georges festa – 02.2014

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : Armenian Trends – Mes Armenies

SOPHIA OHANIAN WILL PLAY KHACHATURIAN PIANO CONCERTO IN REDLANDS

Redlands Daily Facts, CA
Feb 19 2014

The Redlands Symphony will present an evening of music including
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony at 8 p.m. Saturday in the University of
Redlands Memorial Chapel.

Co Nguyen, the Redlands Symphony’s assistant conductor, will conduct
the orchestra.

The concert begins with Mendlssohn’s “Fingal’s Cave,” a musical
portrayal of the Hebrides Islands.

Pianist Sophia Ohanian, winner of the University of Redlands Concerto
Competition, will join the orchestra to perform Armenian composer
Aram Khachaturian’s Piano Concerto.

The program concludes with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.

Doors open at 7 p.m., and Nguyen will present a pre-concert talk
at 7:15.

“One of the Redlands Symphony Association’s missions is to promote
and nurture talented young musicians,” Nguyen said.

“Consistent with this goal, the Redlands Symphony Orchestra has
presented winners of the University of Redlands Concerto Competition
as guest soloists for many years. These performances offer unparalleled
opportunities for these young artists to perform with the full symphony
orchestra in the utmost professional concert setting,” she said.

“I personally look forward to these performances every year, both as
a teacher at the School of Music and as an orchestral conductor.”

Sophia Ohanian, originally from Los Angeles, is a junior at the
University of Redlands, pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in piano
performance. She studies piano with Louanne Long at the University
of Redlands and is a recipient of the LeHigh Endowed Piano Scholarship.

She has recently won first prizes in the Armenian Allied Arts
Competition and the Inland Empire Piano Festival.

She began her studies at the Academy of Music and Fine Arts in Los
Angeles and later attended Charter High School of the Arts.

She said that because of her Armenian heritage, she has always
felt a deep affinity with the music of Aram Khachaturian, and this
performance with the Redlands Symphony Orchestra will fulfill her
dream of having the opportunity to perform Khachaturian’s Piano
Concerto with an orchestra.

For information, visit RedlandsSymphony.com or call the box office
at 909-748-8018.

ARMENIA’S PRESIDENT PROMPTED US TO ACT AND WE WILL ACT – ARTHUR ALEXANYAN

18:30 / 19.02.2014

Artsakh war hero, resigned National Security Service Colonel Arthur
Alexanyan is against all types of revolutions. The participant of
Karabakh war, today, on these peaceful days, is rather concerned. He
says today they are facing the issue of saving Armenia’s statehood
and there is no time to waste. Nyut.am has conducted an interview with
Arthur Alexanyan over the situation in the country, possible ways out.

– Mr Alexanyan, today many people are calling for revolution. You
too are concerned with the current situation, nevertheless you are
against revolution, why?

– Revolution first of all is bloodshed, revolution is anarchy.

Revolution drags the country back for 15-20 years and as much time is
necessary for it to recover. A whole generation is being lost as a
result. I am against revolution, I am against bloodshed. Revolution
is wanted by people who do not imagine what consequences the nation
will bear. Our biggest achievement is our state, our statehood –
the Republic of Armenia. We did not have state for 1,000 years and
now it is unacceptable to play with its fate.

– What’s your proposed way? You should agree that we are standing on
the edge of abyss.

– Yes, I agree that we have appeared in a terrible situation today.

Our salvation is in our consolidation. The authorities are powerful
today because we are weak, dismembered, separated. We must unite. Even
if we consolidate over the idea of revolution, and become a force
they will leave. We are not consolidated and the authorities are
not afraid of us, this is the problem. As far as they do not feel
power in front of them, the situation will remain the same. Our
salvation is in our unity. All the parties must realize that it is
not the time for party games. Until the parties step down from their
ambitions the issue will not be settled. They must step down and be
with people, they must consolidate the people via unity slogan. This
is the issue to be decided in the square but not in Maidan but in
Liberty Square. We have already showed such example to the world. We
managed to collapse Soviet Union in our square through our unity, our
belief. If that time we were the first swallows, today we have cut
our wings and each person is bringing eggs separately. Let’s again
gather in the square, and tell enough! We must not attack anyone as
there is no bigger victory than peace.

We must act with peace and love, we should not be filled with hatred.

We must forgive them and let them go. If we all forgive them, they
will go. But until the prior goal of the parties is not the nation
and its salvation, until all are not consolidated over one idea,
we will not reach our destination. Parties are people’s barriers
today. We all have one flag- the tricolor. We must be guided with
this flag. The party flags must be left inside and all must take to
streets under one flag. With this flag we will reach the place. The
other flags disturb us, divert us.

– But people need a guiding force, a leader. It is difficult to
consolidate without it.

– People will find their leader in a second. Today’s leaders have
not justified themselves. I love the nation as much as the Republic
of Armenia exists. Our sole achievement, our only wealth is our state.

Everything should be done for the state not to be destroyed and not
to become a colony of any of the states again. We must send the
authorities home and their chairs must remain in their places as
these are the chairs of the state, not theirs.

– Don’t the authorities realize that the situation is explosive? The
same president who passed through the war describes the protest of
freedom fighters as whining.

– You know, when we were in touch with the president, he was of
other type, he was not thinking in that way. We are not in touch
for about ten years, I do not know why he thinks this way now. I
remember and know him as a state-oriented person. I worked with him
for 15-20 years. Now his surrounding has changed, I don’t know what
they tell him.

I am not whining at all. I must do what I should. I am very offended
by that word. But he is right we are whining and not doing anything.

He called on us to act, he prompted us to act and we will act.

ARTAK DAVTYAN. “CAVIAR DIPLOMACY IS A REALITY, WITH WHICH WE SHOULD RECKON.”

February 19 2014

Recently, once again a noise was raised in Europe regarding the
information of giving a brine to the European MPs. In the conversation
with Aravot, Artak Davtyan, an NA MP, member of RPA faction, noted,
“Caviar diplomacy has become a part of diplomatic vocabulary. I was a
member of the OSCE parliamentary delegation at the previous convocation
of the National Assembly and have actually seen these phenomena under
the name “lobbying”. It is very evident, especially in the cases
when the MP of a democratic country that seems is not related to the
case stands for the protection of interests of Azerbaijan, moreover,
more zealously than the Azerbaijani delegation members are. There
are more Catholic in their manifestations than the Pope of Rome, and
when you are trying to talk to these people, you understand that they
are unaware of the essence of the problem and often are just reading
prepared texts. This is the reality, with which we should reckon.” To
our question of whether or not Armenia should somehow respond to these
phenomena or related information, Mr. Davtyan responded, “Responds
constantly happen. Whatever platforms this-or-that officials act, they
always get the response. Specifically with Parliamentary Platform,
they always get their answers, in addition, we present the situation
to the partners of this official.

In such interested “protections”, we explain to the other partners
what the problem is, and, as a rule, these “protections” do not
affect. Leading such a policy by Azerbaijan is something like to be
accountable before the country’s leadership, they want to show that,
look, this-or-that foreign country MP or the official received his
“honorarium”, and as an actual evidence of giving “honorarium”,
they cite his initiatives, statements, speeches, or which is worse,
sometimes we also see that they are presenting some resolutions. Of
course, they are doing their best to maneuver from direct questions,
they say that they are concerned about democracy, the situation of
refugees, or elimination of consequences of the war, but with such
practice they are just casting a shadow over the high and lofty ideas
they are talking about.”

Melania BARSEGHYAN

Read more at:

NKR PRESIDEENT: SETTLEMENT IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT ARTSAKH’S PARTICIPATION IN ALL STAGES OF TALKS

15:46 19.02.2014

Nagorno-Karabakh

On 19 February President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan
visited the NKR Foreign Ministry and partook in a consultation summing
up the activities of the structure in 2013 and outlining the 2014
action plan.

Foreign Minister Karen Mirzoyan, representatives of the Ministry’s
different departments delivered corresponding reports.

The President noted in his speech that Artsakh Republic would further
conduct comprehensive, balanced foreign policy based on complementarity
with influential states and power centers.

According to Bako Sahakyan the destructive policy of Baku is the
biggest hindrance on the way of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict
settlement, which also threatens maintenance of regional peace and
stability.

Referring to the peaceful settlement process, President Sahakyan
underlined that the NKR would be consistent in activities towards
restoring the full-fledged negotiation format, making it clear that
comprehensive settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict would
be impossible to achieve without full participation of the official
Stepanakert at all stages of the negotiations.

Touching upon the international recognition process of the
ArtsakhRepublic the President noted there positive developments,
adding that it’s both inspiring and binding. It’s inspiring because
it demonstrates that recognition process of ArtsakhRepublic is moving
forward and testifying that Artsakh is a full-fledged democratic
state and at the same time laying foundations for the republic’s
international recognition. It’s binding because the positive dynamics
needs to be maintained in the future.

President Sahakyan gave corresponding instructions for the efficient
organization of activities, elimination of shortcomings inside the
foreign ministry, adding that the state in its turn would do

ANALYZING ARMENIAN PRESIDENT’S SPEECH IS POINTLESS: OPINION

02.19.2014 18:16 epress.am

Regardless of how radical Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) leader Gagik
Tsarukyan’s speech will be, regardless of whether opposition or those
that consider themselves alternative parties will unite or not, they
will not succeed in changing anything in the political arena if they
don’t have the support of one of the geopolitical centers, Russia or
the US, Armen Badalyan, an expert on political and electoral systems,
informed Epress.am.

Speaking about Tsarukyan’s speech at the 7th BHK convention on Feb.

15, the analyst said it was more radical than in past conventions.

“But to say that in this way major change happened or that the speech
was half the battle — no. We’ve heard more radical speeches. What’s
important is what actions will follow that speech — will BHK get
the support of the geopolitical centers?” he said.

Regarding BHK’s call to unite non-ruling parliamentary parties,
Badalyan said the parties need to unite not around each other but
around a specific issue, such as happened in the fight against the
new mandatory pension system.

“After uniting around an issue, non-ruling parties have to get the
support of one of the geopolitical centers; otherwise, whatever
they propose will fail in the National Assembly, since the [ruling]
Republican Party of Armenia holds the majority and it votes with
one voice, whether it be the accumulated pension or an expression of
no confidence in the government. Geopolitical forces will not only
support, but also put pressure on the government,” he said.

Asked to comment on Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s speech at the
Yerkrapah Voluntary Homeland Defenders Union convention on Feb. 15,
Badalyan said there’s no point in subjecting the speech to a content
analysis.

“In general, one can speak about the president’s speech, when he
is newly elected, makes promises, when he’s been president at least
only for a year. But Serzh Sargsyan has been president for 6 years —
there’s no need to listen to his speeches because the 6 years have
proven that he’s lost in all areas. Emigration has reached 400-500
thousand, the judicial system doesn’t actually work, small business
owners have fled to Georgia or other countries, and foreign policy is
in such a state that Armenia is perceived as an obvious fool,” he said.

PENSION REFORM: NEW (SUSPENDED) LAW CONTINUES TO CAUSE HEADACHES FOR WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS

PENSIONS | 19.02.14 | 16:32

Photolure

By Gohar Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow reporter

The head of the Republican Union of Employers of Armenia says the law
on mandatory pension savings is as strictly observed and imposed as
the law on taxes.

Despite the fact that the Constitutional Court (CC) has not made its
final decision about the controversial law on the pension reform, many
employers have been making the 5-10 percent pension funds deductions
from salaries. This has stirred public discontent and several state
staffs have been holding acts of protest in this concern.

Tuesday, the personnel of Armenia’s strategically most important
structure – Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant – joined the standoff; they
submitted a letter to the Ombudsman’s Office demanding to protect
their rights from being violated because of the law on mandatory
pension savings.

Last week staffs of the Electric Networks of Armenia company, the
subway, the South-Caucasian Railways LLC and the National Academy of
Opera and Ballet performers staged protests.

According to the employers’ union leader Gagik Makaryan, many among
employers make the payments because on some levels they are connected
to the authorities, some because of the parliamentary mandates,
while others do so to avoid problems in the future.

“We are told that the new pension savings system has been introduced
for our future, however the compulsion mechanisms are equal to
mechanisms and sanctions of imposing taxes. If an employer fails
to make the payment, his property might be foreclosed equal to the
size of the unmade payments, meaning that the punishment in this case
is equal to the sanctions applicable by the tax code in case of tax
evasion,” Makaryan told the press on Wednesday, adding that should
the CC decide that the payments have to be made, those employers
who would have not done so might have serious issues. “People found
businesses with great difficulties, they buy property and would not
like to lose it all by one strike.”

LARISA ALAVERDYAN: BRUTAL MURDER OF GURGEN MARGARYAN SHOULD BE OBSERVED IN CONTEXT OF XENOPHOBIA CARRIED OUT BY AZERBAIJAN

18:46 19/02/2014 >> POLITICS

10 years passed but the murder of Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan by
Azerbaijani Ramil Safarov has not received an adequate international
assessment yet. Larisa Alaverdyan, first Ombudsman of Armenia,
Chairperson of “Against legal arbitrariness” NGO, said about this in
an interview with Panorama.am.

“I believe that the relevant institutions of the Republic of Armenia
should prepare a package of case related documents and appeal to
International organizations: EU, Council of Europe, and UN. This issue
should receive an adequate international assessment, because it is not
only about the murder of Armenian officer but a politics of xenophobia,
including against Armenians, carried out by Azerbaijan,” she said.

According to the first Ombudsman, after Safarov was pardoned the
Armenian side should have immediately sued Azerbaijan.

Alaverdyan strongly believes that Ramil Safarov fulfilled an order
of his state that is why he afterwards got rewarded.

According to her, the absence of adequate international assessment
has brought to the situation when Azerbaijan doesn’t at all feel
vulnerable around the negotiation table over the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement, whereas after the murderer was pardoned many
forums should have become inaccessible to Azerbaijan, she said.

“The Murder of Gurgen Margaryan should be observed in context of
politics of xenophobia. International community should realize that
in case of impunity the axe may rise against the national minorities
of Azerbaijan. This is a threat not only to the Armenians but also
to the security of the region as a whole,” she added.

In 2004, Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan was taking part in
a three-month English course of NATO “Partnership for Peace” in
Budapest. Early in the morning of February 19 he was murdered. The
murderer – Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov – delivered 16 blows
of ax to the face of the sleeping Armenian officer. As a result, the
Hungarian court found him sane and sentenced him to life imprisonment
without a right of pardon for 30 years. The news about the extradition
of Ramil Safarov to his homeland and pardon by the Azerbaijani
president Ilham Aliyev broke out on August 31.

The pardoned murderer Ramil Safarov was greeted as a hero in
Azerbaijan; he was given an apartment and was paid an officer salary
for 8 years spent in detention. Moreover, Safarov was breveted
Major by the Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan, who also wished him
“every success.”

Because of Safarov’s extradition to Azerbaijan the president of Armenia
Serzh Sargsyan announced the suspension of diplomatic relations
with Hungary. Safarov’s extradition, pardon, and glorification in
Azerbaijan was condemned by the US president Barack Obama, US State
Department, Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Russia and France,
Secretary General of Council of Europe, Secretary General of CSTO,
NATO, and international human rights organizations. In addition to
that, European Parliament adopted a condemning resolution on September
13, 2012.

Today, on February 19, is the 10th anniversary of commemoration
of Armenian officer’s death. To the 10th anniversary of Gurgen
Margaryan’s murder in the frameworks of the “Ordinary Genocide” project
a video-footage has been prepared called “Azerbaijan: Racism without
borders.” The video footage is in English and Russian. It concisely
presents the history of the murder that had stunned the world, as well
as the programs following the incident and Safarov’s glorification in
Azerbaijan.It is significant that the authors chose Symphony number 7
(“Leningrad”) by Dmitri Shostakovich known as “the invasion of the
Nazis” as a soundtrack for the footage.

The “Ordinary Genocide” project is being implemented by the Information
and Public Relations Center under the RA President’s administration.

Source: Panorama.am

VIDEOS OF 27 AZERBAIJANI TERRORISTS ELIMINATED IN SYRIA APPEARED ON INTERNET

17:26 19/02/2014 >> SOCIETY

New videos of Azerbaijani terrorists eliminated in Syria are
distributed on the net. As it is stated by Azerbaijani news agency
APA citing the websites of armed fighting groups of Syria, the videos
demonstrate the photos of 27 Azerbaijanis liquidated in Syrian district
of Sham.

“Although Azerbaijani media published about the death of few of those
people featured in the video, no information is currently available
about most of them,” APA reads.

APA notes that after the intensification of the situation in Syria a
group of Azerbaijani citizens voluntarily went to Syria and in various
radical groupings started to take part in military operations. Since
that time “mujahedeens” have spread the photos of more than 100
liquidated Azerbaijani fighters in social networks.

Source: Panorama.am