Author: Kalantarian Kevo

HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK: KARABAKH WAR VETERANS TO HOLD RALLY IN YEREVAN

10:55 26/07/2013 ” SOCIETY

Karabakh war veterans began a sit-in in Gyumri yesterday. Veterans
from Yerevan joined them, Haykakan Zhamanak reports. They plan to
hold a rally at Yerevan’s Liberty Square on July 28.

The paper notes that Reserve Lieutenant Colonel, Karabakh war veteran
Khachik Avetisyan, who is holding a hunger strike at Liberty Square,
announced last week that he will end the hunger strike on July 28 at
18:00 provided that 10,000 people gather at Liberty Square in support
of him.

Source: Panorama.am

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT IS “VODKA-TOBACCO” PALS WITH OLIGARCHS – NEWSPAPER

July 26, 2013 | 08:32

YEREVAN. – During Thursday’s Cabinet session, and while discussing
a matter, Armenia’s Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said: “…when it
was about the excise tax on vodka and tobacco…,” Haykakan Zhamanak
daily reports.

“And the matter was about the ‘luxury tax.’ We should note that the
requirement to levy luxury tax from the oligarchs was formulated and
raised three or four years ago. But Sargsyan’s government rejected
it for illogical reasons.

“It is clear that the government is ‘vodka-tobacco’ pals with the
oligarchs. And this type of tax is hardly to be applied now, too,”
Haykakan Zhamanak writes.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

YEREVAN MAYOR AND COUNCIL VIOLATED CONSTITUTION AND LAW – NEWSPAPER

July 26, 2013 | 08:51

YEREVAN. – The protests against the 50-100-percent hike in the
intercity public transport were held for five days in Armenia’s
capital city Yerevan, Aravot daily reports.

“The [Yerevan] Municipality had issued the list of the organizations
that serve the intercity [public transport] routes of Yerevan. There
are 69 organizations in the list. And, in line with official data,
Yerevan has more than one million inhabitants. In the case of such
ratio, and in general, the interest of the inhabitants is priority.

“The main thing is that Yerevan’s [public-transport-]route-proprietor
Mayor and Council of Elders have violated Armenia’s Constitution and
the law ‘On Local Self-Governance in the City of Yerevan.’

“Pursuant to the law, the Council of Elders is the highest authority
of local self-governance in Yerevan, which oversees the activities of
the Mayor of Yerevan. When exercising its powers, the Council of Elders
is independent and it functions solely in the interest of Yerevan and
on its behalf. [And]the [public transport fare] hike definitely is
not in the interest of Yerevan and the city population,” Aravot writes.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

ZHOGHOVURD: CONCLUSION ON SPAYKA FIRE CAUSE TO BE SENT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT BODIES

11:40 26/07/2013 ” DAILY PRESS

A conclusion on the cause of the May 15 fire in Spayka Company
building will be sent to law enforcement bodies in about ten days,
Zhoghovurd reports.

According to the paper, the case will be sent either to the Prosecutor
General’s Office or to the Investigation Department of the Police.

Karine Kalantaryan, a spokesperson for the Armenian Justice Minister,
said that the expertise is in progress.

Source: Panorama.am

ARMENIAN CITIZEN PUT ON PLANE TO BAKU RETURNS TO KIEV

Friday,
July 26

Armenian citizen Asatur Khachatrian has returned to Kiev on Baku-Kiev
Flight 602, “Armenia’s Foreign Ministry said.

The mass media reported yesterday that at Kiev airport, Asatur
Khachatrian was refused entry to Ukraine because of some problems
with his documents and instead of flying back to Yerevan, the man
was put on a plane to Baku by mistake.

TODAY, 11:47

Aysor.am

THE CASPIAN IS CALM

All the previous visits of Vladimir Putin ended in failure and at best
resulted in “ordinary” agreements that Russia has with a number of
other countries in different regions.

The ruling elite in Azerbaijan feel their misery on the arena of the
Western community but are closely integrated with the West and would
no way fit the format of the Russian policy which would love to have
not only cooperation but also formation of a style of “loyalty”.

Despite running out of resources of oil and obscure resources of gas,
Azerbaijan is a significant factor of the world energy policy and it
need not correct its foreign policy. At the same time, Azerbaijan has
always had a reason to expect radical steps from Russia to return
Karabakh under its control. Moreover, Russia has never ruled out
and has been sure that it will be able to return its former internal
borders in the Soviet Union.

The events of autumn 2008 and further processes led the Armenian
political leadership to the understanding that sooner or later Russia
will demand that Armenia part with Karabakh. This is fully in line
with Moscow’s idea of its role in the southern strategic direction.

Azerbaijan cannot give up hopes for returning Nagorno-Karabakh with
the help of Russia’s policy and every meeting of leaders of these
countries is an attempt to clarify this perspective.

Of course, Russia is now more concerned about transportation of gas
and partnership with Azerbaijan and resolution of these problems is
possible beyond the framework of consideration of the Karabakh issue.

Furthermore, Azerbaijan owes Russia a lot in regard to its defense.

The visits of Vladimir Putin’s aides to Baku does not allow for
doubts that the main problems in the talks will be the geoeconomic
ones but at this stage Russia’s intentions relating to Armenia will
be clarified. In addition, the Americans and Europeans are totally
convinced about the perspectives of Azerbaijani-Russian relations
because all the rest has been “grabbed” so the Caspian is expected
to be “calm”, no significant changes are expected.

Russian-Iranian relations have more significance to processes and
developments in this region. Following the election of the new
president and his team of pragmatists, as well as with such an
important card as “Syria”in the hands of Russia, Moscow hopes to
overcome obvious aggravation of the Iranian-Russian relations.

For the first time over the past two decades, including the agreement
between A. Gore and V. Chernomyrdin, Iranians were never been so
disappointed of Russia’s stance. Moscow’s refusal to supply air
defense means is related not only to “insult” but also the need for
huge spending of Iran to compensate production of analogical weapons.

Hassan Rowhani who has focused on Iran’s policy on Russia understands
well the goals and policy of Russia on Iran. Russia has always tried
to avoid building relations with Iran as an equal partner, which is
a repeated commission of the Soviet period.

For the time being, there is little information on how Iran will
proceed with its policy on Russia but one can state with more
confidence that Iran is trying to consider with Russia regional issues,
not issues relating to its nuclear program and different global issues.

Thus Iran would like to demonstrate which of the great powers has a
priority over others as a partner, i.e. it is China, the United States
and the EU but not Russia. In other words, Iran had drafted the policy
on Russia before the presidential election, it is absolutely clear.

Iran intends to resolve its main international problems with the West
and China. At the same time, if Russia accepts this format of priority
relations with Iran, having in his “luggage” offers on military
technical cooperation, it would be an interesting and proactive step
in regional politics, including in regard to Turkey and the Near East.

Now Hassan Rowhani needs a start in his foreign political activities
but the issue is whether the Iranians will prefer short-term goals
to long-term ones. One way or another, this time Iran will not hurry.

Unlike its neighbors, Iran has a good memory and fair intelligence
services.

In any case, if earlier Iran was ready to offer a lot of favors to
Russia, including in the North and South Caucasus and Central Asia,
now this topic is not even considered. Iran will not help Russia to
resist the growing influence of the United States and NATO.

In this regard, the state of things is good for Armenia because
Russia and Iran’s focus on regional problems determines a favorable
arrangement of forces and interest in certain geopolitical
configurations.

Hence, the region does not expect major political changes, geopolitical
ones are expected but the question is who the actors and observers
will be. It is calm in the Caspian but will Armenia be able to make
use of this?

Igor Muradyan 12:03 26/07/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

AZERI SOLDIERS ATTACK ARMENIAN FIREFIGHTERS – MINISTRY

Interfax, Russia
July 23 2013

YEREVAN. July 23

Azeri soldiers opened fire on Armenian Emergency Situations Ministry
firefighters who were working to extinguish a blaze at a local
vineyard.

The fire broke out at a vineyard located in the village of Doveg in
northeastern Armenia, near the border with Azerbaijan, on Monday
evening, an Armenian Emergency Situations Ministry spokesman told
Interfax.

“The efforts to combat the blaze were hampered by gunfire opened from
the territory of Azerbaijan. Shots were fired at the firefighters
from Azerbaijan’s territory, disrupting their work from time to time,”
he said.

None of the Armenian firefighters were killed or injured in the
incident.

ARMENIA: NEW SOCIAL PROTESTS

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
July 25 2013

25 July 2013 – 11:50am

Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza

The situation is tense in Armenia again. This time the reason for the
mass protests of citizens is the decision by Yerevan’s administration
to raise prices for public transport by 50% from July 20. Instead of
100 drams for a ticket in buses and minibuses, people will have to
pay 150 drams, and 100 drams in trolley buses, instead of 50 drams.

The head of the Transport Department of Yerevan, Henrik Navasardyan,
explained the increase of ticket prices was due to the growth of
prices for diesel fuel from 370 to 450 drams. According to him, the
majority of social transport uses diesel fuel; 60-70% of income is
spent on fuel. At the same time, the official excluded the possibility
of grants for transport from the mayor’s office, because “Yerevan’s
budget had no such resources.”

Yerevan citizens were indignant at the price increase and the official
explanation. People protested near the Mayor’s Office and demanded
the decision on new prices be cancelled. Yerevan residents launched
a full-scale campaign: along with protests near the Mayor’s Office,
members of social groups formed social networks agitating for the
mayor’s order to be ignored in all administrative districts of the
capital. Young activists also agitate drivers to go on strike.

Many citizens are behaving firmly: they tear off the signs saying
“150 drams for a ticket” and leave 100 drams for the drivers. The
drivers try to react moderately. Only few of them have joined the
campaign and stick up signs saying “Pay 100 drams.”

Popular artists and singers, as well as some MPs joined the protest.

They are holding an action called “free car” – to give a ride to
citizens for free.

According to independent experts, the recent rise in gas prices
couldn’t influence a ticket price increase of 50%. According to Arman
Musinyan, member of the Board of the opposition party Armenian National
Congress, analysis of the ANC experts showed that the prime cost of
riding a bus or minibus is only 83 drams.

To be continued

TIGRANAKERT, ARTSAKH: STORY AND PHOTOS BY MATTHEW KARANIAN

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

Posted on July 25, 2013 byMatthew KaranianinBooks &
Art,Featured,Headline// 0 Comments

Layer by layer, the excavated ruins of one of the ancient Armenian
cities of Tigranakert is revealing evidence of a once-thriving Armenian
settlement that dates back to before the time of Christ.

1×1.trans Tigranakert, Artsakh: Story and Photos by Matthew Karanian

The ruins of Tigranakert of Artsakh (foreground) and the recently
reconstructed castle. Photo © 2013 Matthew Karanian

This Tigranakert is located in Artsakh, and the uncovering of precious
Armenian artifacts,khatchkars, and foundation stones here has fueled
excitement about both the cultural and political significance of
the site.

This isn’t the Tigranakert that you studied in Armenian school.

The fabled Tigranakert that most Armenians are familiar with is the
one that’s trapped inside the borders of modern Turkey, in historic
Western Armenia.

The unheralded Tigranakert of Artsakh is a world away, and just a
short drive from Karabagh’s capital and largest town, Stepanakert.

Unlike its more famous counterpart in historic Armenia, this
Tigranakert had become largely forgotten until about a decade ago.

The site is located in the Askeran region and, as with most places
in Artsakh, the lands nearby were the scene of heavy fighting during
Karabagh’s war of independence.

1×1.trans Tigranakert, Artsakh: Story and Photos by Matthew Karanian

The medieval castle of Tigranakert, in Artsakh. The ancient Armenian
ruins of Tigranakert, located just beyond the castle, date back to
the first century BC. Photo © 2013 Matthew Karanian

A handful of rusted tanks still litter the nearby hills. Aghdam,
a now-abandoned community that had been used by the enemy as a base
from which to attack Armenian towns and villages, lies a short distance
away, opposite a narrow highway.

The international community identifies the sovereignty of the region as
disputed. Azerbaijan, which had laid siege to the region until shortly
after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and which didn’t permit
excavations here during the Soviet era, claims the site for itself.

This territorial dispute lends added significance to the antiquity
of the Armenian settlement, since its existence is an overwhelming
counterweight to the Azeri contention that Armenians are new arrivals
to the region.

1×1.trans Tigranakert, Artsakh: Story and Photos by Matthew Karanian

The excavated ruins of Tigranakert lie at the base of the mountaintop
monastery of Vankasar, in the Askeran region of Artsakh. Photo © 2013
Matthew Karanian

The ruins of Artsakh’s Tigranakert are evident today to any visitor.

But the archaeologist Hamlet Petrosyan, Ph.D., recalls the time, not
so long ago, when their existence was little more than a hypothesis.

Petrosyan is the head of the department of cultural studies at Yerevan
State University, and the director of the Archaeological Expedition of
Artsakh. His studies of ancient Armenian history, and of archaeology,
had led him to believe that there might be significant ruins in
this area north of Askeran, and at the base of the mountain where
the Armenian church Vankasar stands. He believed the site might be
one of the lost Tigranakerts. Others weren’t so sure. And prior to
Karabagh’s independence, scant resources were committed to finding out.

Tigranakert is named for Tigran the Great, a leader revered in Armenian
history for presiding over Armenia’s greatest expansion in ancient
time, from 95-55 BC. In Tigran’s honor, at least four settlements are
known to have been built and named for him. This shouldn’t surprise
anyone. He was, after all, Great.

1×1.trans Tigranakert, Artsakh: Story and Photos by Matthew Karanian

The mountaintop monastery of Vankasar stands vigil high above the
ruins of Tigranakert, in the Askeran region of Artsakh. The ruins of
the Tigranakert of Artsakh date back to the first century BC. Photo
© 2013 Matthew Karanian

The possibility of a Tigranakert in Artsakh intrigued many, including
Petrosyan. I met with Petrosyan in Artsakh while I was researching
and writing my book, Armenia and Karabakh: The Stone Garden Travel
Guide. He walked the site with me and explained how, years earlier,
he had seen what he believed were remnants of walls.

Even as we hiked amid the ruins and the remnants of the fortress walls,
Petrosyan was scanning the fields for further hints that something
else man-made might lay beneath the soil. He saw large depressions
in the topography that didn’t appear to be natural. “We can suppose
that here we will find something,” he told me, while pointing to a
field that appeared to be just a field-except for a modest depression
that might hide the long-buried foundations of civic buildings.

Petrosyan and his team of archaeologists from the Armenian Academy
of Sciences Institute of Archaeology began excavating the site in 2005.

They discovered that this Tigranakert had a citadel, a central business
district, churches, suburbs, and cemeteries.

Petrosyan and I walked amid the ruins of one of the Armenian churches
that he had uncovered. The church had been built in the 5th century,
but by the 18th century its stones had been used as a quarry for
materials for the nearby castle. All that remains of the church
structure today is its massive foundation, now exposed, at several
feet below ground level.

The church foundation reveals a structure that was 29 meters long-one
of the largest churches of the Caucasus from this era.

Excavations have revealed Armenian inscriptions on the church, as
well as a primitive khatchkars (Armenian stone cross).

The city was built entirely from the local white limestone,
and Petrosyan’s research suggests that it was occupied until the
14th century. He and his team of archaeologists also determined that
the site was founded in the first century B.C.

The excavation of the site thus presents evidence of a continuous
Armenian civilization here for more than 2,000 years.

In 2008, the area was designated the Tigranakert Historical-Cultural
Reserve by the government of Karabagh. Vast areas of the 2,136 hectare
site remain unexcavated, however, because of limited funding for
the project.

A medieval-style castle is located within the fortified area of
Tigranakert, and was restored several years ago. Today this castle
is the most prominent part of Tigranakert, and houses the Tigranakert
Museum of Archaeology.

To be sure, the most famous Tigranakert is the one that’s located
in historic Western Armenia. But the 2,000-year-old Tigranakert of
Artsakh might just prove to be more significant to the future of
the Armenians, since it demonstrates their ancient and continuous
history here. And if you are already traveling in Yerevan this year,
then the Tigranakert that you’ll want to add to your itinerary is
the one that’s in nearby Artsakh.

About the Museum

The State Archaeological Museum of Tigranakert is located within the
walls of the castle (open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily). To learn
more, visit  Check at the museum for information
about walking the site and viewing the ruins.

To get there, travel about 35 kilometers north of Stepanakert on the
road that leads past Aghdam. The castle of Tigranakert is on the west
(left) side of the highway. Tigranakert is best visited as a half-day
excursion from either Stepanakert or Shushi, which are the two towns
that have the best selection of tourist-class hotels and which draw
most of Artsakh’s overnight visitors.

‘Stone Garden Travel Guide’

Armenia and Karabakh: The Stone Garden Travel Guide (Stone Garden
Productions, $24.95) was recently featured in the Los Angeles Times,
which calls the book “a fresh view on ancient Armenia.” This 320-page
guide includes essays on nature and conservation, archaeology,
Armenian history, and the cultural sites of Armenia and Artsakh,
as well as comprehensive travel information.

The book is the winner of three national book awards, including an
award for Best Travel Guide by the Independent Publishers Association,
and is available for purchase in Watertown, Mass., from the Armenian
Library and Museum of America (ALMA).

Matthew Karanian practices law in Pasadena, Calif. He is the
author of Armenia and Karabakh: The Stone Garden Travel Guide, the
best-selling English-language guide to Armenia. The third edition of
this book was published this year. 

s-by-matthew-karanian/

DIASPORA ARMENIANS JOIN “WE WILL NOT PAY 150 DRAMS” INITIATIVE

July 25, 2013 | 18:30

YEREVAN. – “We will not Pay 150 Drams” initiative is spreading all
over the globe. Not only citizens of Yerevan and Armenia, but Diaspora
Armenians are joining the action against public transport fare hike.

“Armenia” group on Facebook has launched an action, calling on everyone
to support the struggle.

“Make a photo of yourself with a “No to 150 drams” and send it to our
page! Support Armenian society in the fight against public transport
price unfair increase by 50%!” the message reads.

The campaign has been joined by Armenians from Egypt, France, Scotland,
Spain, Denmark, Poland and even Brazil.

Public transport fares in Armenia’s capital rose by 1.5-2 times
starting from July 20. The bus fare made AMD 100 instead of 50,
while minibus fare increased from AMD 100 to 150.