Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ArmInfo.The transformation of the  leader of “Prosperous Armenia” Gagik Tsarukyan into a political  martyr clearly does not proceed from the interests of Prime Minister  Nikol Pashinyan. ArmInfo political strategist Armen Badalyan  expressed this opinion.  

“In this light, I don’t expect any special  pressure on the party and Mr. Tsarukyan personally. If Tsarukyan  really violated the Constitution, then, of course, he should be  deprived of his deputy’s mandate. step “.  Over the past year, it has  finally become clear that the repressive methods clearly do not fit  into the political arsenal of Pashinyan and his immediate  environment. Moreover, there is no reason to waste our high rating in  the now unnecessary fight against” Prosperous Armenia “has no  Pashinyan,” the political consultant is convinced.

The question of the presence of business in the National Assembly of  Armenia has once again become the focus of public attention through  the efforts of the party “Citizen Decision”. On April 29, Secretary  of the party’s executive body Suren Sahakyan sent a statement to  Armenian Prosecutor General Arthur Davtyan about the need to initiate  criminal proceedings against Prosperous Armenia Party leader, MP  Gagik Tsarukyan. The reason for the statement was the suspicion of  illegal entrepreneurial activity by the deputy Tsarukyan. Sahakyan  also sent a statement to RA NA President Ararat Mirzoyan with a  request to take appropriate actions in pursuance of Art. 157 of the  law , in particular, to appeal  to the Constitutional Court of Armenia on the issue of termination of  powers of a deputy in case of violation of the requirements of  Article 95 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia.

According to Badalyan, representatives of the Decision of the Citizen  party, who did not go to parliament in the last elections, thus  simply decided to loudly declare themselves. Having started up in the  media and the public agenda the idea of bringing Tsarukyan to  responsibility and depriving him of his deputy’s mandate, they are  trying to attract public attention. However, the authorities rummage  in the past Tsarukyan and his party, according to the forecasts of  the political consultant, will not. Today, they simply do not need  it, especially since any pressure will only enhance the image of  Tsarukyan. 

Wine has long been the lifeblood of local culture, consecrated at Armenian Apostolic masses, sipped at elaborate traditional feasts, and chugged on raucous nights out. Sample some of the country’s best bottles at In Vino, a cobwebbed cubbyhole where wine geeks splurge on award-winning labels like Karas and Zorah, or at Wine Republic, where the French bistro menu is almost as varied as its 650-bottle list.

Drink of Choice
“Cuban cigars, Armenian brandy, and no sport!” That trifecta, according to Winston Churchill, was the key to a long life. Test his hypothesis at Yerevan Brandy Co. (daily tours available), where the brandy he adored is still made in much the same way. Aged in Caucasian oak barrels and double-distilled for purity, it gives French cognac a run for its money.

Lake Sevan makes the landlocked country a veritable beach destination

Holy Ground
Exactly how an ancient Roman temple wound up in the Armenian countryside — or how it remained intact despite countless invasions — is a subject of much debate. But what is clear is that the massive colonnaded structure is one of Eurasia’s most precious examples of pre-Christian architecture. Built in the first century, Garni was likely a shrine to the pagan sun god Mihr, though some scholars speculate it’s the tomb of a Romanised Armenian king or the defunct residence of some long-forgotten ruler.

Oldest Cathedral On Earth
Echmiadzin Cathedral, founded in the early fourth century, is to Armenian Christians what the Great Mosque is to Muslims and the Western Wall is to Jews: a place of incomparable spiritual importance. But you don’t have to be a believer to be bowled over by its splendor. Impossibly intricate reliefs depict Biblical and nature scenes; gilded frescoes glint in the sunlight. Visit before noon, and you might be treated to an impromptu choral performance by somber church singers carrying candles.

Echmiadzin Cathedral, founded in the early fourth century is the oldest cathedral on earth

Holy Ground
Exactly how an ancient Roman temple wound up in the Armenian countryside—or how it remained intact despite countless invasions—is a subject of much debate. But what is clear is that the massive colonnaded structure is one of Eurasia’s most precious examples of pre-Christian architecture.

Built in the first century, Garni was likely a shrine to the pagan sun god Mihr, though some scholars speculate it’s the tomb of a Romanized Armenian king or the defunct residence of some long-forgotten ruler.

The Geghard monastery complex in Armenia

Soviet Relics
Space-age towers, neoclassical government buildings, dilapidated Khrushchyovka — while Armenia may have split from the Soviet Union almost three decades ago, judging from its architecture, you’d never know it. In Yerevan, one name comes up again and again: Alexander Tamanian, the Armenian architect who designed the city’s curiously circular street plan and drew the blueprints for the Cascade, opera house, and Republic Square.

On This Rock
You could spend weeks monastery-hopping across Armenia and still not hit them all, but one is a must: Geghard, a Unesco World Heritage Site. The labyrinthine monastery complex includes a wealth of hypnotic khachkars (cross-stones), a 13th century church, and even older chapels and vestries hewn straight into the side of a cliff, their walls blackened from centuries of candlelight.

Built in the first century, Garni was likely a shrine to the pagan sun god Mihr

Land of Lakes
Covering 16 percent of Armenia’s surface area, Lake Sevan makes the landlocked country a veritable beach destination.

The lapping waves keep Armenians (and a host of other neighboring nationals) cool during parched summers. Even if it’s too chilly to take a dip, you can snap postcard-worthy pics of the Hayravank and Sevanavank monasteries, dramatically set against the sparkling blue water.
— Bloomberg