News.am, Armenia
June 6 2020
10:02, 06.06.2020
Author: Tambiyan Samvel
800-Year-old Garabed Gospel to be Digitized
June 1, 2020
The Garabed Gospel was published in 1207
The Armenian Museum of America in Watertown, Mass. announced the upcoming digitization of the most important piece in its collection–the 1207 Garabed Gospel. The Garabed Gospel was delivered by Museum staff to the Northeast Document Conservation Center earlier this year and the digitization process is slated to begin very soon.
This project is part of the museum’s ongoing effort to maintain and preserve in perpetuity an active program of collecting, conserving, and documenting Armenian artifacts, books, and publications.
The scribe Garabed created this extraordinary work in 1207 A.D, at the monastery of Surp Garabed near the town of Jurak during the reign of Levon I of Cilicia. It required eleven years to complete the book and the elderly scribe noted that he went blind during that period.
The book was given to priest Vartan, the donor’s ancestor, who returned with the book to his home in the town of Tomarza, where it remained for over 700 years passed down within one family lineage of priests (the Der Garabedian/Hazarshahian/Chorbajian family.) The name of each generation of priests is noted in the Gospel Book for over thirty-five generations. The Gospel Book escaped the death and destruction that many in the Der Garabedian family suffered in the Armenian Genocide.
The Garabed Gospel Book is made of 250 pages of goat skin, covered with leather-bound wooden covers. The text is in double columns in black ink with decorative figures on the pages edges in red ink. The artistic style is relatively crude, typical of the Cilician style. The larger size of the book is also typical of this early period. In the later mature Cilician style, Gospel books are often small enough to be carried in one hand, with refined delicate artwork.
This Gospel Book is the most important artifact in Museum’s collection. The scribe Garabed created this extraordinary work in 1207 A.D, at the monastery of Surp Garabed near the town of Jurak during the reign of Levon I of Cilicia. It required eleven years to complete the book and the elderly scribe noted that he went blind during that period. The book was given to priest Vartan, the donor’s ancestor, who returned with the book to his home in the town of Tomarza, where it remained for over 700 years passed down within one family lineage of priests (the Der Garabedian/Hazarshahian/Chorbajian family.)
As the possessor of the Holy Book, the Der Garabedian family was respected by both Armenians and Turks, and it was believed that no harm could fall upon the family. If one became sick, one would ask the family for “the blessing of the book” to cure their disease. A supplicant would rub a piece of bread or a rag on the Gospel Book. If the bread was eaten by the afflicted, or the rag was worn against their body, it was thought to cure the disease. The name of each generation of priests is noted in the Gospel Book for over thirty five generations. In the Armenian tradition a family holy book was considered a living member of the family. In 1915 the book was unable to save 150 members of the extended Der Garabedian family who were slaughtered during the Armenian Genocide, and the Gospel book was seized. The local family survivor, Garabed Hairik Der Garabedian, was forced to ransom back the book, his only other surviving family member.
One other family member, his nephew Krikor Der Garabedian, was working in America during the Genocide and has also survived. When Krikor traveled to France to get married in 1927, his uncle gave him the Gospel Book with instructions to pass it along to his own children. Krikor and his wife Baytzar had three daughters, but no daughter had children to continue the line. Concerned that the Gospel Book would become an orphan after 39 generations, the last surviving daughter, Julia Der Garabedian, entrusted the book to the Museum.
Asteroid or man-made object – what sparkled in Armenian skies tonight?
12:12,
YEREVAN, MAY 28, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Emergency Situations of Armenia (MES) or Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory have no fact-based data. Spokesperson of the MES Edmon Zargaryan informed ARMENPRESS that they received an emergency call about an asteroid dropping in Armenia, but there are no traces that should be present following an asteroid drop.
‘’We received an emergency call from Nor Nork 6th Micro-District that some asteroid has passed sparkling. The caller has seen something like that, but the locations showed that it happened near Byurakan community, Ashtarak region. We have inquired from relevant bodies of the region, but no one has any fact-based data, there is no trace that should exist after the drop of an asteroid’’, Zargaryan said.
[See Video]
Watching the footage about the possible drop of an asteroid that went viral on May 28, Director of Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory Areg Mikayelyan assumes that the object is a small asteroid, but can also be a man-made object.
‘’Small celestial bodies are not monitored, but bigger ones, which pose danger, are permanently monitored at very great distances. There are always small asteroids. Watching that footage one can assume that it was an asteroid. When an asteroid of a few centimeters falls, it sparkles brightly. We cannot say what it was until discovering it. The alternative to the asteroid is some man-made rocket, which has crashed or exploded and one of its parts fell to the Earth’’, Mikayelyan said.
Reporting by Norayr Shoghikyan, Editing and Translating by Tigran Sirekanyan
Asbarez: ARF Will Not Take Part in Artsakh Government
Armenian Revolutionary Federation
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Central Committee of Artsakh on Monday issued an announcement, in which it explained that the party did not find it suitable to take part in the government being formed by the new president of the Artsakh Republic.
Below is a translation of the announcement published in the Stepanakert-based ARF publication Aparaj.
Based on the results of the first-ever simultaneous parliamentary and presidential elections in Artsakh, the executive and judicial branches of the government are being formed.
In the April 9, 2020 statement we announced our assessment of the Artsakh National Assembly elections and delineated our position on the run-off presidential elections.
Taking into consideration the outcome of the state elections, as well as the results of our consultations with the elected president, we do not find it suitable to take part in the government that is being formed.
Based on the priorities and pre-election plans of the ARF’s political unity agenda publicized on on July 7 and August 30, 2019, we will develop our relations with the authorities of the Artsakh Republic in the same manner as we will with political forces.
It is our hope that the new leadership will spare no effort in advancing the points that we emphasized the most during our political consultations: strengthening of [Artsakh’s] statehood, guaranteeing security, the international recognition of Artsakh, constitutional reforms, the signing of a military-strategic partnership agreement with the Republic of Armenia, economic development, establishment of social justice, repopulation and population growth.
With its global structure, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation steadfastly will continue to have input in advancement of the homeland. The ARF’s fundamental aspirations have been and remain the strengthening of freedom, justice, national and human values, as well as securing national accord.
Armenians to return from Belarus and Russia on special flights on May 25
15:07,
YEREVAN, MAY 23, ARMENPRESS. The Civil Aviation Committee says Belavia airline will operate the Minsk-Yerevan-Minsk flight on May 25 (arriving 02:45 Yerevan time), and the Red Wings airline will operate the Moscow-Yerevan flight on the same day (arriving 21:10 Yerevan time).
Authorities have tasked the tourism committee to escort the arriving passengers to their self-isolation locations. Therefore, the committee asked relatives of the arrivals not to go to the airport to avoid inconveniences.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
Russian PM returns to work after recovering from coronavirus
13:45,
YEREVAN, MAY 19, ARMENPRESS. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who had been admitted to hospital with COVID-19, has resumed his duties, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decree published on the Kremlin website, reports TASS.
Mishustin held several meetings in the format of a video conference while he was in hospital.
On April 30, Mishustin announced that he had been diagnosed with the coronavirus infection. After that, the prime minister was admitted to hospital for treatment, while his duties were assumed by First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov. The presidential decree has canceled an earlier decree that appointed Belousov as the acting head of government.
2 staff members of PM’s Office infected with coronavirus
20:08,
YEREVAN, MAY 13, ARMENPRESS. 2 members of the Department for Personnel and Human Resources Management of the Prime Minister’s Office have tested positive for coronavirus, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the PM’s Office.
Both of them have been isolated.
Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
Ombudsman about the incident in parliament: Violence or threat of violence is unacceptable
Arminfo, Armenia
May 8 2020
ArmInfo. Violence or the threat of violence is unacceptable in principle, regardless of when and by whom it is done or to whom it is directed. The Ombudsman of Armenia Arman Tatoyan wrote about this on his Facebook page, referring to today's incident in parliament.
''The rules that apply to everyone are of particular importance to the political majority, which has received a mandate of high confidence. You cannot use a derogatory word that offends a person's dignity. This leads to dangerous consequences, doubles insult and hatred, and provokes violence. This requirement is especially true for persons holding public office and carrying out relevant activities, who in their political or other terms should be restrained and not allow words that generate hatred and cause tension. Whether we like it or not, the words and behavior in parliament are an example for society. Therefore, it is especially necessary here not to overstep the mark, and to contribute to guaranteeing solidarity and mutual respect in society. Violence or the threat of violence is unacceptable in principle, regardless of when and by whom it is done or to whom it is directed. In the end, the main goal of all of us is to eliminate threats, completely eradicate insult and humiliation of dignity, any word that generates hatred>, he said.
To recall, the work of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia was interrupted today due to the conflict that arose between the head of the Bright Armenia faction Edmon Marukyan and the MP of the National Assembly from the My Step faction Sasun Mikayelyan. Other lawmakers of the Armenian parliament were also involved in the assault. Clarification of relations with the participation of parliamentarians continued during the announced break, after which the conflicting parties finally dispersed.
Armenia parliament staffer infected with coronavirus
15:11, 6 May, 2020
YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. An administrative staffer at the Armenian parliament has tested positive for COVID19, Speaker of Parliament Ararat Mirzoyan announced during a session.
The Speaker told lawmakers to take all safety precautions, noting that although wearing face masks is optional, it is an effective way of preventing transmission.
“The infected person is isolated, the direct contacts are traced, they too are quarantined, we are expected to continue our work normally by taking safety precautions,” Mirzoyan said.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
Armenian MP on campaign against Catholicos of All Armenians
News.am, Armenia
17:00, 28.04.2020