Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

The Los Angeles Times

KURT STREETER

Trojans’ offense thrives with Sarkisian at wheel

Coordinator has another big day in Rose Bowl.
Kurt Streeter

January 3, 2008

Not so long ago — two months ago, to be exact — Steve Sarkisian was a
whipping boy for USC fans who claimed their offensive coordinator was
steering their beloved Trojans straight into the gutter.

That unforgettable smackdown at the hands of those pencil-necked nerds
from Stanford? Sarkisian’s fault.

That back-breaking loss to Oregon? Sarkisian’s fault.

The fact that the Trojans offense, expected to be a smooth-running
Maserati, wasn’t firing on all cylinders, even as the team was on its
way to 11 wins? Blame Sarkisian.

It took a while, longer than some impossibly spoiled fans would have
liked, but as the season wound down and finished with a Pasadena
flourish, the Trojans forged a clear offensive identity, a look we can
expect to see from USC again next season.

Gone, maybe for good, are the days of hair-raising fireworks and
quick-strike touchdowns. No more Leinart and Bush, Williams and Chow.

Under Sarkisian, in his first year running solo as offensive
coordinator, things were different — but in the end, no less effective.
This year’s Rose Bowl, a 49-17 Trojans victory over Illinois, told the
story. The offense was masterful. Steady and sharp, controlled and
balanced. It gave the Trojans defense time to sit on the sidelines and
breathe. It had just the right amount of hard-hat toughness, just the
right amount of Hollywood flair.

"Everything Sarkisian said would happen," tackle Sam Baker told me after
the game, "is exactly what happened . . . the guy drew up a perfect
game."

I spoke to the 33-year-old coach over the phone Wednesday morning. He
was still at the team hotel room, a bit groggy farom a night spent
basking in the moment with the team and his family. He picked up the
sheet of plays he used for the game, read it and reminisced. The
grogginess was gone.

"First play, we had an empty backfield," he said. "It was a screen to
Joe [McKnight] and it didn’t work out the way we wanted. There was no
gain, but it was important because what we did with that one play
started us out on the road for the whole game. It set a tone."

Sarkisian explained that he went into the game certain the Trojans could
exploit the core of the Illinois defense, particularly its linebackers
and safeties. The plan was to stretch the Illini by using offensive
formations that drew the defense away from the center, then to attack
the middle of the field with the steadiness of a metronome.

That’s exactly what happened in USC’s first drive. Following the pass to
McKnight came a long pass, a run up the gut, a pass up the gut, then
another.

Sarkisian could feel the hair rise on the back of his neck.

"The sideline, it was just amazing," he remembered. "The guys were
really aggressive and really emotional. For whatever reason our guys
were as hyped up as they have been all year. They were electric on the
sideline . . . I could feel something special was going to happen."

It didn’t take long. A little more than two minutes into that drive,
with the sun dripping against the green field and the boys from the
Midwest still hopeful, John David Booty dropped back to pass and lofted
an eight-yard strike to Chauncey Washington.

USC 7, Illinois 0.

A clinic.

"We ended up scoring that touchdown and we did everything we wanted to
do," Sarkisian said. "We got a point across to our players: that we were
going to spread the field and be aggressive. And we got across to their
team that we were going to play a spread-out, wide-open game."

Four minutes later, on the first play after an Illini turnover,
Sarkisian called the play that drove the point home for good.

>From the Illinois 34, Booty threw a backward pass to a Trojans sophomore
hardly anyone knew existed until this game. Garrett Green is his name
and he looked across the field and launched a long parabola to Desmond
Reed, right on the money. Reed scooted toward the end zone and did a
flip once he got there.

USC 14, Illinois 0.

A drubbing.

"Right there, another message to our kids," Sarkisian said. "We get the
first shot and call that play and Desmond does his flip. We were saying,
‘This is going to be a fun night tonight. The play calls are going to be
fun. We are going to have a blast.’ "

Across the field, of course, the white-clad Illini players knew that
this was going to be anything but a blast. This was going to be long,
and painful. Other than a few brief moments, they limped through the
entire game in a daze. They showed they could run a bit, but they just
couldn’t throw a spiral or catch a pass or hold onto it if they did.

Meantime, Sarkisian had a full quiver of arrows to work with. When his
offense bogged down in the second quarter he called his players together
and spoke loudly. "We are going to run it and run it and run it," he
told them.

The following drive would be a test of wills.

Sorry Illini fans, even Dick Butkus would not have helped.

Five plays out of six, the Trojans ran the ball. When it was over they
led, 21-0.

"An attitude drive," Sarkisian called it. "This offense, we want to be
able to run the ball and throw the ball well."

The game moved on and Sarkisian soaked it in. He’s as focused as they
come, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t hear the booing that poured down
>From the Coliseum faithful this season when his offense sputtered.

Tuesday night was a tonic. All game long, on the sideline, his players
danced, hands held out, bouncing on one leg, then the other. Maybe they
were a bit too emotional at times — there were those penalties for
excessive celebration. But then again, Sarkisian reminded me, these are
college kids. Let them have their fun. There will be plenty of time for
button-down practicality as the years pass.

It didn’t hurt that the Trojans had luck, too.

"Thing is, all year it seemed like we weren’t getting the bounces," he
said. He conjured up the third quarter, with Illinois trying one last
time to make a game of it. A backward pass caromed off of McKnight’s
hands and onto the turf, a fumble. Early this season, that ball would
have skipped out of bounds or been picked up by a straight-A engineering
student who lives in a dorm room in Palo Alto. This time, McKnight
snatched it up and made like a jellyfish. Nobody could lay a hand on him
for 65 yards.

"After that run by Joe McKnight," said Sarkisian, "we just kind of got
going again."

Did they ever.

Following McKnight’s madcap dash it took four plays for the Trojans to
score another touchdown and lead by 18. It took roughly 20 minutes more
for the clock to strike zero, the Trojans’ ahead by 32, their offense
still in high gear, a yard from another touchdown.

So much for Sarkisian driving the Trojans into the gutter.

Kurt Streeter can be reached at [email protected]. To read
previous columns by Streeter, go to latimes.com/streeter.

ts/la-sp-streeter3jan03,1,6077803,full.column?coll =3Dla-headlines-sports

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Jan 3 2008

OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs Should Cease Nagorno-Karabakh Talks: Head
Azerbaijani Community
03.01.08 14:19

Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend E.Huseynli / Nizami Bahmanov, the head
of the Azerbaijani community of Nagono-Karabakh, considers that the
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs should cease the peace talks. `If the
co-chairs cannot achieve any result in the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it is necessary to cease talks and declare
for the OSCE chairman that the Armenian side is unwilling to change
its non-constructive position,’ Nizami Bahmanov, the head of the
Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh said.

To resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict the Minsk Group was
established in 1992 with the participation of 10 countries. Since
1997 three countries – the United States, Russia and France have been
co-chairing at the OSCE Minsk Group. In this period the co-chairs
have repeatedly came out with different proposals, whilst every time
Armenia demonstrated non-constructive position.

Bahmanov said that as soon as the OSCE Minsk Group cease talks, the
Nagorno-Karabakh talks should be resolved on the level of UN. It is
so naive to expect results from the next visit of the Minsk Group
co-chairs to the region scheduled for mid-January. `Still the
co-chairs are unable to distinguish the occupant country from the
country exposed to occupation and carry out imbalanced policy in the
resolution of the problem. So, it is impossible to speak about any
results,’ Bahmanov said.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in
1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.

Global Insight
January 3, 2008

Armenian Consumer, Business Confidence Weaken in Q4 2007

by Venla Sipila

The quarterly confidence survey published by the Central Bank of
Armenia (CBA) shows that sentiment among Armenian consumers and
businesses continued to weaken over the fourth quarter of 2007, after
slipping over the previous quarters. According to ARKA News, the
composite index of consumer confidence fell to 48.6 after standing at
52.7 in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter of the previous
year, the index had stood at 50.3. Thus, the last quarter of 2007 saw
the index fall below the 50-point mark, indicating that expectations
have turned negative. Further, it was reported that the economic
activity index registered 54.4, falling markedly from the third
quarter reading of 69.2.

Significance:The decrease of the consumer confidence index below 50
points is significant as this is the critical value separating a
negative from a positive outlook. Economic activity in Armenia is set
to weaken, after 2007 looks certain to prove the sixth consecutive
year of annual growth at double-digit rates (seeArmenia: 14 December
2007: ). Looking further, growth at such high rates is unsustainable.
Extremely rapid economic expansion also brings with it concerns
regarding overheating. Indeed, the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
has cautioned that it is imperative for Armenia to ensure that
macro-economic policy is consistent with keeping inflation under
control.

The Messenger, Georgia
Dec 31 2007

Armenia-Iran railroad feasibility study commissioned for spring

By M. Alkhazashvili
(Translated by Diana Dundua)
Monday, December 31

On December 27, Armenian Transport and Communications Minister
Andranik Manukyan announced that a study of a proposed Armenia-Iran
railway project will be carried out next spring.

The study will look at both technical and financial aspects of the
railroad, according to the news agency Regnum, and offer a judgment
on its feasibility and profitability.

Armenia is seen as leading the push for the project, with support
from Tehran and other international partners, including Russia.

EurasiaNet, NY
Dec 30 2007

IRAN/AZERBAIJAN: FAITH, OIL, AND POWER THREATEN HISTORIC
‘BROTHERHOOD’

Luke Allnutt 12/30/07
A EurasiaNet Partner Post from RFE/RL

In this village 45 kilometers outside Baku, the capital’s boulevards
crammed with boutiques give way to a labyrinth of winding, dusty
streets. Instead of billboards advertising Gucci fashions or SUVs,
there are political slogans daubed in paint on the village’s
sandstone walls, some praising Ayatollah Khomeini, others proclaiming
"Death To America and Israel."

In the local mosque, an imam from Iran preaches. The men sit
cross-legged and listen, the wind whipping through a tarpaulin
separating the men’s side from the women’s.

"Azerbaijan and Iran have been brothers for ages," the imam says.
"They are sisters, they are one house. They have the same blood, same
language, same faith. There is no difference between them."

Iran and Azerbaijan both have majority Shi’a populations, and at
least 25 percent of Iran’s population is ethnic Azeri. But cultural
and ethnic similarities aside, there is much that divides the two
countries.

One is a largely secular, post-Soviet state eager to use its energy
wealth to secure powerful friends in both the West and the East. The
other is a repressive Islamic society whose combative policies have
left it almost completely isolated from Europe and the United States.

Trying Times

Still, the relationship between Baku and Tehran is considered a
critical linchpin in the vital, and volatile, Caspian region. Links
between the two have come under the spotlight in recent weeks, with
the trial and ultimate conviction of 15 Azerbaijani men found guilty
of passing information on Western embassies and companies operating
in Azerbaijan to Iranian intelligence.

The closed-door trial, which opened in Baku in early October,
concluded on December 10, with the country’s Court for Serious Crimes
convicting the defendants on charges of treason and sedition.

The defendants, all members of Nima, a small Islamist group, were
found guilty of cooperating with Iranian special services in plotting
a coup against the government of President Ilham Aliyev. The group’s
leader, a young cleric who staunchly denied any ties to Iranian
intelligence, received 14 years in prison.

Iran expressed deep anger over the verdict and the accusations, by
extension, that it sought to destabilize the Azerbaijani government.
Officials in Tehran summoned Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the Foreign
Ministry and called the court proceedings a "comedy."

But in Azerbaijan, the verdict is a serious reflection of official
worries about the encroachment of Iran’s political brand of Shi’ite
Islam. Officially secular Azerbaijan has seen a growth in Islamic
faith since the breakup of the Soviet Union, fueled by money and
missionaries sent by foreign groups.

In the early 1990s, it was common for Iranian imams to be preaching
in Azerbaijani mosques. Azerbaijani authorities have since sought to
rein that in, tightening controls on religious education.

But Yadigar Sadigov, the local head of the opposition Musavat party
in the southeastern town of Lankoran close to the Iranian border,
says that Iran’s radical version of Islam is still making inroads
into religious life in the town.

Sadigov says that Iran broadcasts Azeri-language religious programs
into Azerbaijan; Lankoran bookshops are full of ideological works
from Iran. "The propaganda promotes the Islamic regime in Iran and
says that our secular system is not good," Sadigov says.

Alimardan Aliyev, the local mayor’s spokesman, denies that Islam is
making inroads in the region. "This region doesn’t have a problem
with extremism, especially Iranian-sponsored extremism," he says.
"You won’t find an Iranian speaking in our mosques."

Slippery Rivals

Many observers see relations between the two countries worsening —
and say that it’s a growing economic rivalry, rather than religion,
that’s to blame.

Steve LeVine, a former "Wall Street Journal" correspondent and the
author of a recent book on Caspian oil, "The Oil and the Glory," says
that there is no brotherly love between Iran and Azerbaijan.

"There is a rivalry of sorts involving oil. Iran is putting its oil
on the Gulf and Azerbaijan is putting its oil onto the Mediterranean
and they’re headed for the same market," LeVine says.

Underscoring the economic rivalry is the ongoing dispute over the
delimitation of the Caspian Sea.

The dispute centers on whether the Caspian is classified as a sea or
a lake, which affects the littoral states’ claims on its resources.

Russia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan have all signed bilateral
agreements about their sectors, but Iran still insists on a
multilateral agreement among all five states, including Turkmenistan.

LeVine says that Russia and Iran are allies in the strategy of
thwarting a Caspian resolution "in order to stop any trans-Caspian
pipeline," in particular a pipeline that would ship oil from Central
Asia to the Mediterranean, via Azerbaijan.

The rivalry between Azerbaijan and Iran is increasingly being
sharpened by an anti-Western axis of Russia, Armenia, and Iran.

Federico Bordonaro, a Rome-based senior analyst with the "Power and
Interest News Report," says that a Russian-Armenian-Iranian strategic
partnership is very profitable for Russia if Moscow is to check the
U.S. and NATO penetration in the South Caucasus. Such an axis, he
says, also works for Iran.

"Iran does not want a very strong Azerbaijan — first of all, because
Azerbaijan is pro-United States, and second, because the Azeri
minority in Iran must be checked by the Tehran central government,"
Bordonaro says.

The alliance between Muslim Iran and Orthodox Armenia and Russia —
at the expense of predominantly Muslim Azerbaijan — is testament to
how geostrategic and economic interests tend to override religious or
cultural ties in the region.

What isn’t clear is whether Azerbaijan’s and Iran’s economic rivalry
will be characterized more in the future by accusations of
skullduggery and worsening relations.

‘Everything Could Be Here’

In the past, Azerbaijan has tried to play a skillful balancing act
between Moscow, Washington, and Tehran, and has been careful to
maintain friendly relations with its large southern neighbor.

Baku faced a profound diplomatic challenge this year when Russia
offered an Azerbaijani radar base to the United States for use in an
antimissile program aimed squarely at Iran. But the potentially
divisive proposal appears to have stirred only minor ripples.

Ahmadinejad and Aliyev pledged continued cooperation at friendly
talks in Azerbaijan in August, just weeks before U.S. and Russian
officials were scheduled to inspect the radar facility in Qabala.

More troublesome, it seems, is the question of Iranian meddling in
Azerbaijan’s state security. Azerbaijani officials have recently said
that there are other terrorist groups at large.

Vafa Guluzade, a former adviser to late Azerbaijani President Heydar
Aliyev, says he is 100-percent convinced that Iran has a good
intelligence network operating in Azerbaijan.

"This network can work to destabilize the situation: explosions,
suicide bombers, I don’t know, everything could be here," he says.

Perhaps more worrying for the Azerbaijani authorities is popular
sympathy for the Iranian regime.

In towns close to the Iranian border, there is a large population of
Talysh, who are linguistically and ethnically similar to Persians.
Many locals regularly travel across the border to visit their ethnic
Azeri relatives in northern Iran and sell food and clothes.

There is also growing disenchantment in Azerbaijan with the regime of
Ilham Aliyev, which is viewed by many as deeply corrupt and
antidemocratic. Yadigar Sadigov, the opposition party head in
Langkoran, says that dissatisfaction at home could easily create ears
receptive to Iranian propaganda.

"In the first years of independence, people supported the secular
system, democracy, but the government didn’t keep its promise," he
says. "They are not optimistic about democracy and the secular system
— and then people will orientate themselves to the Iranian side."

Panorama.am

19:30 25/12/2007

POLL: ARMENIA SHOULD LAY CLAIMS TO GENOCIDE

Today finished the project `People’s President’ SMS
poll, organized by `Radio Hay’. The project started in
November 17.

What should be the policy of the Armenian president
concerning the relations of Russia and Europe? The
poll results showed that 50% of population quoted for
`Armenia should play neutral position and create
balanced relations both with Russia and Europe’.

Another question was asked `Armenia should strengthen
its relations with Europe, regardless of Russia’s
position’. The most astonishing thing is that this
variant received higher marks (28%) than its negative
variant (22%).

As for Armenian genocide and Armenian Turkish
relations the majority of participants (98%) quoted
for having demands in this issue. And, finally the
last issue was NKR question. The participants of the
poll quoted for keeping the peaceful negotiations with
Azerbaijan, and get the final results without carrying
out military activities.

Source: Panorama.am

RIA Novosti, Russia
Dec 27 2007

Transdnestr deserves independence more than Kosovo – leader
17:31 | 27/ 12/ 2007

TIRASPOL, December 27 (RIA Novosti) – Transdnestr’s leader Igor
Smirnov said on Thursday his breakaway republic has more grounds to
declare independence than the Serbian Albanian-dominated province.

Transdnestr, a separatist republic with a large ethnic Russian
population, proclaimed its independence from Moldova after the
collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

"For us, the Kosovo precedent is an important but not the only key
factor. Historical and legal factors, and reality itself suggest we
have more right to independence," Smirnov told a news conference,
adding that the republic complied with all frames of reference within
international law when it came to sovereignty.

The Transdnestrian leader said the international community should
develop universal rules and principles for conflict settlement if it
wanted to ensure safety, stability and certainty.

"It is time Moldova realized this then more progress would be
achieved on many issues," Smirnov said.

Throughout long-lasting talks aimed at finding a solution to the
status of Serbia’s breakaway province, Russia has backed Belgrade in
opposing Kosovo’s sovereignty, warning it would have a knock on
effect for other secessionist areas, such as Transdnestr in Moldova,
South Ossetia and Abkhazia in Georgia and Nagorny Karabakh in
Azerbaijan, so called frozen conflicts since the 1990s.

The UN Security Council failed last Wednesday to bridge divisions
over the future of Kosovo. The province’s drive for independence has
been backed by the West and firmly opposed by Serbia. The European
Union and NATO assumed responsibility for determining Kosovo’s
status.

ARMENIANS MARK BITTERSWEET CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY
By Michelle L. Klampe (Contact)

Ventura County Star, CA
Dec 24 2007

Mother, kids celebrate; father is still miles away

Armine Matevosyan has trouble imagining anything but a white
Christmas. "Christmas without snow is not good," she said with a grin.

Matevosyan, 21, grew up in Armenia, a landlocked, mountainous country
where cold, snowy weather is common this time of year. Christmas
is celebrated Jan. 6, following the Orthodox calendar, with large
gatherings of family members and traditional food such as freshwater
fish and rice.

But this year, Matevosyan and her brother, Tigran, 19, will celebrate
Christmas without snow in Ojai. It’s their first holiday with their
mother, Susanna Sukiasyan, since Sukiasyan sought political asylum,
immigrating to the U.S. seven years ago. Sukiasyan left her children
behind so she could find work and build a better life for them,
never imagining it would take so long to reunite her family.

"It’s nice having the family together," Sukiasyan said. "I’m blessed
to have them here."

The reunion finally came six months ago. The children arrived in Los
Angeles, where their mother and grandmother Chinar Hakobyan, who came
to the U.S. two years ago to be with her daughter, were waiting.

Sukiasyan’s husband, Ashot Matevosyan, remains in Armenia, unemployed
and struggling, but unable to secure the necessary paperwork to join
his family.

"It’s very painful for me," Sukiasyan said. Her son, an artist,
will say, "How can we help Daddy? Maybe I can sell a painting and
pay a little for your bills and a little to Daddy so he can have a
nice Christmas."

The separation is hard on the children, who speak by phone to their
father nearly every day. "We were so close to him," Armine said.

Still, Tigran and Armine’s first Christmas in America is worth
celebrating. The festivities will include gifts and a table laden
with Armenian specialities. Tigran made a wreath for the front door
of the family’s small cottage; a matching garland is draped across
the fireplace.

Though the family struggles financially, having a table and food to
share with the friends they’ve made here is one of the benefits of
life in America, Sukiasyan said. "Here you can buy things," she said,
because store shelves are filled with all kinds of food, not bare
because of trade blockades or poor economic conditions. "Even if you
don’t have money, you can make a beautiful table."

There is an Armenian saying, "The guest is from God," and that’s how
they treat visitors. "Whatever we have, we are going to put everything
out," Sukiasyan said. "Whether we have money or not, we are putting
our heart out to people. It’s very special for us."

Sukiasyan and her children work as a team to support the family and
build a life in the U.S. Sukiasyan works part time at The Gables
assisted living facility in Ojai, attends Ventura College and hopes
to become a nurse. She recently applied to CSU Channel Islands to
continue toward that goal.

Armine and Tigran are taking English classes two nights a week at
Chaparral High School in Ojai. The siblings hope to enroll in college
next year, after they’ve established residency in California.

In August, Armine got a job working as a cook’s helper at Oak Grove
School, where her favorite part of her day is serving lunch to the
kindergartners. She’s looking for other work, as well, to help support
her family. She dreams of someday becoming a neurosurgeon.

Tigran works a few hours each week gardening and doing other jobs.

He also set up a Web site to showcase his work and is planning for a
show at a local gallery in the spring. He’s sold a couple of paintings,
including some portraits he was commissioned to paint.

He’s also looking for other work to help support his parents,
grandmother and sister.

The transition from the family’s home in Armenia’s capital of Yerevan
to life in small-town Ojai has been a big change for the siblings.

"We’re going from capital to village," Armine said with a smile. But
family friend Therese Hartmann has tried to help them stay connected
to their culture.

Hartmann, who met Sukiasyan at The Gables while visiting a resident
there, has taken the family to the Armenian Music Awards show in Los
Angeles, and to an Armenian concert at the Hollywood Bowl.

Friends such as Hartmann help Sukiasyan remember what she loves about
America and cope with the struggles she’s faced in reuniting with her
husband. She sent yet another application to immigration officials
over the summer, but the package was sent back in November.

The fees had gone up between the time the package was mailed and the
time it was opened, so the package was rejected.

"I just don’t know what else to do," she said. "Sometimes I don’t call
(her husband) because I’m ashamed I have nothing to tell him."

Still, she sent the package back with a new check. She also plans to
apply for citizenship as soon as she’s able, in March, which might
help her effort.

And she tries to remain hopeful that 2008 will see her long-awaited
family reunion.

"We’re going to gather when my husband comes here," she said. "That
will be our first Christmas party."

MAJOR REPAIRS OF 2464 ELEVATORS TO BE DONE BY OCTOBER, 2008 WITH RA STATE BUDGET FUNDS

Noyan Tapan
Dec 24 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 24, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA government has allocated 3bn
drams for restoring Yerevan’s elevator network and organizing their
safe operation. Yerevan Mayor Yervand Zakharian said at the December
24 press conference that the elevator park’s modernization program
has been already launched in Yerevan’s different communities: repairs
of nearly 400 elevators will be finished by the end of the year.

According to the Mayor, in total, 2464 elevators will be repaired
with state budget’s funds. The repairs will be completely finished
in October, 2008.

ARMED ARMENIANS DETAINED NEAR PUTIN’S COUNTRY HOUSE

Kommersant, Russia
Dec 24 2007

Three armed Armenians were detained December 23 near Vladimir Putin’s
residence in Novo-Ogarevo, Komsomolskaya Pravda reported.

Driving Audi and Mercedes, the Armenians neared the president’s
country house by around 10:00 p.m., MSK, but only to be immediately
arrested by officers of Federal Guard Service. The search showed that
the detained had knifes, pistols and even a sabre with them. Their
identities are being checked now.

According to the detained, they appeared near Putin’s residence quite
by chance. Having driven from the Nizhni Novgorod region, they lost
their way. Regardless, they are likely to be charged with keeping
of weapons.