Category: 2018

Antilias – H.S.O.T.T. ARAM A. His Eminence the Patriarch received the Chairman of AGBU

Hovik Karapetian
Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
PO Box : 70 317 Antelias – LEBANON
Tel: (+961-4) 410 001 / 3
Fax: (+961-4) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]


 N:.S:.Oh.T:.T:.ARAM A.
His Eminence the Patriarch received the Chairman of AGBU

 

On the evening of Tuesday, June 19, 2018, H.E.
Aram A. His Holiness visited the General Armenian Charity Society
President, Mr. Perch Sedrakean.

 

The meeting, which lasted more than an hour, became an occasion
to bring to a general discussion what has happened in the last period within Armenia
developments, as well as issues related to Armenia-Diaspora relations
programs.

 

 

 

 

 

—


Communication & Information Department

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 06/20/2018

Emma Nadirian 
                                        Wednesday, 
Pension Reform Bill Approved By Parliament
        • Nane Sahakian
Armenia - A session of the National Assembly in Yerevan, 8 February 2018.
The National Assembly approved on Wednesday the new Armenian government’s 
decision to complete an unpopular reform of the country’s pension system which 
was launched four years ago.
The new Western-backed system is to cover 280,000 or so Armenian workers born 
after 1973. It requires them to earn most of their future pensions with monthly 
financial contributions to one of two private pension funds operating in 
Armenia. Both funds are owned by European companies.
The former government, which embarked on the pension reform in January 2014, 
said that the existing mechanism for retirement benefits is not sustainable 
because of Armenia’s aging and shrinking population. But it decided to make the 
new system optional for private sector employees until July 2018 in response to 
angry street protests.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian defended the reform when he presented his newly 
formed cabinet’s policy program to the parliament earlier this month. But in a 
major concession to Armenians affected by it, the cabinet approved on June 11 a 
bill that would temporarily cut their pension tax rate from 5 percent to 2.5 
percent.
The move prompted Labor and Social Affairs Minister Mane Tandilian, who was one 
of the organizers of the 2014 protests, to step down. Her resignation has still 
not been formally accepted by Pashinian.
Armenia - Workers demonstrate against a controversial pension reform, Yerevan, 
8May2014.
Finance Minister Atom Janjughazian presented the bill to the National Assembly 
on Tuesday. He insisted that the effective privatization of the pension system 
is “the only way to ensure that people get pensions worthy of their work after 
retirement.”
The parliament passed the bill in the first reading by 78 votes to 2. Seven 
other deputies abstained. All of them represent the Armenian Revolutionary 
Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), Pashinian’s coalition partner which has opposed 
the reform.
The Dashnaktsutyun-affiliated Minister for Economic Artsvik Minasian openly 
objected to the bill on June 11. His objections clearly irritated Pashinian, 
who said that all ministers must share “collective responsibility” for 
government policies.
Businessman Gagik Tsarukian’s bloc, which is also part of the ruling coalition, 
has also criticized the reform in the past. Still, most of its deputies voted 
for making the new system mandatory for all Armenians aged 44 and younger. One 
of them, Mikael Melkumian, said Janjughazian’s remarks on the parliament floor 
largely dispelled their misgivings for the time being.
Deputies from the Yelk alliance, of which Pashinian is a leader, likewise 
voiced conditional support for the bill. Edmon Marukian, another Yelk leader, 
said he expects the new government to consider modifying the new system later 
on. Pashinian made clear later on Tuesday that he is open to such discussions.
According to government officials, over 200,000 people are already covered by 
the new pension plan.
Former Authorities ‘Knew About Ex-General’s Corruption’
        • Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenia - Parliament deputy Artur Gevorgian speaks to journalists in Yerevan, 
.
Armenia’s previous governments were aware of retired General Manvel Grigorian’s 
corrupt activities but did not allow law-enforcement bodies to prosecute him, a 
lawmaker until recently affiliated with the former ruling Republican Party 
(HHK) claimed on Wednesday.
Artur Gevorgian also said that many other individuals in the country are even 
more corrupt that Grigorian, who was arrested on Saturday on charges of illegal 
arms possession and embezzlement.
“In terms of corrupt practices, Manvel Grigorian is probably not on the top 100 
list [of corrupt persons] of this country,” he told reporters.
“They [law-enforcement bodies] now got a permission to catch him and they 
caught him,” he said. “They didn’t have permission before and so they didn’t 
catch him.”
Gevorgian is one of several parliamentarians who have defected from the HHK 
since the former ruling party’s leader, Serzh Sarkisian, resigned as Armenia’s 
prime minister on April 23 amid massive protests against his continued rule. 
Significantly, the 43-year-old former boxer is the son-in-law of Vladimir 
Gasparian, the former chief of the Armenian police.
Gasparian was fired two days after the Armenian parliament elected Nikol 
Pashinian as prime minister on May 8. He ran the national police service for 
seven years.
Independent and opposition-linked media outlets have long accused General 
Grigorian, who served as deputy defense minister from 2000-2008, of corruption, 
violent conduct and other abuses.
Grigorian strongly supported Sarkisian throughout the latter’s decade-long rule 
and was twice elected to the parliament on the HHK ticket. He has headed the 
Yerkrapah Union, an influential organization uniting thousands of veterans of 
the Karabakh war, for almost two decades.
The ex-general was arrested immediately after officers of the National Security 
Service (NSS) raided his expensive properties in and around Echmiadzin, a 
historic town about 20 kilometers west of Yerevan. They found there large 
quantities of not only weapons but also food and other supplies meant for 
Armenian army soldiers.
An NSS video of the search caused widespread shock and indignation in the 
country. The parliament swiftly agreed on Tuesday to lift Grigorian’s immunity 
from prosecution.
Investigators claimed on Wednesday to have confiscated more canned food which 
they believe was embezzled by Grigorian and hoarded in at least two other 
locations, including a house in Karabakh owned by him.
Press Review
“Zhamanak” wonders if the new Armenian government’s anti-corruption drive will 
target “the former number one figures” of the state. The paper suggests in this 
regard that the arrested General Manvel Grigorian could have hardly embezzled 
supplies to the armed forces without Serzh Sarkisian’s knowledge.
“Hraparak” also says that Grigorian’s arrest and embarrassing revelations made 
by the National Security Service (NSS) raise many questions about the scale of 
corruption in the country and the armed forces in particular. The paper says 
law-enforcement authorities must look into the possible involvement of other 
senior military officials in such illegal activities.
“Zhoghovurd” likewise tries to understand “how all this happened” and who 
Manvel Grigorian’s “accomplices” are. “It is evident that Grigorian did not act 
alone,” writes the paper. “And as the head of the National Security Service, 
Artur Vanetsian, said the other day, further sensational revelations await us. 
We are talking not just about members of the Yerkrapah Union and the general’s 
friends but also members of his family. In this sense exposures have already 
begun and it is Manvel Grigorian’s wife, Colonel Nazik Amirian, who has 
primarily found herself at the center of law-enforcers’ attention.”
“Aravot” reports that the Armenian police “disarmed” on Tuesday Hovannes 
Hovsepian, the former head of the State Revenue Committee and Serzh Sarkisian’s 
Oversight Service, and his bodyguards. “Police officers stopped his motorcade 
and found a whole arsenal in their cars,” says the paper. “The current and 
former officials and oligarchs have such a habit of moving around the city in a 
motorcade of several cars. This is their preferred method of asserting 
themselves.” It hopes to see similar operations against dozens of other 
notorious individuals “so that they realize that their time is gone and that 
they are not feudal authorities anymore.”
(Tigran Avetisian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org

Tigran Arakelyan Recognized with Two Awards and a New Music Director Position – The Armenian Mirror-Spectator

Eduard Nalbandian
ARTS & CULTURE

JUNE 14, 2018

by

 The Armenian Mirror-Spectator

136
0

SEATTLE, Wash. — Armenian-American conductor Tigran Arakelyan has been appointed music director of the Northwest Mahler Festival. In addition, he received a bronze medal at the Global Music Awards and is a finalist for the American Prize in Orchestral Programming.

Founded in 1995, the Northwest Mahler Festival is a summer festival for professionals, students and community musicians performing large scale-works. On July 21, the Festival Orchestra will perform Mahler’s 5th Symphony, in Seattle.

Arakelyan recently received a bronze medal at the Global Music Awards for his work on the podcast “Off The Podium Music” (https://offthepodium.weebly.com/). The podcast has close to 70 episodes featuring artists of high caliber. In addition to his podcast, the other programs in the series featured David Harrington of the Kronos Quartet, Grammy Award-winning bassist Christian McBride and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer George Walker.

He was also named a finalist for the American Prize in Orchestral Programming with the Bainbridge Island Youth Orchestras. The American Prize — Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in Orchestral Programming — recognizes and rewards the best achievement in the unique field of orchestral programming, where the selection of repertoire by knowledgeable, creative and courageous music directors builds orchestras and audiences, educates young people and adults, and enriches the community.

Arakelyan is music director of the Bainbridge Island Youth Orchestra, Federal Way Youth Symphony and Port Townsend Community Orchestra. For more information about him visit www.TigranArakelyan.com.

Calendar of Events – 06/21/2018

Markos Nalchajian 
                        Armenian News's Calendar of events
                        (All times local to events)
                =========================================
What:           "The Promise Institute One Year On: What have we done and where are we heading?"
                a lecture in English is given by Jessica Peake
When:           Jul 15 2018 1pm
                Following Church Divine Liturgy which starts at 10:30am
Where:          Armenian Apostolic Church of Crescenta Valley
                Western Prelacy's Hall, 6252 Honolulu Ave., La Crescenta, CA
Misc:           Ms. Peake will present information about the mission of the
                Institute, its current activities, and its projected
                programming for the near future. Ms. Peake will reflect on
                possible collaborative involvement by the Armenian community
                with the Institute.
                Jessica Peake is the Director of the International and
                Comparative Law Program (ICLP), and Assistant Director of the
                Promise Institute for Human Rights at the School of Law at
                UCLA. Since arriving at UCLA in January 2014, Jessica has
                developed relationships with several human rights
                organizations creating internship, externship and pro bono
                opportunities for students. She has also assisted in the
                expansion of UCLA Law's Foreign Legal Study and Exchange
                Program.
                The event is free to the public.
Online Contact: [email protected]
Tel:            818-244-9645
                =========================================
What:           Help Armenia Face the Challenges of Alzheimer's Conference
When:           Oct 26 2018 9am
Where:          Yerevan State Medical University
                Koryun St 2, Yerevan Armenian
Misc:           Registration: 9am - 10am | Conference: 10am - 4pm
                As Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia become an increased
                concern, we are taking steps to help Armenia face them. Mark
                your calendars for this very important conference and help
                raise the level of care through awareness and education.
                Speakers include:
                Professor Mikhayil Aghajanov, MD, Chairman of Biochemistry,
                Yerevan State Medical University
                Topic: Understanding Alzheimer's Disease
                Professor Hovhannes M. Manvelyan, MD, Ph.D.
                Chair of Neurology Department, YSMU
                Topic: The Problem of Dementia in Armenia
                Dr. Jane L. Mahakian, Ph.D. President, Alzheimer's Care Armenia
                Topic: Memory Loss: What's Normal and What's Not
                Victor Mazmanian
                Senior Director of Faith Outreach, Silverado Mind Heart Soul Ministry
                Topic: Caregiving and Hope
Online Contact: [email protected]
Tel:            Dr. Jane Mahakian (949) 212-4105
Web:            
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Renaissance of legendary blend: Yerevan Brandy Company re-launches production of ‘Yerevan" brandy on the threshold of 2800th anniversary of capital

Adrine Hakobian
Arminfo, Armenia
Renaissance of legendary blend: Yerevan Brandy Company re-launches production of ‘Yerevan” brandy on the threshold of 2800th anniversary of capital

Yerevan June 19

Alina Hovhannisyan. In honor of the 2800th anniversary of the capital of Armenia, the Yerevan Brandy Company launches the “ARARAT Yerevan” project, within which the legendary “Yerevan” brandy will reappear on the Armenian market,. The brandy was fisrt created in 1947 by the past master of the blend of the Yerevan Brandy Company Margar Sedrakyan. This was announced to the journalists at the press tour to the Company by Karine Madelrieu, director of Sales and Marketing of the Yerevan Brandy Company.

“In September this year, on the eve of the jubilee celebration, the Yerevan Brandy Company will launch the legendary ‘Yerevan’ cognac, which will be included in the Vintage collection of ARARAT cognacs, “she said. K. Madelrieu noted that “Yerevan” has a special place In the production range, considering the fact that it is the first cognac having such a high degree.

Director of the Yerevan Brandy Company Hamlet Antonyan in his turn informed that the strength of “Yerevan” cognac is 57 degrees, the sugar level is 19.5 percent, the average age of the alcohol is 10 years, but 37 years old alcohol was used to make this brandy. ”Yerevan”, according to Antonyan, was created already in September last year, at the end of August it will be bottled and will enter the market in September. “Experience transferred from master to master gives us the opportunity to create or recreate the whole complexity of blending of ” Yerevan “. This is a difficult, responsible, but pleasant work, because we have to work with spirits, to which very few people in general had the opportunity to come into contact in Armenia. I compare this work with the restoration of ancient paintings, for the reconstruction of which you can not miss a single detail, “he stressed.

Answering to the question of ArmInfo, Karine Madelrieu noted that like the “Armenia” brandy, “Yerevan” will be an exclusive product that can be purchased only in Armenia, but several bottles will be delivered to the Russian market. “We want the guests of the capital be able to find a special product that they will not be able to buy in their country, “she stressed. In the same connection, K.Madelrieu noted that in the first year the volume of production will be about 10 thousand liters. The price category will slightly exceed the cost of ”Armenia’‘ brandy, 25 thousand drams per bottle with a capacity of 0.75 liters.

The Director told the story of Margar Sedrakian’s creation of the legendary “Yerevan” cognac. “The master dismantled all existing stereotypes that the cognac strength can not exceed 50 degrees,” he stressed. The very history of the creation of high-degree cognacs in Armenia, according to Antonyan, began in 1937, when the Papanin team equipped an expedition to the North Pole. Armenians gave them their brandy for warmth. ”However, the expedition participants wrote that it is so cold that cognac does not warm them. They noted that the cognac is strong, but not as much as the local frosts. This served as a direct message for Sedrakyan to create such a cognac, which would be stronger and softer. And he succeeded to do that, “said the director of the YBC production.

Antonyan demonstrated to journalists how to taste brandy. “It is necessary to bring a glass to the nose at a distance of 2-3 cm. Without inhaling sharply, try to feel the notes of creamy caramel, white honey, oak barrel, almonds, the aroma of spices, black pepper, notes of cloves and finally dried plums and half-boiled apricot, “he explained.

In addition, according to K. Madelrieu, the “ARARAT Yerevan” project envisages within the framework of cooperation with the photo agency PAN Photo, a photo project “History of Yerevan”, in which 10 photographers will take part. ”The project is designed to show the untold stories of the capital. 10 photographers, each of whom will have his/her own specific topic, will independently work on the content and will introduce new faces of Yerevan to the residents and guests of the capital, “said sponsor of the photo project Vahan Stepanyan. The photos, he said, will be rigorously selected. Only 10 will be selected of more than 50 photographs. The project will be completed on September 14, after which the photographs will be presented at the exhibition in the ARARAT museum. Moreover, one can watch the photos on the specially created page of Yerevan Stories in the Instagram. (https://www.instagram.com/yerevanstories)

Starting from June 16 this year within the framework of the project, the “ARARAT Yerevan” application was launched, K.Madelrieu informed. The application was created with the assistance of ARLOOPA corporation, thanks to which residents and guests of the capital can see how dozens of years ago about 30 architectural monuments of Yerevan looked like. After downloading the application, each user will have a virtual map with a designation of a number of interesting locations in the capital, each of which will be scanned by the user to see the object in its historical view. Moreover, within the framework of the application, a story will be presented about one or another place. “The concept of the application somewhat resembles ARARAT itself, which preserves and respects its roots and traditions, but at the same time seeks to keep up dynamically with the times,” she stressed. The application can be downloaded from the following links: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.arloopa.ararat and https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ararat- yerevan/id1397856706?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Director of Marketing and Sales of YBC noted that the purpose of the project attached to the 2800th anniversary of the capital, is the opportunity to show the city from a different view. The YBC will also launch a map of Yerevan, which will show historical, but hidden places in the city, which the residents of Yerevan themselves do not know. Maps will be distributed in the capital’s institutions, so that everyone has the opportunity to get acquainted with those locations in the city that were previously unknown to the citizens, she concluded.

The legendary Armenian brandy ARARAT is produced by Yerevan Brandy Company using traditional technology, the foundations of which were laid in 1887 by the brothers Nerses and Vasily Tairyants. ARARAT brandy is created using only local endemic high-quality Armenian grapes and crystal clear spring water. Precious ARARAT brandy is aged exclusively in barrels made of Caucasian oak, produced in their in-house cooperage plant. In 1998 Yerevan Brandy Company became a part of Pernod Ricard, an international company and the world’s leader in the Premium spirits industry.

Kommersant: Moscow wants to supply Yerevan with Su-30SM fighter jets before 2024

Emil Lazarian
Arminfo, Armenia
Kommersant: Moscow wants to supply Yerevan with Su-30SM fighter jets before 2024

Yerevan June 19

Marianna Mkrtchyan. Moscow wants to supply Yerevan with Su-30SM fighter jets before 2024. As Kommersant informs before the change of power in Armenia the Defense Ministry had postponed the purchase of Russian multi-fucntional Su-30SM fighter jets till 2024.

The contract, implying the delivery of at least one squadron to the Armenian Air Force, was signed in 2012, but never came into force due to the financial difficulties of the customer. According to “Kommersant”, Russia expects to implement the agreement with the new leadership of Armenia. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has already sat in the cockpit of the Su-30SM and called the fighter “one of the best in the world.”

Kommersant reports that talks about Armenia’s desire to acquire Su-30SM resumed after Nikol Pashinyan posted a photo on the Facebook social network in which he is in the cockpit of an airplane located at the Erebuni military airport (where the 3624th Russian airbase is located). He did not provide any additional details, nor did he comment on his actions in the Defense Ministry of Armenia. However, according to military expert Leonid Nersisyan, negotiations on Yerevan’s purchase of a certain number of Su-30SM “are in a rather advanced stage,” signing a contract in case of successful and fortunate conjunction of circumstances is expected within the next one or two years. “Rosoboronexport”, however, informed “Kommersant” that they do not have any information about this.

Several top managers of the aviation industry told Kommersant that the Armenian military began to show interest in the Su-30SM aircraft back in 2010 because of the need to upgrade the Air Force fleet (they are based on Soviet Su-25 and Su-27, most of which need capital repair and modernization). Moreover, approximately in 2012, Moscow and Yerevan signed a contract, under terms of which Armenia would receive at least 12 fighters for several years (the authorization for their delivery, according to Kommersant, was given by Vladimir Putin). But the agreement did not come into force due to the financial difficulties of the customer.

Since then, the parties have periodically and unsuccessfully discussed the prospects for the practical implementation of the contract. Moreover, in addition to planes (Moscow tried to solve the financial problem of Yerevan, allowing it to buy planes on Russian domestic, rather than export prices), Armenia needed to purchase other weapons. For example, Yerevan became the first export recipient of the division of the newest operational-tactical Iskander missile complex, and it also acquired weapons worth $ 300 million using Russian loans.

According to Kommersant’s information, the parties returned to the topic of procurement of Su-30SM a few months before the revolution in Armenia, leading to the replacement of the prime minister (instead of Serzh Sargsyan, Nikol Pashinyan) and renewing the power section of the Cabinet. It was at this meeting that representatives of the Armenian Defense Ministry told the Russian negotiators that the purchase of the previously contracted jets was postponed for six years, that is until 2024. According to Kommersant’s sources in the field of military-technical cooperation, there were no active contacts between the specialists of the two countries after the revolution and the change of power.

But certain signals for the expansion of military-technical cooperation have already been received: Mr. Pashinyan said openly on May 23 that during the talks with Mr. Putin the parties agreed to make cooperation “more effective.” And the new Minister of Defense, David Tonoyan, has been dealing with arms issues in the military department in recent years, maintaining good contacts with the Russian defense industry.

Top clerics say new Israeli bill constitutes unprecedented attack on Christians in the Holy Land

Karagyozian Lena
WAFA – Palestine News Agency
 
 
Top clerics say new Israeli bill constitutes unprecedented attack on Christians in the Holy Land
 
 
 
JERUSALEM, (WAFA) – Top Christian leaders in Jerusalem warned on Tuesday that a new Israeli bill that is being quickly advanced for legislation constitutes an unprecedented attack on Christians and will have grave consequences on Christian presence in the Holy Land if adopted into law.
 
A letter by Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theofilos III, the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Francesco Patton, and Nourhan Manugian, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, addressed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed the churches’ concerns of an attempt by Israeli legislators to advance a bill  intended to expropriate rights of churches in their lands.
 
“The bill was one of the main reasons for the recent crisis that developed between the Christian community in the Holy Land and the State of Israel,” said the letter in reference to closing the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem for three days in February in protest against new Israeli taxation policy of church property, which was seen as a flagrant violation of the Status Quo that existed in the Holy Land for centuries. The church was reopened only after Israel rescinded the decision.
 
The church leaders accused the Israeli government of “attempting to promote divisive, racist and subversive agendas, thereby undermining the Status Quo and targeting the Christian community on the basis of extraneous and populist considerations.”
 
They said, “We strongly believe that this bill constitutes a systematic and unprecedented attack against the Christians of the Holy Land and violates the most basic rights,” calling on Netanyahu “to act quickly and decisively to block the bill whose unilateral promotion will compel the Churches to reciprocate.”
 
The Islamic Christian Commission in Support of Jerusalem & Holy Sites also condemned in a statement on Tuesday the Israeli bill, saying it violates the Status Quo in the Holy Land.
 
M.K.

Armenian Hospitality Warmly Welcomes Visitors to 2018 Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Antonian Lara
Smithsonian Institution
Tuesday

Visitors to the National Mall Get a Taste of Unique Food, Craft and Community Through the “Armenia: Creating Home” Program; Free Festival June 27–July 1, July 4–8

The 2018 Smithsonian Folklife Festival explores the creativity, hospitality and resilience of the Armenian people and its extensive diaspora through a rich slate of vibrant programming that celebrates the role handmade traditions can play in preserving culture and supporting enterprise. Throughout the 10 days of the festival, dozens of artisans, designers, cooks and performers share their skills and stories through workshops, demonstrations, participatory experiences, interactive installations and discussion sessions all highlighting the importance of cultural-heritage enterprise in the face of change.

The Festival will be held June 27–July 1 and July 4–July 8 on the National Mall between Seventh and 12th streets. Admission is free and accessibility services are provided. Festival hours are from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, with evening concerts beginning at 6:30 p.m. and a special fireworks display June 30. The Festival is co-sponsored by the National Park Service.

“‘Armenia: Creating Home’ reflects the indomitable spirit of Armenians to create home wherever they are,” said Halle Butvin, one of the program’s curators. “Through sharing the traditions that have shaped their cultural identity, like feasting, winemaking or craft, they creatively carve new pathways for exchange both within Armenia and across its many diasporas. They recognize and continually reinvent the ways cultural heritage can have value as not just an economic enterprise, but also a way to make meaning of who they are.”

Foodways and Wine: Because feasting is an important pillar of Armenian culture, there will be ample opportunities at the Festival to observe cooking demonstrations, participate in cooking classes and taste regional specialties like Ghapama (stuffed pumpkin) and Gata (Armenian cake) in between wine tastings and cheese-making classes. This year’s festival also features special collaborations between notable local and Armenian food experts, like renowned Armenian American Chef Carrie Nahabedian and Washington, D.C.’s Zaytinya restaurant.

Innovation: Select signage at this year’s festival can be activated by the Arloopa app, which will animate the subject to show artisans actively at work in their environment in augmented reality. Two immersive, 3-D, virtual-reality tours give visitors unprecedented access to two of Armenia’s most prominent historical sites, the Areni-1 Cave Complex, site of the oldest evidence of winemaking, and the Noravank Monastery.

Performance: There are 7–11 million people in the Armenian diaspora, and the festival features a selection of musical groups that span a diversity of musical styles from traditional to contemporary. The Nur Qanon Ensemble, the Samvel Galstian Group and the MVF Band are among the many groups performing, and two of the free evening concerts on the Mall present Armenian chamber and jazz music performances. Seven different groups comprise the The Handes! Armenian Dance Summit during the second weekend of the festival, which also showcases wedding and celebration dances.

Craft: The revitalization of Armenian craft illuminates the intersection between technology and handmade traditions. Workshops, demonstrations and participatory experiences offer visitors the opportunity to engage with artisans as they share their techniques while getting hands-on experience designing, carving, carpet weaving, embroidering, creating calligraphy and making jewelry and musical instruments, among others.

Holiday: The final day of the festival, July 8, happens to fall on the traditional holiday of Vardavar, which Armenians celebrate during the hot summer season by throwing water on each other to cool off.

“Armenia: Creating Home” is produced by the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage in partnership with the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography in the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, the My Armenia Cultural Heritage Tourism Program, funded by USAID and implemented by the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Embassy in Armenia and the Embassy of Armenia to the United States of America. It is also produced with the support of sponsors: AGBU, Hovnanian Foundation, HIKE Armenia, Birthright Armenia, Armenian Volunteer Corps, ANCA Endowment Fund, Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, IDeA Foundation, Armenia Tree Project and Armenian Assembly of America.

The Festival strives to maintain an accessible and inclusive environment for visitors of all abilities. Information about Accessibility Services may be found at festival.si.edu/accessibility. For more information on the 2018 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, visit https://folklife.si.edu/ and follow the festival on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

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SI-366A-2018

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Kelly Carnes 
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Alex Fairchild
(202) 633-0282 
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