Category: 2021

Armenian soldier killed in shootout with Azerbaijan despite cease-fire

Alex Jidarian
Global Times, China
Nov 23 2021
By AFPPublished: Nov 23, 2021 06:03 PM

   

Russian servicemen take part in military exercises at the Kapustin Yar range in Astrakhan region, Southern Russia during the “Caucasus-2020” military drills gathering China, Iran, Pakistan and Myanmar troops, along with ex-Soviet Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus. Photo: AFP

Armenia said one of its soldiers was killed in a border shoot-out with Azerbaijan on Monday, the latest incident between the two arch-foes that fought a war over disputed territory in 2020. 

“As a result of the shooting, a 19-year-old conscript soldier was killed after being mortally wounded,” Yerevan’s defense ministry said in a statement. 

Last week, the two Caucasus countries saw the worst clashes along their shared border since going to war over the contested Nagorno-Karabakh territory in 2020. 

Yerevan said the soldier was killed after Azerbaijani forces had fired “arms of various caliber” at Armenian positions in the Gegharkunin province on the eastern part of the border. 

It said that the border shoot-out took place at 18:10 local time and had ended by 19:30.

Last week, Armenia reported that six of its soldiers were killed in clashes with Azerbaijan, with 13 captured by Baku’s forces and 24 servicemen missing. 

Azerbaijan said seven of its troops were killed in the fighting on November 16 and that 10 were wounded. 

A cease-fire was reached last week following mediation by Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. 

2020’s six-week conflict, which claimed the lives of more than 6,500 people, ended in November in a Russia-mediated deal that saw Armenia cede swathes of territory it had controlled for decades.

AFP

Dutch Parliament adopts motions on Azerbaijani provocations, Armenian POWs

Arbi Tashjian
Public Radio of Armenia
Nov 23 2021
, 00:55

 1 minute read

The Dutch Parliament has adopted two motions on Azerbaijan’s provocations against Armenia and the lack of democracy in the country, the Armenian Embassy in the Netherlands informs.

In one of the motions, the parliament calls on the government to work with the EU to conduct an independent investigation into the facts of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and to report the results to the parliament as soon as possible.

The second resolution mentions the serious problems of human rights, free speech and freedom of the press in Azerbaijan, which are deepening. The resolution also addresses the issue of Armenian prisoners of war held in Azerbaijan.

Taking into account the participation of Azerbaijan, a country far from European values, in the Eastern Partnership summit to be held on December 15, 2021, the Dutch parliament calls on the government to draw conclusions from the above-mentioned situations during the EU-Azerbaijan negotiations within the EaP Summit.

Roman aqueduct found in Armenia

Andranik Taslakhchian
Nov 23 2021
by GCT

In the Hellenistic royal city of Artashat-Artaxata

Archaeologists from the University of Münster and the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia have discovered remains of a Roman arched aqueduct during excavation work on the Hellenistic royal city of Artashat-Artaxata in ancient Armenia. It is the easternmost arched aqueduct in the Roman Empire. Excavation work took place back in 2019, and an evaluation of the find has now been published in the “Archäologischer Anzeiger” journal.

“The monumental foundations are evidence of an unfinished aqueduct bridge built by the Roman army between 114 and 117 CE,” explains author Prof. Achim Lichtenberger from the Institute of Classical Archaeology and Christian Archaeology at the University of Münster.

“At that time, Artaxata was destined to become the capital of a Roman province in Armenia.” It was during this time that the Roman Empire reached its greatest extent – if only for a short while – because it was under Trajan, who was Emperor of Rome from 98 to 117 CE – that the Romans attempted to incorporate the province of Armenia into the Roman Empire.

“The planned, and partially completed, construction of the aqueduct in Artaxata shows just how much effort was made, in a very short space of time, to integrate the infrastructure of the capital of the province into the Empire,” says co-author Torben Schreiber from the Institute of Classical Archaeology and Christian Archaeology at the University of Münster.

“The aqueduct remained unfinished because after Trajan’s death, in 117 CE, his successor Hadrian relinquished the province of Armenia before the aqueduct was completed.” The archaeologists, therefore, see their find as furnishing evidence for the failure of Roman imperialism in Armenia.

4

Artashat (aka Artaxata) was the capital of Ancient Armenia from 176 BCE and remained so for over 300 years of the kingdom’s history.

5

Artashat was the first Armenian city to be built according to Hellenistic planning, and it eventually became the largest city yet built on the Plain of Ararat. The city’s fine features are listed here by the historian R. G. Hovannisian:

The city contained a citadel on the height later called Xor Virap (Khor Virap) and was protected by extensive fortifications and a moat. Recent excavations have a revealed a major urban center with paved streets, public buildings, baths, shops, and workshops of various craftsmen…it rapidly became a major junction point between the trade route along the valley of the Araxes leading outward to Bactriaand India and the one running northward to the Black Sea. (49)

Artaxias was said to have adorned the city with fine bronze statues of Greek gods such as Zeus, Artemis, Apollo, and Hercules. The city’s Greek and Persian cultural mix is attested by archaeological finds of Greek figurines and clay plaques with depictions of Iranian horse riders.

Find out more

UNIVERSITY OF MÜNSTER

Header Image – The excavation section shows a pillar of the unfinished aqueduct – Image Credit: Artaxata project

BALLOONING IN ARMENIA PART 2 – EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITIES

Hambik Zargarian
FÉDÉRATION AÉRONAUTIQUE INTERNATIONALE WORLD AIR SPORTS FEDERATION
Nov 23 2021

The Armenian skies reveal a bright perspective for Air Sports – Ballooning in Armenia: Actors and Pioneers 
By: Nairi Barseghyan, Pioneering Balloon Pilot in Armenia. Header image shows Skyball with Mounta Ararat, Garni, Armenia

The territory of the Republic of Armenia is composed of ten administrative-territorial units (marzes). The city of Yerevan is the capital. The region is located in Europe’s South Caucasus and is known worldwide for its mountains, for example, Mount Ararat – the symbol of the Armenian people.

This article tells the story of Nairi Barseghyan, an Armenian hot air balloon pilot, the very first one of his country, and how he helped to open the Armenian skies for new adventures. Nairi flies in all ten regions of Armenia, bringing attention to air sports. During the last five years, Nairi has been flying mainly in the Garni region.

Armenia Reservoir Aparan, winter

Gyumri, Armenia

Yerevan, Armenia

Garni is a unique place for hot air balloon flights. It is a small flying area, only two by three kilometres. However, the calm and shifting winds compensate for the small area and can create particular flight routes and trajectories.

The flight area is part of the largest nature reserve in Armenia, the Khosrov Forest State Reserve (SNCO). This historical area has ancient cultural amenities, historical architectural monuments, unique plant and animal species and wonderful scenic landscape.The Reserve has been preserved for 17 centuries by Armenians.In 2013, the Khosrov Forest State Reserve was awarded the European Diploma of Protected Areas.

Canyon Azat, Garni region, Armenia

Garni region temple, Armenia

Armenia Garni region view from Mount Ararat

It all started back in 2005. I was interested in why balloons fly worldwide, and there were none in Armenia. Unfortunately, it took as long as nine years to obtain permission to fly the hot air balloon as there was no legal basis for small aircraft in Armenia. Finally, in 2014, we ordered our first balloon in Russia, and I went there to study to be a pilot.

For a long time, I have been studying the FAI world record lists, looking for the name of my country, Armenia, or a surname of an Armenian origin.  Unfortunately, I did not find a single case. This became the main reason for the decision to try to break the world record. And this I will definitely do!

The whole idea to set a world record was made when the black balloon “Karas” entered our fleet.  The attempt to establish a world record was an excellent reason to reunite the Air Sport Federations in Armenia and join as an active member in the FAI.

These are the three Armenian Federations.

  • National Committee of Aeromodelling and Spacemodelling Sports – President Armen Vardanyan
  • Ballooning Sports Federation – President Nairi Barseghyan
  • Paragliding Sports Federation – President Armen Sarkisyan.

Now, in close cooperation, we are all working together to develop all these sports in Armenia.

Duration in sub-class 09. The actual world record is held by from Ivan Menyaylo (RUS) with 32h 12min 47sec accomplished in 25 January 2016. We started our preparations for the record, but it had to stop in the year 2020 due to the coronavirus and the war in Armenia. But still, with the help of my friend, Russian balloon pilot, Sergey Bazhenov, in mid-January 2021, we decided to attempt the record.

Most importantly, he is a like-minded person and my best friend. Sergey Bazhenov is a very famous and experienced pilot of Russia. He has been engaged in ballooning since 1992 Sports category – Master of Sports. He has the current Russian record for the range of flight on a hot air balloon in the AX-8 class with 612 km accomplished. His experience was very helpful in our preparations for the record attempt.

Well, for this record attempt, we did not have a sponsor. But the important thing is to have friends who can help make it happen! We contacted our friends from all over the world and asked them to join forces and to help us.

Our team flew from Armenia to Moscow on 19th February and planned to make the first flight attempt on 21st February in the morning. Meanwhile, our friend, Sergey Bazhenov was handling the preparations related to all the technical issues for the flight.

From L:R: Sergey Bazhenov with gas tanks; Georgy Zimenko, flight director; Anton Morev, start supervisor; Manuk Gasparyan, start place

The start point

Landing

Teamwork

We had very little time. That’s why we worked seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. There was a lot to do, and one of them was the legal documentation for the record recognition. This important part of the project could only be made with the help of my dear friend, Aline Anuch Kalousdian.

Aline helped me with the whole process of activating the membership of Armenia within the FAI, Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. In addition to the work with the record attempt, being close to the FAI is an essential step for all the Armenian Air sports in total. This membership and collaboration will surely bring other good results for the future.  For example, Armenia was represented for the first time in a European Hot Air Balloon Championship, at the 22nd FAI European Hot Air Balloon Championship in September 2021 in Szeged, Hungary.

My experience in Szeged was unforgettable. Competing with balloonists from all around the European region, in such a high-level competition, taught me a lot. I had never experienced a competition like this. The number of balloons approaching a target at the same time, the 3D tasks, the declaration of goals and points, the virtual dropping marker in the logger, everything was new for me!

Until the beginning of the European championship, I mainly followed such competitions online and sometimes competed in Russia to enter into sports flying. However, the challenges were different and exciting in Szeged. In summary, I can tell you all one thing: this is only the beginning. I am willing to keep meeting my balloonist friends from all over the world and compete with them in other championships, improving my skills. 

The starting place was chosen in the Nizhny Novgorod region, the village of Sergach in Russia. 

Our problems started as we could not find good propane gas in this area. They had only summer gas everywhere with a high percentage of butane.

Then we came to another problem; the air temperature was lower than predicted. In the morning at the launch site, it was minus 38 Centigrade. So cold that all gas cylinder connections started to leak, so we were 2 hours delayed from the planned launch time. We changed all the rubber seals, but it didn’t help either.

We added nitrogen, but the pressure in the cylinders was still very low. One burner blast valve didn’t turn off; it was permanently working ON. Adding more problems to our attempt, our accompanying teams had two snowmobiles, scheduled to pick up the discarded cylinders, but neither one of the two machines started their ignition due to severe frost.

We took off with two hours delay, with all these issues, but after 3 hours of flight, Sergey and I decided to land ahead of time. In short, three factors interfered with us:

  1. Gas problems
  2. Temperatures/frost minus 38 degrees Celsius,
  3. Lack of snowmobiles for recovering the discarded cylinders.

Most importantly, we have not given up! We will spend this year planning more carefully, and next winter, we will definitely make this record. So, this is one more dream of mine, added to my dream that one day I will see 100 balloons flying in my beautiful Armenia.

After a rough start, Armenia has now two active pilots, Nairi Barseghyan and Manuk Gasparyan.

Nairi Barseghyan

Nairi Barseghyan is the pioneer balloon pilot of Armenia.  Nairi studied at the Aviation Training Center in Velikiye Luki in Russia.   

Nairi is married and has two children, a boy, and a girl. His son, Vahe, is eleven years old and very active in ballooning, always interested in participating with his father. His daughter, Mari, is nine years old and follows the same path. The activities for his whole family tick around an aeronautical schedule. Everyone wakes up early in the morning and helps Nairi to prepare for the flights, take off and retrieve the balloon at landing.

His dream is to see more than 100 balloons in the sky of Armenia and show the whole world how beautiful his country is.

Nairi has established an impressive ballooning resumé:

  • President of the Ballooning Sports Federation of Armenia
  • Founder of company SkyBall – Facebook page
  • Cup winner Russian SharNN-2018 with a pilot Serey Bazhenov
  • Cup winner Russian SharNN-2020 with a pilot Manuk Gasparyan
  • His longest flight has been 525km
  • Maximum flight duration 10:35

Manuk Gasparyan

Manuk Gasparyan was introduced to the sport by Nairi, participating actively in the ground crew operations. After gathering experience in the operation, the instruction flights followed… Manuk Gasparyan studied in Ukraine.

Three more student pilots will start their balloon instruction flying in 2022.

Skyball

We have managed, with close cooperation with Civil Aviation Authorities, to start and follow all the necessary regulations for flying hot air balloons during these years. Now, our Skyball company has an Air Operator Certificate and four balloons. We have organized two international ballooning festivals:

  • Discover Armenia from the Sky 2017
  • Discover Armenia from the Sky-2019:

Nairi and Manuk have now four balloons. They do not have specific sponsors, but they cooperate with many Armenian Companies.

  • Two balloons from Rusbal Manufacturer One is 3950 cubic meters and the other 5500 cubic meters. Karas and Vega balloons.
  • One balloon from Aeronatc Manufacturer. This balloon is 2550 cubic meters. Armenian Flag Balloon.
  • One balloon from Kubicek Manufacturer. This balloon is a 3000 cubic meter.  Coopoliva Balloon.

 

We have a very close relationship with the Ballooning Sports Federation of Russia and different ballooning clubs there. During the year, we participate in many festivals and competitions in Russia. Our friends from Russia are happy to share their experience and skills with us. Without their support, it would be tough for us to move forward.

I want to thank all the friends who helped us and did their best to make this record attempt happen.

  • Aline Kalousdian and Marina Kalousdian did a very big job so that the issue of my sports license was resolved in a very short time.
  • Aviacompany Armenia gladly agreed to organize the hot air balloon transport from Yerevan to Moscow free of charge. 
  • Fedor Konyukhov and Ivan Menyaylo gladly agreed to share with us the gas cylinders they used in their record.
  • Our friends from different regions of Russia sent us gas cylinders to use during the flight.
  • Ivan Menyaylo, as President of the Russian Ballooning Sports Federation, took upon himself the receipt and maintenance of the record flight in the airspace.
  • Aerowaltz Club – helped us with everything with the matching equipment and experienced teams.
  • Our friend Georgy Zimenko – President of the Ballooning Sports Federation of the Nizhny Novgorod Region – and his team took over the flight direction.
  • Anton Morev was the head starter.
  • A lot of Sergey’s friends and my friends helped us financially and mentally.
  • UAVLAB company, represented by Armen Vardanyan.

Thanks to all who supported our record attempt and continue to support Ballooning in Armenia.

Our country is very small, but, has a great potential for the development of air sports and touristic ballooning flights. I am sure that our efforts to develop aeronautics in the country will give positive results and in the next world ballooning map our country will attract pilots from different parts of the world.

We are working to expand the geography of the pilots participating in our festivals and, as a result, will soon organize official sports events.

Welcome to Armenia. Armenia is waiting for all balloon pilots.

This story was produced with many hands.  Thanks to everyone for their help.

  1. Authors: Nairi Barseghyan, balloon pilot in Armenia, and Aline Anuch Kalousdian, balloon pilot in Germany
  2. Text Corrections by Christian Kurken Kalousdian, balloon pilot in Germany
  3. Guidance and financial support for an exclusive view of the report by Markus Dikran Kalousdian
  4. Design done by 4 M Agency by Maurice Chalom
  5. Guided and supported by Rubens Rosdon Kalousdian and Marina Posch Kalousdian, President of ADB Brazil – Brazilian Airsport Institute, Hot Air Balloon Pilot
  6. Photo Credits to SkyBall and their photographer Vardan Petrosyan.

Armenia informed Moscow about readiness to normalise relations with Turkey without preconditions

Tambiyan Samvel
Panorama, Armenia
Nov 23 2021

The Armenian authorities have informed Russia about readiness to normalise relations with Turkey without preconditions, Armenian foreign ministry spokesperson Vahan Hunanyan has told TASS news agency. 

“Number of international partners, including our ally Russia, expressed readiness to support the settlement of the Armenian-Turkish relations. In discussions with our Russian friends we informed that we are ready normalise relations without preconditions. If and when the process starts we will inform the public in due course,” Hunanyan is quoted by the news agency. 

The Armenian diplomat added that the Government programme of Armenia reflects the country’s readiness to normalise relations with Turkey. “At the same time, I want to stress that no negotiations are currently held with Turkey,” added MFA spokesperson. 

Russian peacekeepers with benefactors hand over 1 ton of humanitarian cargo to Artsakh hospital

Greg Madatian
Panorama, Armenia
Nov 23 2021

Servicemen of the Russian peacekeeping contingent together with representatives of the Mercy association of charitable organizations held a humanitarian action in Stepanakert, the capital of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), on the eve of the cold weather.

As part of the campaign, Russian peacekeepers handed over a humanitarian cargo in the form of 200 warm blankets to the infectious diseases department of the Republican Medical Center with a total weight of about 1 ton, the Defense Ministry of Russia reported.

The action was held at the Stepanakert Medical Center, where the property was transferred to the hospital fund. Also, peacekeepers, together with benefactors, will soon hand over uninterruptible power supplies and heaters.

The humanitarian cargo was delivered from Russia to Nagorno-Karabakh by the Russian peacekeeping contingent. During the year, more than 226 humanitarian events were held, including more than 80 major humanitarian actions in settlements, schools, kindergartens and boarding schools, as well as targeted humanitarian assistance was provided more than 100 times in remote areas along the demarcation line of the parties in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Opposition MP: According to unconfirmed reports, bribes and incentives are given through bookmakers

Emil Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia
Nov 23 2021

MP Anna Mkrtchyan from the opposition With Honor faction on Tuesday denounced the bribery charges against Armenia’s third President Serzh Sargsyan as an attempt by the authorities to crack down on their opponents.

Earlier on Monday, Sargsyan’s lawyer, Amram Makinyan, said the ex-president had been formally charged with taking a large amount of bribe. The charges stem from the testimony of businesswoman Silva Hambardzumyan, who also said she bribed second President Robert Kocharyan and other officials.

“It turns out that these irreplaceable and multifunctional Silvas always appear when there is a need to crack down on the people who are devoted to the homeland, are able to resist and after the destruction of the two counters, to build a victorious state again from what has been left by Nikol Pashinyan,” the lawmaker stated.

Mkrtchyan underscored that the circumstances of the case, in which Serzh Sargsyan was involved as a witness, have not changed for three years, adding simply the “orders of those people, who think that Serzh Sargsyan should be involved not as a witness, but as a defendant, have now changed.”

One of the journalists quoted the media as saying that a family member of Hrachya Musheghyan, head of a department of the Anti-Corruption Committee dealing with Serzh Sargsyan’s case, has declared $5,400 income though gambling winnings, and it is assumed that the income was received through contacts with a bookmaker.

Anna Mkrtchyan stated that Nikol Pashinyan’s 2018 statements on the end of corruption were yet another “myth”.

“According to unconfirmed reports, bribes and incentives are now given not only in the form of bonuses, but also through bookmakers, making “winnings” there and possibly receiving sums for their services,” the MP noted.

Participants of rally organized by Liberation Movement march through Yerevan

Hunanian Jack
Panorama, Armenia
Nov 23 2021

The participates of a rally organized by the Liberation Movement initiative group at the Republic Square in downtown Yerevan on Tuesday started marching through the Armenian capital.

The demonstrators marched from Amiryan Street to Mashtots Avenue and Sayat Nova Street.

At the end of the march, the participants plan to return to the Republic Square.

“In the meantime, we give Pashinyan time to come here and answer our questions. Otherwise, we will consider it contempt towards us and will start showing our contempt from tomorrow. No one was held to account for blocking streets or breaking into universities, radio stations in 2018. Do they think that they are privileged and all these tools are only intended for them? We are following their example now,” Zartonk party leader Ara Zohrabyan stated.

“Take to the streets for the soldiers defending the borders! Stand up for soldiers! I am convinced no one wants more casualties, so take to the streets!” said Karin Tonoyan, head of the opposition 5165 party.

The members of the Liberation Movement unveiled their plan to hold another rally at the Republic Square on Wednesday evening.

Two more Armenian soldiers’ remains found after search operations in Jrakan

Arsine Chaltikian
Panorama, Armenia
Nov 23 2021

Artsakh rescuers found the remains of two more Armenian soldiers as a result of their search operations for the 2020 Artsakh war casualties on Tuesday, November 23.

The remains were retrieved from the Jrakan (Jabrayil) region occupied by Azerbaijan, the State Service of Emergency Situations of Artsakh’s Interior Ministry reported.

Their identities will be established after a forensic medical examination, it said.

Since the end of hostilities, the bodies of 1,700 servicemen and civilians have been found during the search operations or handed over to the Armenian side.

Pashinyan, Lukashenko discuss situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Nahapetian Samvel

Save

Share

 14:57,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko held a telephone conversation today, during which they exchanged information about the current situation in the two countries, the Belarusian Presidential Office reports.

Pashinyan and Lukashenko discussed also the problematic issues existing within the CSTO.

The PM also informed the Belarusian President about the current situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and the possible developments.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan