Category: 2022

Aram, Razmig, and AYF Artsakh leader Vahagn Khatchatryan at a retired tank in Askeran

I think that we all know that we, as a people, are in a pretty tough situation right now. Armenians in Artsakh are living day to day with Turks breathing down their necks, and Armenians in Armenia are quickly becoming separated from the grim situation of their eastern brothers and sisters. All the while, many Diasporan Armenians have mentally disconnected since the war. After all, the second step of grief is denial, and a lot of diasporans are stuck on that step.

I was too at one point. However, I broke out of my denial in December 2020 when I visited Artsakh for the first time since the war. This was a very important step for me to begin caring again. Many thought that I was ill-advised for leaving my cozy life on the Upper West Side of Manhattan to go to a war-ravaged country and spend Christmas there instead of with my family.  “You’re going to go and do what? What’s your plan? What organization are you going with?” To be honest, I needed to be pushed to do it; it’s not something that I would have done on my own. My cousin Razmig Makasdjian encouraged me to go first and plan later, and I am very glad he did. Now, I am going to encourage you to do the same. I promise you won’t regret it.

There is so much waiting for you there. Since the war, I’ve visited Artsakh four times. Razmig and I started a small crowdfunding campaign called @artsakhaidmission and have provided help to families in several villages as a part of this mission. Everywhere we visited, the people would entertain us for hours with food, drinks, stories and enlightening conversations. As we got to know them, it became apparent that the majority of Artsakhtsis we met felt hopeless, that the free independent Artsakh that we took for granted for the past 30 years is no more. The words “Kharabaghuh kerezman eh” or “huysuh prtsav” especially stung and stuck with me. Being both a Tashnagtsagan and an optimist (although one could argue those are one and the same), I believe that there is a path to victory, and I made it my mission to converse with everyone I met and convince them that there is still hope. 

This is where I believe we, as a Diaspora, can help most during a visit to Artsakh, not by providing physical aid to people and their families (although I believe that helps marginally), but by inspiring them and convincing them that “sakh lav a linelu.”

Why? Because the Diaspora and locals are each other’s Yin and Yang – our strengths and weaknesses complement each other perfectly. For example, the children in Artsakh will trip, fall hard and get right back up and say, “Normala.” Diasporans kids won’t. Artsakhtsis are not afraid to get their hands dirty. They will walk into a coup full of hundreds of chickens with flip flops, breathe in feathers and dust, get chicken dung between their toes, rinse it off with their water faucet and move along – “Normala.” Diasporans won’t – I know I won’t. Let’s not forget that they have lived through and fought three wars in the past 30 years. They get their hands dirty. Diasporans, on the other hand, have lived in first-world countries for decades. Many Diasporans know how to run businesses, local and federal governments, etc. In addition, Diasporans will complain if they don’t like something. A friend of mine from the Diaspora told me that locals won’t complain about anything. They won’t push their local leaders to change something, even if they don’t like it. Diasporans, on the other hand, are much more likely to have the uncomfortable conversations and push for change. I could go on and on with similar examples, but I think you get the point. Small lifestyle differences like this make a big difference when you need to build a country. 

As an optimist, I look at these two ingredients and believe they are a winning formula. 

Yet, despite this, I can count on one hand the number of Diasporans I know who moved to Artsakh after the 2020 war. Three out of seven million. It’s shameful. Our response is three. Our response is thousands and thousands of Armenians going to Armenia for the summer but staying in Yerevan for 90-percent of their trip – not even visiting Artsakh. Our response is going to the club every night in Yerevan. Our response is continuing to have barahanteses where we sing revolutionary songs until the wee hours of the morning after which our nationalism stops. The Turks are watching, and they couldn’t be more pleased.

To my fellow youth, I understand that moving to Artsakh is very hard to do, especially as many of us are developing successful careers. I am in the same position. We need to make sacrifices. At least take a month off and go to Artsakh. Visit, meet people and become more aware of the situation on the ground. Prepare yourself to move there in the near future. 

Aram, Razmig, and Emil at Harutunyan household in Martuni

To the older generation, as you approach retirement, think about this: you could go to Artsakh and live like oligarchs in nice apartments in Stepanakert and mansions in the countryside. A garden, a few animals and a few locals could work for you part time. I think it’s a no-brainer, except for the fact that your family and friends would be on the other side of the world. But, if they were all in the homeland already, you would go. We need five or 10 trailblazers to take the lead on this. From there, it will be a positive feedback loop. 

Although my roots are in Kharpert, Erzinga and Sepastia, I feel more at home in Artsakh than I’ll probably ever feel in Western Armenia. And that’s only from a few trips that weren’t more than a few weeks each. If we keep going to Armenia and not even visiting Artsakh, we are doing a huge disservice to the people living there and to ourselves. I’m convinced that the only way to save Artsakh is for the Diaspora to move there, because if we live there, we will keep it. The ball is in our court. There are three steps: visit Artsakh, learn to love Artsakh and move to Artsakh.

Razmig and Aram at a war memorial in Donashen, Martakert

President Erdogan meets with President Putin, August 5, 2022 (Photo: Presidency of the Republic of Turkey)

On August 5, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a four-hour meeting in Russia to discuss bilateral ties and regional issues. The Sochi summit comes after Ankara scored a diplomatic victory by helping broker a grain deal between Turkey, Ukraine and Russia that has eased global food crisis fears and growing concerns of possible Turkish military escalation against the Kurds in Northern Syria. What implication will the summit have on the region?

Turkey’s role as a “deal broker” has succeeded in positioning Ankara as Russia’s counterforce in the region. The recent diplomatic success has shifted the asymmetric relation in favor of Moscow to a more balanced one. This would push Erdogan to get what he couldn’t get during the Tehran summit where both Iran and Russia opposed any possible Turkish military intervention in Syria. Hence, after the grain deal, Erdogan will continue his effort in persuading Putin to get a “green light” to attack Syria.

For Erdogan, the intervention in Syria is important as recent polls forecast that Erdogan’s AKP party, amid the worst financial crisis in decades in the country, is not going to do well in the upcoming elections next June. Many factors depend on the domestic situation in Turkey, as Erdogan wants to launch the operation before the elections so he can consolidate his party’s position. Emre Caliskan, a research fellow at the London-based Foreign Policy Center, told Al Jazeera that “Turkey wants to keep its energy flows from Russia over the winter while maintaining economic cooperation to alleviate its difficulties and opening a (currency) swap agreement or getting investment from Russia.” “Erdogan could present this as a victory to the Turkish public and perhaps alleviate the high food and energy prices that are likely to present a challenge in the coming elections,” argues Caliskan. Both sides have signed a roadmap for economic cooperation and intend to increase trade turnover to 100 USD billion. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak shared that both leaders also agreed to switch part of the payments for Russian gas to rubles, distancing themselves from the use of US dollars.

Yahya Bayram Balci, the director of the Institute Français Études Anatoliennes, told the Armenian Weekly that one of the most impressive aspects of the Turkish-Russian relationship is its compartmentalization. This capacity for compartmentalization will continue because each country needs the other. In other words, despite their divergences, the two countries feel the necessity to cooperate in some specific areas. “I think one reason why Moscow and Ankara will preserve this compartmentalization is the fact that Turkey is still, and will remain for a certain time, very distrustful toward its traditional western allies, the US and Europe,” added Balci. For Turkey, the war in Ukraine is to a large extent a war between Russia and the West, hence Ankara judges the West as partly responsible for the crisis. For that reason, it prefers maintaining its current position which maximizes its benefits.

Russia will continue in its strategy of trying to complicate the relations between Turkey and the West. It is in Russia’s interest to detach Turkey from the West which means accepting this partly divergent position between Turkey and the West in the Ukrainian crisis. This was clearly indicated when last month Erdogan reportedly said Putin had suggested setting up a drone factory in Russia during their Tehran meeting. The Kremlin also affirmed that “technical and military cooperation” would be on the agenda at Sochi, an indication of Russia’s interest in procuring Bayraktars. However, such a move would undermine the main plank of Turkish support for Ukraine, as well as raise eyebrows among fellow NATO members and seriously damage relations with the West.

After the meeting, the presidents released a joint statement that addressed the following talking points:

• A common will to further develop Russian-Turkish relations based on respect, recognition of mutual interests and in accordance with their international obligations.
• The bilateral agenda of Russian-Turkish relations and an agreement to (1) increase the volume of bilateral trade on a balanced basis and achieve the set goals; (2) meet the expectations of the opposite side in the fields of economy and energy; (3) increase cooperation on transport, trade, agriculture, industry, finance, tourism and construction.
• Sincere and trusting relations between Turkey and Russia in order to achieve regional and international stability and fully implement the “Initiative for the Safe Export of Grain from Ukrainian Ports” (grain deal). 
• The peaceful resolution of the Syrian crisis; maintaining political unity and territorial integrity of Syria; coordinate in the fight against terrorist organizations.
• The sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity of Libya and supporting its free, fair and credible elections.

After the summit, the Turkish media started circulating reports that the Turks would go for military intervention in Syria either by the end of August or the beginning of September, and the occurrence of this operation and its success is highly dependent on the outcome of the meeting in Sochi. Moreover, Erdogan’s announcement that the Turkish intelligence coordinates with Syrian intelligence regarding Turkish military invasions in Syria raised certain questions on whether Damascus can coordinate with Ankara to contain the American influence and Kurdish military presence in North Eastern Syria.

Moreover, despite the fact that the South Caucasus and specifically the recent clashes of Nagorno-Karabakh were not mentioned in the statement or publicly discussed, upon his return from Russia President Erdogan demanded that the Nagorno Karabakh army be dissolved.

Azerbaijan’s Trend reported that Erdogan told reporters that it’s important for Armenia to immediately comply with the terms of the (November 9, 2020) trilateral statement. Despite the fact that Azerbaijan officially announced that it was Baku who initiated the military operation “revenge,” he accused the Nagorno-Karabakh army of launching an attack against Azerbaijanis. “Türkiye resolutely condemns the attack committed by members of illegal Armenian armed detachments in Azerbaijan’s territory, resulting in the death of the Azerbaijani serviceman. Karabakh is the land of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan’s wanting the withdrawal of illegal armed units from its own lands should not be surprising. Almost two years have passed since the adoption of the trilateral statement, thus the fulfillment of its provision by Armenia is of the utmost importance.”

This clearly indicates that both Erdogan and Putin have discussed this issue amid the mounting military pressure from Azerbaijan on Armenia. Erdogan’s demand for disbanding Armenian self-defense units in Nagorno-Karabakh is not surprising. This threatening language clearly indicates that in the near future we can expect Baku to escalate the military tension with the aim to gain additional concessions from Yerevan. The disbanding of the Nagorno-Karabakh self-defense units poses an existential threat to the physical safety of Armenians living in Artsakh and will create further complications for the Russian peacekeeping mission.

Moreover, Turkey’s growing role in the region should not come as a surprise. The grain deal in Ukraine which happened in Turkey was a diplomatic gift from Moscow to Ankara. Putin’s recent public announcement that “Europe should be grateful to Turkey for uninterrupted supplies of Russian gas” clearly indicates that Russia is backing Erdogan and will use its soft power to push Erdogan for another victory in the coming general and presidential elections in Turkey where its outcome is crucial for Russia and the region.

BELMONT, Mass.—The Society for Armenian Studies (SAS) and the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) will hold a major international in-person conference on September 17-18, 2022 at NAASR’s headquarters. Titled “Technologies of Communication and Armenian Narrative Practices Through the Centuries,” the conference aims to foster an interdisciplinary conversation with researchers working across historical periods and different themes pertaining to communication and narratives.

From Cilician era Armenian manuscripts to nineteenth-century newspapers, to exciting new forms of digital storytelling today, Armenians have always taken advantage of the most contemporary technologies for conveying information and producing knowledge. In adopting these information technologies, Armenians have made them their own: Armenian iconographic and book arts are in conversation with imperial neighbors but develop their own styles; Armenian newspapers became a vehicle for the development of the modern Armenian vernacular and an opportunity to plumb the depths of Armenian history; and TUMO, the Center for Creative Technologies in the Republic of Armenia pushes boundaries of digital storytelling. Focusing on technologies of communication (i.e., manuscripts, print, visual, and digital media) this conference aims to foster an interdisciplinary conversation with researchers working across historical periods around the question of how technologies of communication have impacted Armenian narrative style and practices (such as modes of storytelling, narrative structure, and exegetical principles), and reversely how Armenian narrative practices have shaped each new technology.

Scholars from Armenia, the US, Hungary and Australia, will deliver exciting papers on the topic. The conference will feature four panels: Narrative Practices and Power; Adapting to Change: Mobility, Changing Socio-Economic Patterns, and Technologies of Communication; Technologies of Communication and Identity Making; Can the Provinces Speak? Mainstreaming Peripheral Narratives and Perspectives on Ottoman-Armenians. “Most of the papers delivered at this conference are by young and uprising scholars. The interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives and the depth of the topics of the papers are just breathtaking,” noted SAS president Prof. Bedross Der Matossian. He continued, “It is indeed an honor to cooperate with NAASR on hosting its first in-person conference in the newly renovated Vartan Grigorian Building. I would like to thank Drs. Dzovinar Derderian and Christophe Sheklian for spearheading this project and extend my gratitude to the different Armenians Studies programs and chairs for co-sponsoring the conference.”

NAASR’s director of Academic Affairs Marc Mamigonian commented, “NAASR is excited to cosponsor and host this important conference. It is the first chance to have a major academic event at our new building and a welcome opportunity to continue our collaboration with SAS and the other co-sponsors.”

Drs. Derderian and Sheklian are thrilled by the depth of the papers that will be offered at the conference. “We believe that the variety of the papers, spanning disciplines and historical eras, will foster a unique and productive conversation. Our hope is that the arrangement of panels will create intellectual connections that will push Armenian Studies in new and exciting directions,” they added.

The conference was made possible with the support of University of Southern California, Institute for Armenian Studies; Mashtots Chair in Armenian studies, Harvard University; Armenian Studies Program, California State University, Fresno; Armenian Studies Program; University of California, Irvine; and Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center, NYC; and the Center for Armenian Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

The conference is open to the public.

Aren Deyirmenjian

The Armenian Missionary Association of America has announced the appointment of Aren Deyirmenjian as the new AMAA representative in Armenia, effective September 1, 2022.

Deyirmenjian moved from his hometown of Beirut to join Yerevan’s management team at Baghramyan Avenue as the AMAA’s deputy representative in Armenia three years ago. Deyirmenjian’s personal journey in faith took him through what he calls an “awakening process” during which he realized that he had to leave the comfort of his home and venture into the unknown to find true meaning and purpose.

Deyirmenjian had been part of his family’s manufacturing business in Lebanon, after graduating from the American University of Beirut in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture. He was also deeply involved with the Armenian Evangelical Church of Ashrafieh as the general director of the Youth Group and a Christian Endeavor Committee member. In 2016, he pursued an MBA degree in Montreux, Switzerland and graduated in 2018. When the position with the AMAA presented itself a year later, he thought it was a good time to step out of his role in the family business and bring his management experience and spiritual discourse into different uses in humanitarian missions and kingdom causes. 

As the AMAA’s deputy representative in Armenia, part of Deyirmenjian’s daily responsibilities included overlooking construction projects, liaison with the finance team, budget preparation and writing grant proposals. He also regularly visited various AMAA offices in Armenia and Artsakh to learn more about the needs of the communities in each region. He worked closely with Harout Nercessian, AMAA Armenia representative, to outline strategies, as well as evaluate current and past programs with concerned parties. 

Deyirmenjian is a musician, with degrees in classical and jazz piano studies, and plays in Nor Yerk’s worship band. In his free time, he plays the piano, enjoys Armenia’s rich musical scene, travels, exercises and reads.

“I am delighted with the appointment of Aren Deyirmenjian as AMAA’s representative in Armenia. Aren has demonstrated devotion and worked diligently for the advancement of AMAA’s mission in Armenia,” said AMAA executive director and CEO Zaven Khanjian. “We know that his management experience and spiritual maturity will help advance the work of the AMAA in the homeland and Artsakh.”

YEREVAN— The Armenian Genealogy Conference has announced the preliminary agenda for its fifth conference to be held, for the first time, in Armenia on September 23-25. The conference is cosponsored by the Hamazkayin Cultural Association and the American University of Armenia (AUA). 

Recently added to the list of speakers at the conference is Dr. Tigran Matosyan, holder of a Kandidatskaya degree in history from the Armenian National Academy of Sciences for his comparative study of the Armenian Genocide and Holocaust. He has been teaching at AUA since 2015. Dr. Matosyan’s current research interests are in the realm of social and cultural phenomena in the history of Armenia. His presentation will lay out the patterns of Armenian children’s names given by their parents in the city of Van at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century.

The preliminary conference agenda includes a welcome reception, along with presentations and multiple workshops on individual research questions throughout the weekend. 

Other presenters include Dr. Haroutune Armenian on “The Armenian parish microfilm collection of the Latter-Day Saints Family History Library;” Dr. Rafael Abrahamyan on “The genealogy of Artsakh: Sources, methodology and the history of its study;” Dr. Sonya Mirzoyan on “The Armenian National Archives as a resource for genealogical research;” George Aghjayan on “Ottoman population registers and their usage and value in Armenian genealogical research” and “DNA testing as an important resource in Armenian genealogical research;” Dr. Hayk Hakobyan on “The role of lithographs and memoirs in the field of Armenian genealogical studies;” Dr. Panov Dmitri Arkadievich on “Survey of Armenian genealogical research sources available in Russian archives;” and Andranik Nahapetyan on “Genealogy and origins of Simon Vratsian and resources available for researching Nor Nakhichevan (Crimean) Armenian genealogies.”

More information is available on the conference website, where individuals can also register to attend.

Conference Agenda (subject to change)

Day 1: Friday, September 23, 2022

5:30 p.m. Welcome Reception
Details Forthcoming

Day 2: Saturday, September 24, 2022

Room 106 PAB, Manoogian Hall
Paramaz Avedisian Building
American University of Armenia

9:30-9:45: Registration
9:45-10:00: Welcome – Opening Remarks
10:00-10:45: Presentation – Dr. Haroutune Armenian – The Armenian parish microfilm collection of the Latter-day Saints Family History Library
11:00-11:45: Presentation – Dr. Rafael Abrahamyan – The genealogy of Artsakh: sources, methodology and the history of its study
11:45-12:15: Coffee break
12:30-13:15: Presentation – Dr. Sonya Mirzoyan – The Armenian National Archives as a resource for genealogical research
13:30-14:30: Lunch break – Participants on own, AUA Cafeteria
14:30-15:15: Presentation – Dr. Hayk Hakobyan – The role of lithographs and memoirs in the field of Armenian genealogical studies
15:30-16:15: Presentation – George Aghjayan – Ottoman population registers and their usage and value in Armenian genealogical research
16:30-17:15: Panel – Workshop for individualized research questions

Day 3: Sunday, September 25, 2022

Room 106 PAB, Manoogian Hall
Paramaz Avedisian Building
American University of Armenia

9:30-10:15: Presentation – Dr. Panov Dmitri Arkadievich – Survey of the Armenian genealogical research sources available in the Russian archives
10:30-11:15: Presentation – Dr. Tigran Matosyan – Patterns of giving names to children by Armenian parents in the city of Van at the end of 19th and beginning of the 20th century
11:15-11:45: Coffee break
12:00-12:45: Presentation – Andranik Nahapetyan – Genealogy and origins of Simon Vratsian and the resources available for researching Nor Nakhichevan (Crimean) Armenian genealogies
12:45-13:30: Lunch break – Participants on own, AUA Cafeteria
13:30-14:15: Presentation – George Aghjayan – DNA testing as an important resource in Armenian genealogical research
14:30-15:15: Panel – Workshop for individualized research questions
15:15-16:00: Closing