Category: News

Armenia’s men’s and women’s chess teams have won bronze medals in the special Group A classification at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad, finishing separately in their respective competitions and on different boards.

The Chess Federation of Armenia reported that both Armenia’s men’s and women’s teams finished sixth overall at the world Olympiad, while placing third in the special Group A classification and winning bronze medals.

Armenia’s men’s team consisted of grandmasters Haik Martirosyan, Robert Hovhannisyan, Shant Sargsyan, Gabriel Sargsyan and Manuel Petrosyan. The team’s coach is Arman Pashikyan.

Armenia’s women’s team consisted of International Master Lilit Mkrtchyan, Woman Grandmaster Mariam Mkrtchyan, Grandmaster Elina Danielian, Woman International Master Susanna Gaboyan and Anahit Mkrtchyan. The team’s coach is Zaven Andriasian.

The 46th World Chess Olympiad was held from September 16 to 27 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan won the men’s Olympiad, which featured 204 teams, while China won the women’s Olympiad, which featured 187 teams.

Armenian chess players also won individual medals.

Mariam Mkrtchyan scored 9 points out of a possible 11 and won a silver medal on the second board.

Shant Sargsyan scored 8 points out of a possible 11 and won a bronze medal on the third board.

Armenia will be the first country officially visited by newly elected President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Timur Turlov.

The press service of the Chess Federation of Armenia reported this.

The European Continental Stage of the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship 2026 will begin in Tsaghkadzor on September 29.

Timur Turlov, President of FIDE and President of the International School Chess Federation, will also speak at the opening ceremony.

On September 29, Turlov will also meet the entire staff of the Chess Scientific Research Institute operating under the Armenian State Pedagogical University. The meeting will include discussions on important issues related to the development of chess, educational programmes and international cooperation.

Members of Armenia’s artistic gymnastics team have won gold and silver medals at the 2026 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup in Paris.

The Gymnastics Federation of Armenia said Hamlet Manukyan won the gold medal in the pommel horse event, while Artur Avetisyan won the silver medal in the rings event.

The Armenian Shooting Federation’s Adult Shooting Championship has concluded after three days of competition.

The Shooting Federation of Armenia reported the results on Monday.

In the rifle event, Artyom Grigoryan set a new Armenian record with a score of 633.3 points and was named the best athlete of the competition.

The following athletes became Armenian champions and medalists in their respective events:

10m air rifle, 60 shots, men

1st — Artyom Grigoryan

2nd — Hrach Babayan

3rd — Davit Torosyan

10m air rifle, 60 shots, women

1st — Seda Gabrielyan

2nd — Liliya Martirosyan

3rd — Milena Miasaryan

10m air pistol, 60 shots, men

1st — Aleksey Bessarab

2nd — Artak Amiryan

3rd — Benik Khlghatyan

10m air pistol, 60 shots, women

1st — Elmira Karapetyan

2nd — Anna Poghosyan

3rd — Raya Meloyan

10m running target, 30+30 shots, men

1st — Hovhannes Margaryan

2nd — Gor Khachatryan

3rd — Manvel Mirzoyan

10m running target, 30+30 shots, women

1st — Lilit B. Mkrtchyan

2nd — Aida Azatyan

3rd — Arusyak Grigoryan

10m running target, 20+20 shots, men

1st — Hovhannes Margaryan

2nd — Gor Khachatryan

3rd — Hamlet Karenyan

10m running target, 20+20 shots, women

1st — Arusyak Grigoryan

2nd — Lilit S. Mkrtchyan 

3rd — Aida Azatyan

At the conclusion of the championship, Armenia’s national team roster for the World Championship was also determined: pistol — Elmira Karapetyan and Gevorg Melkonyan; rifle — Artyom Grigoryan.

Yeghishe Melikyan has named Armenia’s starting line-up for the second round of the UEFA Nations League qualifying stage.

Armenia’s starting XI consists of Ognjen Čančarević, Erik Piloyan, Artyom Bandikyan, Georgi Harutyunyan, Argishti Petrosyan, Ugochukwu Iwu, Artur Serobyan, Eduard Spertsyan, Zhirayr Shaghoyan, Artur Miranyan and Nair Tiknizyan.

Armenia will face Montenegro in the opening round of the Nations League. The match will take place at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium and will kick off at 20:00 Yerevan time.

Armenia’s Public Television has apologized for broadcasting a recording of a concert by singer Tata Simonyan on September 27, 2026, the anniversary of the start of the 44-day war.

“The entertainment concert broadcast on Public Television on September 27 was a mistake, and we fully accept responsibility for it. We will not try to justify what happened by citing programming, technical or work-related circumstances. We apologize for what happened,” the television company said in a statement, adding that the relevant work procedures are being reviewed to prevent similar cases from recurring.

Singer Tata Simonyan also issued a statement, saying that he considers the broadcasting of his concert on that day a “serious mistake”.

The singer emphasized that the material was used without consulting him.

“I understand and fully agree: it was unacceptable to broadcast that concert on television on September 27. I apologize for what happened, but I consider it important to inform you that the concert is the property of Public Television. The material was used without consulting me. I consider the broadcast of my concert by Public Television on this day to have been a serious mistake that has no justification. Glory to our martyrs. I bow before their memory,” Tata Simonyan said in a statement.

The 44-day war of 2020, launched by Azerbaijan, claimed the lives of 3,833 Armenians, including 3,755 servicemen and 78 civilians. 191 people, including 19 civilians, remain missing.

Armenian authorities have launched a criminal proceeding into a fire that broke out at an electrical substation on Tsitsernakaberd Highway in Yerevan on Sunday, indicating that arson is among the possible causes being investigated.

The fire, which broke out at 17:07, took more than four hours to extinguish, with thick smoke visible across the city.

The criminal proceeding was initiated under Article 264, Part 2, Clauses 2 and 6 of Armenia’s Criminal Code, which concerns destroying or damaging property by arson, explosion or another generally dangerous method, causing particularly large-scale property damage.

The Investigative Committee said in a statement that an investigative group has been formed and the necessary investigative and procedural actions are underway.

Two firefighter-rescuers suffered smoke inhalation while extinguishing the major fire at an electrical substation on Tsitsernakaberd Highway in Yerevan on September 27. One of them was hospitalized, while the other received first aid at the scene, the Rescue Service said.

Both are in non-life-threatening condition.

The fire burned the transformer unit of the high-voltage substation, which contained about 30 tons of cooling oil. Extinguishing the fire was complicated by the intense heat generated by the flames, which limited firefighters’ and rescuers’ ability to approach the site and hindered the rapid progress of the firefighting operations.

The measures taken made it possible to protect the other substation from the fire. The fires that broke out in the basement and administrative building sections were contained and extinguished. The spread of the fire through the cable lines was also prevented.

At 17:07 on September 27, the 112 emergency management center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs received a report that an electrical substation was on fire on Tsitsernakaberd Highway.

Multiple first responders were dispatched to the scene.

Eleven firefighting crews worked at the scene, and an aerial ladder was also used.

The primary task of the firefighters and rescuers was to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading. A fire involving vegetation in the adjacent grass-covered area could have expanded the affected area and complicated firefighting efforts. The fight against the fire continued until late evening.

The firefighting operations, which lasted around four hours, were completed at 21:10, and the fire was extinguished.

Authorities separately reported that a criminal proceeding has been launched in connection with the fire.

A ceremonial event dedicated to the 155th anniversary of the birth of renowned composer Alexander Spendiaryan was held at the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in the Russian Federation.

Armenpress correspondent in Moscow reported that the initiative was carried out under the auspices of the Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, through the joint efforts of the Alexander Spendiaryan House-Museum in Yerevan and the Cultural Center of the Embassy of Armenia in Russia.

Vladimir Gabbe, head of the embassy’s Cultural Center, delivered opening remarks at the event.

Welcoming the attendees, he emphasized that the evening dedicated to the great Armenian composer had brought together admirers of Spendiaryan’s art and friends of the Armenian people in the embassy’s legendary ceremonial hall. In his remarks, Gabbe addressed the challenges facing the modern world and stressed the importance of speaking through the language of culture and art, recalling the role of Spendiaryan, Khachaturian and other prominent figures in establishing centuries-old intercultural cooperation between Armenia and Russia.

The head of the embassy’s Cultural Center thanked the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, led by Zhanna Andreasyan, for its active support in organizing the event, and spoke with particular warmth about the dedicated work of Marine Otaryan, director of the Spendiaryan House-Museum in Yerevan.

For her part, Cultural Merit Worker of Armenia Marine Otaryan addressed the participants in a video message. She noted that the musical evening had originally been planned for 2021 as part of celebrations marking the composer’s 150th anniversary under the auspices of UNESCO, but the opportunity arose to bring it to fruition five years later. Otaryan highly praised the efforts of the team she heads, the staff of Armenia’s first musical memorial museum, which has been operating since 1963, in promoting the composer’s cultural heritage, and highlighted the importance of organizing a temporary exhibition titled “Meetings at the Lazarian Institute” at the Embassy of Armenia in Moscow.

During the event, the audience was presented with a documentary exhibition authored by Marine Otaryan, dedicated to Alexander Spendiaryan’s creative journey, his years of study at the Lazarian Institute in Moscow, as well as episodes from his friendship with composer Aram Khachaturian and other prominent cultural figures.

The artistic program featured works by Alexander Spendiaryan and Aram Khachaturian, performed by the Khachaturian Trio.

Also performing at the event were Armine Grigoryan, director of the Aram Khachaturian House-Museum, professor at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory and pianist of the Khachaturian Trio, and Inessa Khachatryan, head of the Exhibition and Educational Programs Department of the Alexander Spendiaryan House-Museum.

Officials of the Embassy of Armenia in Russia, descendants of Alexander Spendiaryan and representatives of the Armenian community in Moscow attended the event.

The 4th Vahagn Stamboltsyan International Organ Music Festival kicked off on September 26 at the Komitas Chamber Music Hall, on the birthday of Komitas Vardapet.

In keeping with tradition, the festival’s opening concert was dedicated to Komitas and also featured works from different periods of Armenian and world music.

Before the concert, welcoming remarks were delivered by Armen Sukiasyan, Deputy Artistic Director of the National Centre of Chamber Music and founder and artistic director of the festival.

Speaking about the festival’s history, he noted that the first international festival was held in 2022 with the support of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia and on the initiative of the National Centre of Chamber Music. The festival’s goals include promoting interest in organ art in Armenia, preserving and developing the traditions of the school founded by Vahagn Stamboltsyan, encouraging performers of the new generation, and expanding international professional ties.

According to Armen Sukiasyan, organ art in Armenia has developed further in recent years and has also attracted the attention of the international professional community. Offers to participate in the festival from different countries around the world attest to this interest.

Organists Harutyun Tagvoryan, Tereza Voskanyan, Armen Aghajanyan, Karine Hovhannisyan, Anna Arustamyan and Davit Hovhannisyan performed at the opening concert. Honored Artist of the Republic of Armenia and soprano Irina Zakyan, flutist Hasmik Harutyunyan, cellist Andranik Aghajanyan, and musicians of the Gurdjieff Ensemble, led by artistic director Levon Eskenyan, also took part.

The evening’s program featured works by Komitas, Grigor Narekatsi, Eduard Baghdasaryan, Gary Kesayan, Mikael Tariverdiev, Arthur Avanesov and Eduard Hayrapetyan. A special highlight was the premiere performance of Hayrapetyan’s “Sharakans,” a work based on the sharakans (hymns) of Nerses Shnorhali.

The 4th International Organ Music Festival named after Vahagn Stamboltsyan will continue through December 5, presenting concert and special programs in Yerevan, Kapan and Charentsavan.

Concerts featuring internationally renowned organists are scheduled, including Swiss organist and composer Guy Bovet, Serbian organist Milkica Radovanovic, who is based in Norway, and Japanese organist Hiroko Inoue.

Anniversary concerts will also be held dedicated to the 170th anniversary of the birth of Makar Yekmalyan, the 95th anniversary of the birth of Mikael Tariverdiev, and the 270th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.