July 17, 2026
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov is on an official visit to the Russian Federation. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and Azerbaijan, Sergey Lavrov and Jeyhun Bayramov, during the ongoing negotiations in Moscow, discuss the issues of economic and cultural-humanitarian cooperation, the situation in the South Caucasus and the “3 3” platform. This was announced by the Russian Foreign Minister at the start of the negotiations.
“Of course, we will talk about the situation in the South Caucasus. We have registered the return and growth of interest in the “3 3″ regional cooperation platform,” he noted.
Lavrov clarified that the parties plan to consider the current state of economic cooperation, taking into account the results of the 24th session of the intergovernmental commission held in April, as well as the perspectives of cultural and humanitarian projects. In addition, the ministers will discuss the cooperation within the OSCE, UN and CIS frameworks.
Yesterday, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported that they consider Bayramov’s visit in the context of continuing a reliable dialogue and confirmed Moscow’s readiness to contribute to the normalization of relations between Baku and Yerevan, including the conclusion of a peace treaty, demarcation of borders and unblocking of communications.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov, in his turn noted the positive trend in the relations with Russia, despite all the complications in the world economy.
“I am sure that today we will be able to discuss in detail also the trade and economic block, an important element of which is the regular contacts of the intergovernmental commission. its 24th session took place in April of this year. In this context, we believe that, despite all the complications in the world economy, in general, the trend between our countries is positive,” Bayramov said.
According to him, during the negotiations, he intends to discuss cooperation in the directions that are planned for the near future. Bayramov emphasized that the Azerbaijani side also intends to discuss with Russian partners the entire complex of issues of the regional and international agenda, which are of mutual interest.
During the Lavrov-Bayram joint press conference, the parties noted that they have reached a number of agreements and will review the pace of cooperation. The meetings were not notable for particular warmth, nor for tense episodes between the parties, for harsh rhetoric, the statements were pragmatic, giving the impression that Moscow and Baku are starting from a new, pragmatic page after a crisis of relations that has lasted for more than a year and a half.
Russian analyst Alexander Khramchikhini According to him, this visit and the rhetoric of the Azerbaijani side suggest Baku’s desire to cautiously but consistently restore relations with Moscow. In his opinion, the emphasis on economic and humanitarian cooperation is not accidental. it allows the parties to temporarily push existing political differences off the agenda, focusing on projects.
“Baku is trying to show Russia that despite the new geopolitical realities, bilateral trade and economic ties remain of strategic importance. Recently, Yerevan has been actively using the same toolkit of “economic pragmatism”, avoiding as much as possible close political cooperation in contacts with Russia. Adopted tactics to maintain a “practical background” in relations with Russia, which will allow to reduce diplomatic conflicts, while Russia does not accept this very enthusiastically. 168.amthe analyst said in a conversation with
At the same time, he believes that Baku’s emphasis on the “3 3” format indicates an attempt to redefine the role of regional players.
“Azerbaijan openly prefers to solve regional issues through direct dialogue, emphasizing the lack of need for external mediators. In this logic, the strengthening of close economic ties with Russia serves as a lever for Baku to strengthen its own sovereign position and maintain its role in regional processes.
As a result, Bayramov’s visit and meeting with Lavrov can be seen as an attempt to restore confidence, where the economy acts as a safety buffer. However, this positive trend still does not mean the solution of fundamental political problems.
The most important challenge for Azerbaijan remains to balance relations with Moscow without compromising its own position regarding regional negotiation formats and subjectivity. In the case of Azerbaijan, for Russia at this stage, this seems to be acceptable for the sake of maintaining a certain influence. In the case of Yerevan, the situation is a little different, because Armenia is a member of the EAEU, so Russia takes many decisions of Yerevan in a different way,” Khramchikhin said.
By the way, Azerbaijani mass media mentioned that Bayramov’s visit to Moscow will be followed by his visit to Ukraine. This vector of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy testifies to the tactics of maintaining “strategic autonomy”, where the sequence of Moscow-Kiev visits seems to be a tool for maintaining subjectivity.
While the promotion of the economic agenda in Moscow allows maintaining manageable relations, the visit to Ukraine records Baku’s will to act outside the “political orbit” of the Kremlin. Basically, Azerbaijan is abandoning the post-Soviet model of being in Russia’s sphere of influence, emphasizing multi-vectorism, which, according to analysts, works well in the case of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is not new to this policy, but it consistently emphasizes this fact in its relations with Moscow.
Basically, the official Yerevan is also trying to conduct a multi-vector, declared balancing policy, but the RA authorities still do not manage to get the Armenian-Russian relations out of the crisis, which especially depends on the economic component in the Republic of Armenia.
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168: Those who want gas, wheat, electricity from Aliyev, have you forgotten, like a water pipe in Artsakh?
July 17, 2026
In the “Pressing” program Satik Seyranyan the guest is Hakob Hakobyan, co-founder and co-chair of the “Ardarutyun” party of the Artsakh Republic is
The main theses of the interview are below.
- Nikol Pashinyan built his entire pre-election campaign on the talk of “peace”, and he made the people of Artsakh an obstacle to that “peace”. A very small number of Artsakh citizens had the right to vote, and their vote would not have a decisive influence on the election results. He was not worried about that, but the fact that he wanted to show Armenians that he will bring peace to Armenia, but the Artsakh issue is an obstacle for that. Unfortunately, most Armenians did not really know what Artsakh represents, and Pashinyan partially succeeded.
- Artsakh residents were first deprived of their passports, forced to obtain Armenian citizenship, and then delayed so much that people could not get citizenship before the elections. Even now, you need a lot of energy and will to get RA citizenship as a citizen of Artsakh:
- Apart from the housing program, none of the programs gave results among the people of Artsakh. Giving money was not the solution. On the ground, we deal with the reality that the majority of Artsakh Armenians are in a difficult social situation today, they do not have a job. Today, the people of Artsakh are either taxi drivers or work in security services. I think it is a great extravagance not to use the potential of the people of Artsakh.
- As of now, as far as I know, Artsakh residents, pensioners and low-income earners receive financial support. But I say again, they cannot help a person who has lost his home, his cradle, just by giving money. The state cannot give enough money for people to meet their vital needs.
- The issue of Artsakh was neither opened nor will it be closed by the statement of one politician or head of state. The people of Artsakh have the dream of returning to Artsakh in their hearts. Another issue is that hearing about the closing of the Artsakh issue from the lips of the head of Armenia adds new wounds to their pain. The issue of Artsakh can be closed only when the people of Artsakh themselves renounce the right to live in their native land. An entire nation cannot be deprived of the right to live in its homeland. These authorities will sooner or later change and holders of the right of return will be able to exercise it:
- There are persons, military figures, who should talk about how the surrender of Artsakh took place, but to say that we lost because the people of Artsakh did not fight is absurd, because first of all, the people of Artsakh did everything they could to protect their homeland, and besides, wars are won or lost by states. 2023 Perhaps no country has seen battles of such intensity as the September 1st war. To win a war, you must have rear security, urban will and organization:
- If a person does not have a hindsight, he cannot think that 120,000 people had to fight to the last person to consider that an Artsakh citizen fought. The states are there to save the nation from Genocide, and in those days Genocide was taking place in Artsakh. Unfortunately, today our houses and cultural monuments in Artsakh are under the influence of Azerbaijani vandalism. They go to war to win, not to die.
- The war is against Armenianness, and every person, entity, who speaks about national pride, is the target of this government. People who are afraid to talk about war will get both shame and war.
- Aliyev understands very well that he forcibly displaced an entire indigenous people from his homeland, and sooner or later he will answer when the rules of the game are decided after the geopolitical situation calms down, and it is his turn to answer. That is why today he presents himself as a humanitarian and tries to “help” the state against which this crime was committed. In Artsakh, when our energy resources – gas, electricity – ended up in the hands of Azerbaijan, we had problems. One day the gas pipeline broke down and the whole of Artsakh was deprived of gas, one day the power lines coming from Armenia broke down and they lasted for weeks and months. 2022 we spent the winter in the cold. The same will happen with Armenia:
- In Artsakh, Azerbaijanis shot water pipe repairmen just because they are Armenians. We know what it’s like to live with an Azerbaijani. This was not spontaneous, it was a political directive. It was absurd to expect such a government to supply us with gas, energy and wheat and to live peacefully with us. No Artsakh citizen thinks for a second that he can put his hope on the benevolence of the Azerbaijanis.
- Artsakh is not inhabited. The Azerbaijani people know what happened in Azerbaijan and will not want to go and live there. The Azerbaijani government also understands what it has done, so it shows that it is allegedly restoring the territories of Artsakh. The military is stationed in Stepanakert, students come and go, but there is no large population. But Azerbaijan publishes such videos that give the impression of a crowd:
- Artsakh’s numerous cultural monuments are not only of Armenians, they belong to all humanity. And the authorities of Armenia should have announced to the whole world that Azerbaijan is encroaching on universal values, but they are not doing it.
- I think it is clear why Hajiyev came to Armenia. Our authorities do not give a proper answer to Azerbaijan’s expansionist ambitions, instead, Azerbaijan puts forward the issue of so-called “enclaves”, “the return of Azerbaijanis”, equating the rights of people who once lived in a certain area with the rights of the indigenous people. Perhaps they were discussing the course of agreed actions with Hajiyev.
- Aliyev says: do what I demand, and if the Constitution of your country prevents it, change it:
- Yes, demarcation and demarcation should be done, but why start from the areas where you have the strongest defensive positions, and not from where there is an Azerbaijani invasion?
- States may or may not be preparing for war, but our government, for some reason, is not preparing, while Azerbaijan is actively preparing for war, holding military exercises, buying weapons…
- The opposition should not rest on the fact that the CP does not have a constitutional majority. Not by taking or not taking a mandate. The opposition must discuss and present to the people its further actions, with or without mandates:
- Harder and more radical opposition to Arayik Harutyunyan than our party was in Artsakh is hard to imagine, but when we came to Armenia, we stopped our criticism because he cannot answer us because he is a hostage in an enemy state. It is not allowed to pour water into the mill of the Azerbaijani authorities, to pour spoils from Armenia on the heads of the military-political leadership of Artsakh, because Azerbaijan also says: what kind of government are they? They are a group of separatists who robbed their own people.:
- The protection of the state institutions of Artsakh is very important, otherwise there will be different people who will try to present themselves as voices of Artsakh citizens for different purposes. The people of Artsakh should understand this well.
- Dissenting voices are a great asset that should not be wasted. Opposition parties in the parliament must cooperate with extra-parliamentary forces.
Details in the video.
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RFE/RL – Gyumri Mayor Moved To House Arrest
- Satenik Kaghzvantsian
Vartan Ghukasian, the opposition mayor of Armenia’s second largest city of Gyumri, was moved to house arrest on Friday after spending nine months in prison on what he sees as politically motivated charges.
Ghukasian was arrested and charged with bribery last October three weeks after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian pledged to oust him from “the political and public arena.” He has repeatedly denied the accusation during his ongoing trial.
Against prosecutors’ wishes, a court in Yerevan decided to place Ghukasian under house arrest on the condition that he posts bail worth 15 million drams ($40,000) and pledges not to flee the country. It also banned him from talking to the media. The outspoken mayor has until now been able to answer reporters’ questions in the courtroom.
The house arrest will also prevent him from performing mayoral duties. Gyumri will continue to be run by his first deputy and son-in-law, Avetis Arakelian.
The court order came despite two more criminal charges leveled against Ghukasian last month. In particular, he was charged with plotting to “usurp power.” Law-enforcement authorities have still not elaborated on that accusation.
They already filed last October a similar charge stemming from Ghukasian’s calls for Armenia to form a “union” with Russia while preserving its “independent statehood.” Pashinian decried that “statement against the sovereignty of Armenia.” Investigators unexpectedly dropped the charge in late December.
The fresh criminal proceedings against the 65-year-old mayor coincided with Pashinian’s calls for a fresh municipal election in Gyumri which he said should take place “as soon as possible.” The premier and his political allies accuse the current municipal administration of misrule. Ghukasian’s political team and other opposition forces say that the ruling Civil Contract is simply trying to create an artificial crisis in the city to seize power there.
Gyumri’s municipal council appointed Ghukasian as mayor in April 2025 after four local opposition groups collectively defeated Civil Contract in the last local election. Armenian opposition leaders claim that Pashinian ordered the mayor’s prosecution in a bid to overturn the election results. The premier has denied this.
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Jailed Oppositionist Protests Against ‘Inhuman’ Treatment
- Ruzanna Stepanian
An Armenian opposition politician has not been allowed to see or talk by phone to her 13-year-old daughter and other relatives since being arrested last week on charges rejected by her as politically motivated.
Aregnaz Manukian decried her “inhuman and shocking” treatment by Armenian authorities in a statement from prison released late on Thursday.
“Today I am completely isolated from the world and am deprived of the opportunity to even talk to my 13-year-old daughter and 85-year-old mother on the phone,” she said.
Manukian, a leading member of the opposition Mayr Hayastan party, was arrested on July 9 as part of a high treason case against the party chairman, Andranik Tevanian. The latter was taken into custody on May 22 two days after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian announced espionage charges against him while campaigning for the June 7 parliamentary elections.
The Investigative Committee claims that Tevanian was recruited by a foreign, presumably Russian, intelligence service two years ago. According to it, he was paid $622,000 to supply state secrets, notably confidential details of a closed-door parliamentary hearing on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border demarcation held in April 2024.
Unlike Tevanian, who had resigned from the parliament in August 2023, Manukian still held a parliament seat at the time. She is now accused of sharing with Tevanian classified information that was provided to lawmakers during the hearing. She denies the accusation, saying she does not even remember attending the hearing.
“I have done nothing for which I should be held legally or even morally responsible,” Manukian insisted in her statement. “I have done nothing against my homeland and my state, regardless of the absurd assumptions contained in my fabricated accusation.”
Her lawyer, Tatevik Soghoyan, likewise said on Friday that the accusation is based on investigators’ presumption, rather than factual evidence. She also denounced a Yerevan court for allowing them to essentially her client incommunicado.
“I am unable to explain what investigative benefit would be required to prevent a mother from contacting her 13-year-old daughter,” said Soghoyan.
Mayr Hayastan ran in the disputed elections in a de facto alliance with businessman Gagik Tsarukian’s Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK). Pashinian repeatedly pledged to jail Tsarukian and the leaders of two other major opposition groups during and after the election campaign. The BHK leader was arrested on July 6.
Dozens of other opposition leaders, members and supporters have also been arrested in recent months on different charges denied by them. The arrests continued even after the July 7 polls. The Armenian opposition has rejected as fraudulent their official results that gave victory to Pashinian’s Civil Contract party.
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Russia Blocks ‘Armenian’ Flower Imports From Iran
Russia has told Iran to stop supplying it with cut flowers, saying that they were most probably grown in neighboring Armenia and cannot be sold in the Russian market due to Moscow’s sanctions against Yerevan.
In what may have been a related development, the Rosselkhoznadzor agricultural watchdog has also banned five Turkish companies from exporting fruits to Russia.
“In 2026, the volume of [flower] imports from the Islamic Republic significantly exceeded that of the same period last year,” the Russian government agency said in a statement on Friday. “Phytosanitary certificates list Iran as the origin of the products. However, in terms of their external characteristics and packaging, they are identical to those previously imported from Armenia.”
It said it has therefore asked the Iranian Agriculture Ministry to stop issuing export licenses to local flower companies “until bilateral negotiations are held and the issue is clarified.” Photographs attached to the statement showed Rosselkhoznadzor officials inspecting flowers shipped from Iran by an Azerbaijani truck.
Armenia’s flower industry has expanded rapidly in the past decade on the back of exports that reached $53 million last year. Russia absorbed over 85 percent of those exports. Most of the 700 or so flower greenhouses operating in the South Caucasus country have therefore been hit hard by the Russian trade restrictions.
On Thursday. Rosselkhoznadzor announced a ban on apricots, cherries and other fruits imported by five Turkish firms, alleging a “systematic detection” of dangerous pests in them. The watchdog did not openly voice suspicions about their Armenian origin.
The ban came during the peak period of cherry and apricot harvesting in Armenia. Many local farmers growing these fruits complain that their price has fallen significantly due to the Russian sanctions. According to unconfirmed Armenian press reports, Turkish and Georgian firms have re-exported Armenian apricots and cherries to Russia in recent weeks.
Citing sanitary grounds, the Russian authorities essentially blocked in late May and early June multimillion-dollar imports of Armenian fruits, vegetables, mineral water, flowers, fish and some alcoholic beverages. Moscow imposed the sanctions amid its growing warnings about the economic cost of Armenia’s deepening ties with the European Union. It has been pressing Yerevan to quickly choose between continuing to seek EU membership and remaining part of a Russian-led economic bloc vital for the Armenian economy.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian ruled out any change in his pro-Western foreign policy after his disputed victory in the June 7 parliamentary elections. He claimed to have reached unspecified “understandings” with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin during their July 6 meeting held on the sidelines of an international trade exhibition in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. Moscow has not reversed or eased any of its sanctions since then.
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RFE/RL – Armenian Mining Giant Bought By U.S. Firm
- Mkrtich Karapetian
A U.S. company is the new owner of Armenia’s second largest mining enterprise that belonged to a leading Russian bank until this month, according to official documents obtained by RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
The company, Dynamic Frontier Holdings, is run and possibly owned by Konstantin Sokolov, a Russian-born businessman from Chicago appointed by the U.S. State Department recently as chairman of a $200 million fund tasked with facilitating the creation of a U.S.-run transit corridor passing through Armenia.
The Teghut enterprise has mined copper and molybdenum in a deposit of the same name located in Armenia’s northern Lori province for more than a decade. The Armenian subsidiary of Russia’s VTB took over it in 2019 after its first owner’s failure to repay a $400 million loan.
VTB finally managed to get rid of the asset last week when Armenia’s state anti-trust regulator allowed Teghut’s sale to an obscure Armenian company, Kuprar RA. Its founder, Sergei Virabian, said afterwards that he sold the company to another “entrepreneur” this month but refused to name him or her.
An Armenian state registry revealed this week that Kuprar is now owned by Dynamic Frontier Holdings. The latter was incorporated in the U.S. state of Texas last year. Documents obtained by RFE/RL’s Armenian Service from the Texas tax registry identify Sokolov as its “manager.”
Born and raised in Russia, the 52-year-old Sokolov is a private equity investor with wide-ranging business interests in and outside the United States. In 2024, he and another foreign investor purchased one of Armenia’s three mobile phone operators from Russia’s MTS telecom giant.
Sokolov is one of 36 private donors who have reportedly contributed to U.S. President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project. He has also donated more than $12 million to Republican Party campaigns and political groups during Trump’s second term.
Teghut was Armenia’s 22nd largest corporate taxpayer last year, with almost 14.4 billion drams ($39 million) in various taxes contributed to the state budget. The company employed more than 1,100 people as of 2022. Dynamic Frontier may have deliberately avoided buying it directly from VTB. The bank was one of the first Russian entities sanctioned by the European Union and the United States following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
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‘From Folk Melody to Award-Winning Composition’: Composer Anna Grigorian Wins
BY DR. EDWARD ADOURIAN
Composer and concert pianist Anna Grigorian recently won first prize at the Music Teachers Association of California’s 2026 Composers Today contest.
Her original winning piece, called “Folkloresque,” is inspired by Komitas’s “Gakavig.”
In the following interview with her husband, Dr. Edward Adourian, Grigorian discusses the cultural influences that impact her work and the significance of the award she recently won.
EDWARD ADOURIAN: Congratulations on winning First Prize at the 2026 MTAC Composers Today State Competition. What did this recognition mean to you personally and professionally?
ANNA GRIGORIAN: On a personal level, it meant validation of years of hard work and perseverance, especially considering the fact that I am an immigrant and a woman who constantly tries to juggle family responsibilities, work, and professional development. Professionally, it meant that I have skills beyond teaching and performing. The composition process proved to be the most demanding in terms of commitment and the array of skills needed to see a project through.
E.A.: Your composition is based on an Armenian folk tune “Gakavig,” collected by Komitas, early 20th century Armenian ethno-musicologist and composer. Why did you choose this particular tune?
A.G.: I am ethnically Armenian, which, in my personal view, means belonging to an endangered people. Our country and its population are very small, and our history is one of continued struggle, loss, and rebirth. As an Armenian, I wanted to do something to put my country and my people on the map. Choosing Komitas was an intuitive decision. Ordained as a monk, his passion was collecting and preserving Armenian folk material from the regions of Western Armenia, which were eventually depopulated due to the Genocide of 1915. Using this ancient and, at the same time, timeless material was, in my view, an effort to bring this music to the modern listener and a wider audience.
E.A.: How did you transform a traditional folk melody into a contemporary concert work while preserving its original spirit?
A.G.: I intentionally picked a tune that I considered to be the most catchy melodically and the most harmonically conventional. I wanted the original tune to be heard clearly, with its pure folk innocence and beauty, but at the same time my goal was to develop it into a complex work, interesting enough for a professional musician to appreciate and beautiful enough for the audience to become excited about.
E.A.: You are known primarily as a concert pianist and educator. How do performing and teaching influence your work as a composer?
A.G.: As an educator, you constantly pay attention to notation, musical form, texture, storytelling, logic, and the flow of a composition. As a performer, you add another dimension by considering how accessible and exciting the music will be for the audience. Since I am a very visual learner, I also pay close attention to how the pianist will perceive the printed page. Therefore, I am very thoughtful about every detail, from choosing time and key signatures to dynamics, articulation markings, and page layout.
E.A.: As someone born in Georgia to an Armenian family and now living in the United States, how has your multicultural background shaped your musical voice?
A.G.: Growing up in Tbilisi, Georgia, one of the most multicultural cities in Transcaucasia, I was exposed to the music and cultures of many different ethnic groups: Georgians, Armenians, Kurds, Russians, and Jews, who lived together in harmony in this welcoming city. The rhythms and melodies of folk instruments, often heard in the streets during various celebrations, became the musical lexicon within which I operate as a composer. Moving to the United States has allowed me to continue my professional growth and to set higher goals, which I view as attainable in this great country.
E.A.: Contemporary classical music sometimes struggles to connect with audiences. How can composers build bridges between tradition and modern _expression_?
A.G.: When I was a student at the conservatory in Yerevan, I remember one of our professors discussing the notion of an individualistic approach to composition versus a community-centered approach. In the first approach, the goal is to be original and innovative at any expense and for its own sake. In the second, the goal is to become the voice of your people. Because of the culture in which I grew up, I definitely see myself as someone who belongs to, represents, and serves a community. While my compositional point of view and musical language are deeply rooted in my ancient heritage, my motivation and purpose are to bring beautiful and soulful music to the broader community of music lovers, regardless of nationality or cultural background.
Music is a universal language, and if the aim is to transmit a positive message of hope and love, then I have reached the ultimate goal as a composer.
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New ‘Odysseus’ TV Series to Film in Armenia and Greece in Early 2027
Armenia’s Garni Temple
A new television adaptation of Homer’s “Odyssey” is set to begin filming across Greece and Armenia in early 2027, offering a historically grounded retelling of one of the greatest works of ancient Greek literature, Greek City Times reports.
Titled “Odysseus,” the independent European-American production is separate from Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster “The Odyssey,” but arrives as renewed global interest in Homer’s epic continues following the film’s success.
The series aims to present a realistic portrayal of the Bronze Age world, exploring the political intrigue, warfare and human struggles that inspired the legendary tale while examining the events surrounding the collapse of the Bronze Age civilization.
Produced by Tanweer Productions in Athens, U.S.-based Tectonic, and Armenian-American broadcaster USATV, the project will film on location in both Greece and Armenia. Armenian-American producer Vaagn Sarkissian serves as one of the executive producers.
The creative team brings together industry veterans from several major international productions. Karl Gajdusek, an executive producer on “Stranger Things,” will serve as showrunner, while acclaimed director Roel Reiné, known for “Black Sails,” “Halo,” “Wu Assassins” and “Washington,” will direct the series.
Speaking about the project, Gajdusek said the goal is to strip away the fantasy surrounding Homer’s epic and reveal the human story beneath.
In Greek mythology, Odysseus is the legendary king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer’s epic poem, “The Odyssey.” Renowned for his intellectual brilliance and guile, he is most famous for his “homecoming”, which took him ten eventful years after the decade-long Trojan War.
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Statue of Garo Sassouni, Revolutionary Leader, Unveiled in Gyumri
Statue of Garo Sassouni is unveiled in Gyumri on Jul. 17
A statue of storied Armenian revolutionary leader Garo Sassouni was unveiled in Gyumri on Friday as a public testament to his contributions to the Armenian Liberation Movement.
In a special ceremony attended by community members and activists, the statue, which stands at the intersection of Proshyan and Karekin Njdeh streets in Gyumri, was unveiled.
Garo Sassouni was a singularly unique public and political figure—a national hero. A lawyer, and historian, he was elected as a member of the Parliament of the First Republic in 1919 and later was appointed as governor of Alexandrapol—present-day Shirak Province—in 1920.
He was one of the founders and leaders of the Armenian Liberation Movement that sought salvation for the Armenian people during the Genocide. From 1914 to 1915, he participated and led the liberation movement in Talin. Later he participated in the crucial battle of Dashtadem fortress, which ultimately resulted in victory at Sardarabad.
Having been appointed Governor of Shirak, he began a merciless fight against corruption. As Inga Avagyan, Director of the “Gumairi Historical and Cultural Reserve-Museum,” reported, he put an end to corruption in a short period of time, equally punishing both bribe givers and bribe takers.
The bronze statue that stands at almost eight feet was the work of scultptor Missak Melkonyan.
During the ceremony Friday, Melkonyan explained the statue has three important symbols: the pipe is a symbol of thought and contemplation; the necklace is a symbol of freedom, and the outstretched index finger encapsulates Sassouni’s leadership.
The statue was made possible through the efforts of two benefactors—Ashot Nersisyan, the president of the “Zoravar Sebouh” civic organization, and Ivan Aldhaldjian.
In his remarks, Artashes Shahbazyan, a member of Hamazkayin Central Executive, said that the unveiling event should have much more resonance in Armenia, because Garo Sassouni was a person of stature and a National Hero.
Sassouni led the Armenian Liberation Movement for more than 20 years, participated in state-building efforts, battles, and dedicated his life in the Diaspora to the service of Armenians. Shahbazyan pointed out that Garo Sassouni’s mother, Anna, was a very prominent person in the Sassoun Province in Western Armenia and was, herself, a well-known fedayee.
Also present at the event was one of Garo Sassouni’s students, ARF leader Dikran Jinbashian, who considered himself lucky as one of the last generation of students to have been taught by Garo Sassouni, emphasizing that he owed the great national hero his education in Armenian literature, history and the pursuit of the Armenian Cause.
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DC’s Armenian Youth Center Launches Successful Inaugural Casino Royale Fundra
Photos courtesy of the Armenian Youth Center of Greater Washington, DC
By CHARLES YESSAIAN
LORTON, Va. — The Armenian Youth Center of Greater Washington, D.C. welcomed supporters, families, and friends from across the broader community to the beautiful Pavilion at the Lorton Art House for its first-ever Casino Royale Charity Fundraiser — an exciting new spring event that may well become a cherished annual tradition.
As organizers launched this inaugural effort, there was understandable uncertainty about what to expect. Would the community embrace a brand-new concept? Would families come out to support it?
The answer was a resounding yes.
Hosted under the leadership of AYC President Chris Hekimian and supported by a dedicated volunteer Host Committee, the evening reflected the American-Armenian community’s enduring commitment to investing in future generations.
The event brought together a vibrant mix of American-Armenian families, longtime supporters, and many friends from outside the Armenian community, all united by a shared spirit of philanthropy, fellowship, and fun.
While inspired by the glamour and excitement of a classic casino night, the event proved to be far more than simply an evening of gaming.
Guests enjoyed an energetic and welcoming atmosphere featuring blackjack, craps, roulette, three-card poker, Let It Ride, Ultimate Texas Hold ’Em, and Texas Hold ’Em poker tables, along with outstanding food, fellowship, raffles, and an auction.
One of the most memorable and perhaps unexpected aspects of the evening was how remarkably family-friendly it became. Children enthusiastically joined in the fun, learning games, cheering on family members, and adding a joyful energy that perfectly reflected the spirit of the community.
Rather than a formal adults-only affair, Casino Royale became what the American-Armenian community often does best: a joyful gathering of generations.
As a first-time event, Casino Royale was intentionally created to serve as a spring complement to the Armenian Youth Center’s annual autumn golf outing, providing another meaningful opportunity each year for the community to gather in support of Armenian youth and charitable initiatives.
Beyond the entertainment, the purpose of the evening remained firmly rooted in the Armenian Youth Center’s broader vision.
The Armenian Youth Center of Greater Washington, D.C. was established with an ambitious but deeply meaningful goal: the creation of a physical American-Armenian Youth Center that will serve future generations while also supporting local youth organizations, educational initiatives, cultural activities, athletic programs, and broader community engagement efforts throughout the region.
The vision is to create a place where young people can gather, learn, lead, celebrate Armenian heritage and culture, participate in sports and community activities, strengthen friendships, and build lasting connections.
Casino Royale directly helped advance that mission.
A particularly meaningful moment during the evening was a special charitable presentation in support of the Hamasdegh Armenian Sunday School, recognizing the important role it plays in educating and strengthening Armenian youth in the region.
Events of this scale do not happen without extraordinary volunteer leadership, generous sponsorship, and a community willing to step forward.
Special appreciation goes to my fellow Host Committee members, whose leadership, creativity, volunteer spirit, and countless hours of effort made the evening possible: Manoug Habibian, Rafi Festekjian, John Altounian, Ara Abrahamian, Tro Kasparian, Ara Sardarbegians, Sevag Poochikian, Shirag Ohanessian, and Rudy Shafakian.
A particularly heartfelt thank you goes to Manoug Habibian and Taline Habibian of UE Events, whose creativity, partnership, and generosity helped bring the Casino Royale vision to life in spectacular fashion. Their efforts were instrumental in transforming a first-time fundraising concept into such a memorable and successful evening.
Special thanks also go to Ara Abrahamian for his exceptional support and commitment to making the evening a success.
Additional appreciation goes to:
- Wheels On Site;
- Imperial Auto Body;
- Delta Star Inc.;
- Levant Charcoal;
- and the many donors who contributed raffle prizes, auction items, and other support.
The Armenian Youth Center also extends gratitude to the families of the volunteers and organizers whose support makes this kind of charitable work possible.
Charles Yessaian is Co-Chair of Armenian Youth Center of Greater Washington, D.C. Casino Royale & Golf Fore Kids Committees.
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