- 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.
—
‘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.
—
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.
—
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.
—
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.
—
Asbarez: Armenia to Be Represented at Cannes With Four New Short Films in 2027
Armenia will be represented at the 80th edition of the Cannes International Film Festival in 2027 with four new short films produced under the Next Step Studio initiative of the festival’s Critics’ Week section, where the country will be the Guest of Honor.
As part of the program, four Armenian and four international directors will collaborate in creative pairs to produce four short films in Armenia. The films will premiere at the 2027 Cannes Film Festival.
The initiative is supported by Armenia’s Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports in partnership with the Guild of Armenian Film Directors and Producers.
The four Armenian directors selected through a competition were announced during the 23rd Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival. Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Tigran Virabyan and Guild President Artyom Baghdasaryan attended the event.
The selected directors are Armik Israelyan, Sona Khachatryan, Raffi Movsisyan and Naira Sargsyan. They will later be paired with four international directors. The creative teams will be announced on August 19 during the closing ceremony of the CineLink industry platform at the Sarajevo Film Festival.
The program in Armenia will include script development, workshops with international experts, production preparation, filming, post-production and the presentation of the completed films.
The projects were chosen by a professional selection committee. Armenian and French producers first shortlisted 12 projects, after which interviews with the finalists took place on July 16 at the Cinema House in Yerevan. The selection committee included program coordinator Juliette Canon, producer and Next Step Studio curator Dominique Welinski, and Armenian producer of the Next Step Studio Armenia program Artyom Baghdasaryan.
The films will be shot in Armenian with the participation of Armenian actors. Beyond bringing the four films to Cannes, the initiative will give Armenian filmmakers an opportunity to present their future feature-length projects to international partners, develop co-productions and strengthen the global presence of Armenian cinema.
—
CC: When politics costs you your job
|
|||
|
‘Odysseus’ TV series to film in Armenia
An international television series based on Homer’s epic The Odyssey is set to film on location in Greece and Armenia.
As reported by Deadline, the project is being produced by Athens-based Tanweer Productions, newly launched U.S. production company Tectonic, and U.S.-Armenian production company USATV. The series is led by Stranger Things season one executive producer Karl Gajdusek, who serves as showrunner.
The creators describe the project as a new, more grounded interpretation of Homer’s epic. According to them, the series will portray the real world of the Bronze Age, marked by war, seafaring, betrayal and the struggle for survival, while also exploring the historical forces that led to the collapse of the Bronze Age.
The project has been in development for several years, with filming scheduled to begin early next year.
The series will be directed by Roel Reiné, whose previous credits include Washington, Black Sails, Halo and Wu Assassins.
Executive producers include Vaagn Sarkissian of USATV, Jordan Dykstra, Denisa Juhos, Karl Gajdusek, Sean Finegan, Scott Windhauser, Noah Lang, Blake Hoss, Roel Reiné and Dionyssis Samiotis of Tanweer Productions.
“We want to tell this epic story in the most grounded and historically authentic way possible,” Gajdusek said. “In Homer’s work, Odysseus’ journey carries symbolic meaning, but beneath it are real human destinies, choices, losses and triumphs.”
Dykstra said the team has been developing the project for nearly five years. He added that their goal is to present audiences with the most authentic and compelling portrayal possible of the ancient Hellenic world.
Published by Armenpress, original at
—
Yerevan Bestseller: Chocolat tops translated fiction chart for June 2026
This week, Armenpress presents the latest edition of its Yerevan Bestseller project, featuring the top 10 bestselling translated fiction titles based on book sales in June.
Joanne Harris’ Chocolat tops the list. The novel tells the story of the quiet French village of Lansquenet, where little has changed for years until the arrival of the mysterious Vianne Rocher and her daughter on the eve of Lent. As Vianne opens a chocolate shop, the novel explores whether she can preserve it in a tightly knit community bound by strict religious traditions.
Second is Nora Ikstena’s Soviet Milk, a novel that follows three generations of women from the same family. Through an accessible narrative, the author portrays the social environment of Soviet Latvia during her childhood and youth, depicting the moral vacuum that gradually crushed people from within. At the center of the story is a talented gynecologist who understands others deeply and helps many through her profession, yet finds herself unable to cope with her own life. The novel’s title refers to a mother’s deliberate decision to deprive her daughter of breast milk in an attempt to spare her from inheriting her pain and despair.
Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code ranks third. In the novel, symbologist Robert Langdon investigates the mysterious murder of one of the Louvre’s curators. As the story unfolds, readers are taken back in time through episodes from the life of Christ and Dan Brown’s interpretation of Leonardo da Vinci’s works.
Fourth is Haruki Murakami’s South of the Border, West of the Sun. Hajime appears to have an ideal life: he is a successful businessman with a loving wife and children. Everything changes when Shimamoto, his first love from adolescence, unexpectedly reappears, blurring the line between reality and illusion. Published in 1992, the novel explores love, passion, life-changing decisions, lost opportunities and mystery.
Fifth is Tracy Chevalier’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. More than the story behind a famous portrait, the novel recounts the relationship between painter Johannes Vermeer and his muse in seventeenth-century Delft. Chevalier’s meticulous historical research vividly recreates the atmosphere of the Dutch Golden Age.
Sixth is Mark Aren’s The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. The novel offers the Armenian author’s own take on the legendary detective and his loyal companion Dr. Watson. Blending intrigue, seemingly unrelated facts and unexpected solutions with parallels between past, present and future, Armorica and Armenia, and British and Armenian history, the book presents a fresh interpretation of the classic detective universe.
Seventh is Gregory David Roberts’ Shantaram, the internationally acclaimed novel that follows a fugitive seeking redemption in the streets of Bombay while exploring themes of love, destiny, friendship and personal transformation.
Eighth is Franck Thilliez’s Puzzle. The psychological thriller follows Ilan and Chloé, participants in the mysterious game “Paranoia,” where the winner is promised €300,000. The game leads them to an abandoned psychiatric hospital in the French Alps, where eight people were murdered a year earlier. Once again, eight players enter the game—but not all of them are expected to survive.
Ninth is Elif Shafak’s The Bastard of Istanbul. The novel explores numerous internal contradictions of Turkish society, with the Armenian Genocide occupying a central place as an unresolved historical and psychological issue. Following its publication, Shafak faced prosecution in Turkey under Article 301 for “insulting Turkishness.” The book was effectively unavailable during the trial and became freely available only after the author was acquitted.
Rounding out the top ten is Jo Nesbø’s The Snowman. Set in and around Oslo, the novel follows detective Harry Hole as he investigates the disappearance of several women. Convinced that the cases are connected, Hole searches for a pattern while confronting a chilling mystery: a snowman is found at every crime scene. Widely regarded as one of the defining works of Scandinavian crime fiction, the novel has been translated into dozens of languages and adapted into a feature film in 2017.
Published by Armenpress, original at
—
Kobakhidze highlights ties with Armenia in push to strengthen Georgia’s transi
Georgia’s close ties with its three neighboring countries-Armenia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye-play an important role in strengthening the country’s connectivity and expanding its transit function, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said.
Speaking on the Imedi LIVE program, Kobakhidze said Georgia is implementing major infrastructure projects aimed at improving connectivity.
“Under our plan, by 2031 virtually all express highways will be completed, with the exception of one specific section. In addition, railway modernization and capacity expansion are progressing actively. We are building the Anaklia port, where work is also advancing at a rapid pace. Airport infrastructure is developing as well, including all three international airports operating in our country,” Kobakhidze said.
According to the Georgian prime minister, the large-scale infrastructure investments will further strengthen the country’s role as a regional transit hub.
“These are major investments in infrastructure, and all of this will contribute to the further development of our country’s transit function. At the same time, we are deepening our relations with the relevant countries in our region and with our neighbors. We enjoy excellent relations with our three neighboring countries-Armenia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye-and all of this plays a key role in terms of connectivity and transit,” Kobakhidze said.
Published by Armenpress, original at
—